THE FUMBLE EFL LEARNING PROGRAMME
THE BILINGUAL METHOD
When Your Language Helps You Learn A New One!!!
The Bilingual Method (BM), owned by JB Productions, is an edutainment process that
aims at introducing a foreign language. The method may be applied to live workshops, TV
shows, video games, class activities and interactive theatre.
BM alternates the foreign language (L2) and the user’s native tongue (L1) in a ‘surreal’ but
well codified and natural sounding mix. The result is that characters/users understand and
respond to each other as if they were all speaking ONE global, universal language. The
presence of the mother tongue L1 allows users to always understand what’s going on,
follow the plot and grow fond of characters and situations: language skills are acquired as
the method progressively increases L2 and reduces L1. To help convey the meaning of
the L2 chunks and words, the method also relies on movement, expression, voice tone
and objects.
The method was introduced by Teresa Pascarelli in 1999 and mastered throughout the
years by the author in all the projects she has created and written since then, aimed
mainly a introducing EFL (English as a Foreign Language) to Italian kids. Kids give great
response because of their capacity of accepting the unconventional nature of BM: they
don’t ask themselves why, for example, it is so natural for Fumbles to hop from one
language to the other.
Examples:
Sono Sara! come va? My name is Sara Spelling… ma voi potete chiamarmi Mrs. S!’
‘Vous savez ce que je cherche? A Fumble!! I’m looking for a Fumble!!
THE FUMBLE PROGRAMME
Apart from using Bilingual Method dialogue and exposing audience and users to English
vocabulary and chunks (fragments of sentences), the Fumbles’ IP unfolds into a series of
entertaining products and activities, all designed to follow a 5 year EFL teaching
programme called: the Fumble Programme.
The programme structure and content is being developed thanks to JB’s experimentation
with fumbles on the field (schools, families, Tv shows, fumble worskhops and interactive
shows).
1 – Fumble EFL programme- ©JB Productions s.r.l.
FUMBLE PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
As of today, our imaginary Fumbleland kids have generated 48 fumbles! The JB
creative team has captured them and divided them into 6 units of 8 fumbles each. The
specific bundle of didactic notions and skills introduced by each fumble is what we call
‘a fumble lesson’. We are thus talking about 48 fumble lessons, offered in 6 units of 8
lessons each.
All fumble lessons will initially be available in 2 didactic levels, but the full programme
will eventually offer 5 levels, corresponding to the 5 years of elemenary school and its
age groups 6 to 10.
So, for example, the same Unit 1 fumble called PeaCup brings about a lesson that will
be available in 5 different levels.
UNIT DIAGRAM
The following diagram shows you how unit 1 fumbles, for example, go through the 5
levels.
LEVEL 1 – UNIT 1
Lesson 1/1
HairPlane
Lesson 2/1
LemonFart
Lesson 3/1
RainCow
Lesson 4/1
PoliceCan
monFart
Lesson 5/1
GlueBerry
Lesson 6/1
PeaCup
Lesson 7/1
ShoeFace
Lesson 8/1
ParkingPot
Lesson3/2
RainCow
Lesson 4/2
PoliceCan
monFart
Lesson 5/2
GlueBerry
Lesson 6/2
PeaCup
Lesson 7/2
ShoeFace
Lesson 8/2
ParkingPot
Lesson3/3
RainCow
Lesson 4/3
PoliceCan
monFart
Lesson 5/3
GlueBerry
Lesson 6/3
PeaCup
Lesson 7/3
ShoeFace
Lesson 8/3
ParkingPot
Lesson3/4
RainCow
Lesson 4/4
PoliceCan
monFart
Lesson 5/4
GlueBerry
Lesson 6/4
PeaCup
Lesson 7/4
ShoeFace
Lesson 8/4
ParkingPot
Lesson3/5
RainCow
Lesson 4/5
PoliceCan
monFart
Lesson 5/5
GlueBerry
Lesson 6/5
PeaCup
Lesson 7/5
ShoeFace
Lesson 8/5
ParkingPot
LEVEL 2 – UNIT 1
Lesson 1/2
HairPlane
Lesson 2/2
LemonFart
LEVEL 3 – UNIT 1
Lesson 1/3
HairPlane
Lesson 2/3
LemonFart
LEVEL 4 – UNIT 1
Lesson 1/4
HairPlane
Lesson 2/4
LemonFart
LEVEL 5 – UNIT 1
Lesson 1/5
HairPlane
Lesson 2/5
LemonFart
Unit 2 fumbles will follow the same scheme. So for example, CandyFox (fumble lesson
n° 20) from Unit 3, will also be available in 5 different levels.
The user learns by interacting, watching, listening and playing with each fumble
product (app with games, live and digital workshops, fumble live interactive shows,
2 – Fumble EFL programme- ©JB Productions s.r.l.
videos, action figures and cards, fumble books, etc). This way they enjoy working
their way through the units and levels. The complete website www.fumbleland.com
shall also be available within 2015.
EXAMPLES OF CONTENT FOR EACH FUMBLE LESSON:
SPELLING – Mrs Spelling (fumbleland’s spelling teacher) has a tendency to sing-spell
everything. She has a spelling jingle for each Fumble name, which is taught to kids in
each specific fumble lesson. Fumbles are obviously mainly about spelling. When the
user or Mrs S try to correct the fumble, he must eliminate the wrong letter and insert
the right one: Take out your C, Raincow! Put on an M, PoliceCan!! As level increases,
spelling skills are progressively extended to other related words.
VOCABULARY – Each fumble leads the kid to quickly memorizing 4 vocabulary
words: RainCow brings ‘rain’, ‘cow’, ‘rainbow’ and ‘bow’. CandyFox contains ‘candy’,
‘fox’, ‘box’ and ‘candy box’. As the level increases, this basic vocabulary is inserted in
broader contexts and presented in chunks, short sentences, full sentences, complex
sentences.
ADJECTIVES - Each fumble is identified by at least one basic adjective that quailifies
him: HairPlane is ‘fast’; RainCow is ‘lazy’. As level increases, the lesson is enriched by
synonyms, opposites and the adjectives are used in broader contexts.
VERBS – Each fumble has his own personal advancing mode: HairPlane flies, PeaCup
hops; RainCow dances; Parking Pot rolls, ect… As for previous functions, verbs are
introduced and practiced following the growing level of difficulty.
ADVERBS – While searching for each fumble, Mrs Spelling and/or the user will
introduce place adverbs and other vocabulary: GlueBerry is in the box; ShoeFace is
under the bed. Here too, as levels and age gruop go up, difficulty and complexity of
context increase.
FOOD AND COLOURS – Fumbles feed themeslves by crunching on coloured pencils.
(that’s beacuse they were born from kids’ writing!). Pencils in Fumbleland taste of fruit
or vegetable. So each fumble has his favorite pencil: PeaCup likes peach pink;
HairPlane likes strawberry red; RainCow likes spinach green. The specific colour and
food item will be the starting point for teaching more colours, food items, eating
habits, etc…
PLACES - Mrs. Spelling’s home is one of the main backgrounds for fumble activities
and games (for this is where they love to hide and live). In combination with place
adverbs, lessons introduce interiors (kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom) and
progressively deal with external and other places (school, park, garden, garage,
restaurant, etc)
3 – Fumble EFL programme- ©JB Productions s.r.l.
SONGS – Each fumble has his own little song, which is taught and danced in live
workshops as a part of his lesson. RainCow Rap: I am a RainCow… but I look like a
RainBow… yeah!
4 – Fumble EFL programme- ©JB Productions s.r.l.