SPINNING: AN ILW🚲 (INTERACTIONAL LANGUAGE WORKOUT) TECHNIQUE

The way we recommend ILW🚲 (Interactional Language Workout) lessons to be worked on is as follows:

• Working on one unit at a time, read (translate) the transcript of the unit thoroughly.

• Read it again pronouncing aloud and making sure you understand the contents; thus getting your mind used to reading without translating.

• Its not advisable that you write over the English transcript the translation of the entire sentence, since you do not want to read in Spanish but in English.

• Then, listen to the recorded version without reading the text. You will probably understand just a little the first time you listen to it.

• Its important not to read in Spanish because if you do so, you would be studying Spanish and not English.

• After some practice, you will notice that when you say the words in English; the meanings (mental images), not the Spanish translation (words), appear automatically in your mind.

• Read aloud the transcription again, not only in order to understand, but also in order to practice the pronunciation.

• Listen to the recording again.

• Repeat the process as many times as necessary until you can understand thoroughly the recorded version which is the one more difficult to understand.

• The difference between reading and translating is that when you read, you do not see, in your mind, the Spanish word but the image or idea contained in the English words or phrases.

• Now you can go onto the next lesson.

• Recording the sample dialogs on the computer or any kind of recording device can be a great exercise, especially because you want to monitor your pronunciation.

The number of times necessary to ensure comprehension of the recording, guarantees the progressive imprinting/acquisition of all the skills and micro-skills and the uttermost benefiting and assimilation of all the components of the text (vocabulary, idioms, grammar structures, pronunciation, intonation, social appropriateness, etc.); reinforced by complementary exercises, focused on the development of the written skills, as well.