Students in a Callan Method lesson are given many opportunities to speak. In fact, they are placed in a position where they must speak; they are not given the option of adopting a passive role. With each question that is asked in class, the teacher indicates a specific student to answer. To the untrained eye, it may look like the student is placed firmly ‘on the spot’. However, the Method ensures that quite the opposite is true. As the teacher finishes asking a question, they seamlessly tag on “the prompt” (the first two or three words of the answer). There are several reasons for providing an immediate prompt, and one of these is that it enables the student to start speaking. Students are never left to search for words ‘under the spotlight’.
As the student continues to say their answer, the teacher speaks along with them, effectively supporting them if needed. Should the student forget a word, hesitate over pronunciation etc., the teacher is immediately there to help and then encourage the student to continue with their answer. Similarly, when a student makes a mistake, the teacher corrects the mistake immediately, quickly and simply. Again, the moment the student has repeated the corrected language, the teacher encourages them to continue speaking. This constant support, encouragement and absence of any ‘dwelling on errors’ helps to minimize stress for learners.