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powerspeaK12 Please visit
powerspeaK12's website here:
www.powerspeak.com
Todd Stevenson
Business Development
1682 West 820 North
Provo , UT 84601
Office: 801.373.3973 x26
Cell: 801.830.6760
Email: tstevenson@powerspeak.com
PowerspeaK12, formerly Power-Glide Languages Inc., is a Provo, Utah based company that is the leader in
foreign language training
materials for independent learners and schools. PowerspeaK12
is also a fully accredited foreign language school
serving the "foreign language for credit" market.
This market includes public, private, and charter schools,
homeschool, third-party training companies (private
labeled), corporations and individuals. Our products
offer a "whole family" solution and are specifically
designed to fit children Pre-K through grade 12 and
adults.
PowerspeaK12 was acquired by K12 Inc. in October 2007. The unique story behind PowerspeaK12 began
in the 1950's when Dr. Robert Blair was a linguistics
student at Indiana University. During his 35 years
of study, teaching and experimenting with over 48
languages, he began to see a disturbing pattern with
traditional teaching methods. Even students who had
studied a language for years, in the end, remembered
very little. Subsequently, Dr. Blair set about studying
the best teaching methods for foreign language from
around the world. Through his study of best practices
and the development of his own methodologies, the
PowerspeaK12 method was born. Once developed, Dr.
Blair knew he had created something special.
The PowerspeaK12 concept had little market value until
an entrepreneur could find a way to turn the ideas
into something tangible and salable. James Blair, one
of Dr. Blair's sons, started such a company in 1992.
PowerspeaK12's financial beginnings were truly humble.
The company started in a file cabinet, moved to one
room in a basement, then two, and now occupies 5,000
sq. feet of office and warehouse space, complete with
multi-division offices and a communication center.
In the summer of 1996, James Blair began working on
the business full-time during college, and in the first
full year turned a profit. The company has since grown
to become an Inc. 500 Fastest Growth in America Company
and the winner of many state and local business awards
for growth, profitability, and good business practices.
Being an accredited foreign language company/school
through the Northwest Association of Schools, Colleges
and Universities makes PowerspeaK12 unique. Accreditation
gives the assurance of quality and ease of credit transfer
among educational institutions. The ability to provide
learning support with board-certified foreign language
teachers, as well as to grant credit through our school,
has greatly enhanced the PowerspeaK12 offering to all
types of learners.
Why are PowerspeaK12 Programs so Effective?
They are a Blend of the Best Innovations Based on
Up-To-Date Understanding of Linguistics and Learning
Psychology.
With few exceptions, language-learning
methods have not changed much in the past 50 years.
What you typically
find today is the old "listen-and-repeat" methods
done with new technology: tapes, CDs, computers, etc.,
packaged and worded to make them seem new. But they
usually aren't new at all. They are the same old "uglies" of
language learning repackaged to look new. The essence
hasn't changed.
Occasionally a few creative geniuses have made breakthroughs
in language learning. For example:
Each breakthrough has added something to language
learning effectiveness. But, each method focused on
its own approach almost exclusively. Then one linguist,
Dr. Robert Blair, took the most revolutionary step
of all. He put the best of them together into a systematic
learning process, added his own innovations, and tested
and validated it with thousands of students. This integrated
and improved result is now known as the PowerspeaK 12
method.
PowerspeaK12 programs are revolutionary because they
do not limit themselves to one type of learning strategy,
but utilize the best practices from around the world.
Most developers of language training have one primary
strategy that they use. It might be listening and repeating,
or role-playing, mnemonics, games, Diglot-Weaves*,
or any number of other approaches. While these methods
might be good for certain situations, the PowerspeaK12
programs use each strategy for its best application.
Thus, the overall learning is accelerated exponentially.
Also, the variety of learning activities and approaches
make it easy for all types of learners to absorb the
language faster than with traditional methods.
The self-paced nature of the courses makes it possible
for teachers or parents who do not know the target
language to help a child learn without any prior training.
Our courses actually offer teacher/parent guides that
are filled with ideas to keep students motivated and
progressing.
Previously, the PowerspeaK12 method has been offered
to English-speaking learners who are interested in
speaking Spanish, French, German, Latin, Russian
and Japanese. Now this revolutionary method is being
used to teach English as a Second Language for Spanish
speakers. Because learning English is so vital in
the world today, and most methods currently used
are slow, cumbersome, tedious and boring, PowerspeaK12
programs will permanently change the way the world
learns English.
* The Diglot-Weave ™ story
is another effective technique used in the PowerspeaK12
Courses. This technique
smoothly weaves a new language into the native language
of the learner. The principle behind the Diglot-Weave,
bridging from the familiar to the unfamiliar, characterizes
the PowerspeaK12 learning philosophy.
- Unlike most language training
programs, PowerspeaK12 courses are designed for
speakers of
specific languages,
rather than the "one size fits all" approach.
This takes advantage of what each language community
knows and avoids wasted effort.
- Based on up-to-date
information/research on linguistics, learning psychology,
etc. While the PowerspeaK12 method is new, novel,
and to some, even "different," it is based
on solid research and the most up-to-date information
on the
relevant disciplines.
- Involves learners in immediate
use of the language in contextually correct situations. PowerspeaK12 courses avoid the drudgery of the rote
memorization of words and rules by immediately involving
the learners in practical use of the language in
real situations. This tactic keeps learner interest,
confidence,
and motivation high.
- Uses adventure stories and activities
From the beginning, students are involved in an exciting
adventure story and activities that are designed
to feel more like a fun game than a lesson. Learners
subsequently
enjoy the process and the story-like narrative motivates
learners to continue learning as they wonder, "What
will happen next?"
- Uses multiple methods of
learning: music, stories, activities, etc.
People have different learning styles. By using various
methods, music, stories, etc., everyone's style is
included and interest is increased.
- Uses Diglot-Weaves™
Students start with familiar stories in their own
language and gradually transition into the new language.
By
placing words and phrases from the new language wrapped
in words they know, the context provides meaning
and makes the learning an almost effortless, natural
process.
- Takes learners from the known
to the unknown along the most effortless path.
While learning a foreign language can be challenging,
it does not need to be brutal. The PowerspeaK12 method
guides the learners through the most productive and
intuitive paths.
- Uses memory devices and phonemic
approximations
Learning pronunciation and remembering words and
phrases of another language are greatly facilitated
by memory
devices and approximations from the users own language.
This also reduces the "fear" of learning
that many people experience by introducing new language
through familiar means.
- Starts with young children
before their language "compartments" solidify
While PowerspeaK12 programs can be used by anyone
at any age, particularly effective are our courses
for
young children whose minds are still open to learning
a language as a native speaker. By giving them the
tools to speak a foreign language while they are
young, the language will feel natural, like skin,
rather than
attached like clothes.
- Teacher doesn't need to know
the language
One of the greatest advantages of PowerspeaK12 courses
is the fact that the teacher, parent or facilitator
doesn't need to know the language in order to assist
the learner in the process. An added bonus is that
the person assisting also learns while they help
the student move through the course.
- Uses tests
and gives academic credit
By working with school systems, many PowerspeaK12
courses include academic tests that are recognized
as, and
can qualify for, school credit. This systematic
testing also provides additional motivation and
evaluation
for the learner.
- Other innovative strategies
PowerspeaK12 offers learners more learning methods
than any other training provider. With over
25 different methods in the PowerspeaK12 course,
learners are guaranteed
the highest likelihood of retention, enjoyment,
and desire to progress.
- Awarded full accreditation by the Northwest Association
of Schools, Colleges and Universities, PowerspeaK12
is the only Independent Study Foreign Language School
which has the authority to grant credit to students
who complete our K-12 Foreign Language Courses.
- PowerspeaK12 was named to the Inc. 500 list in 2001,
receiving straight A's in the area of financial health.
- PowerspeaK12 was named as one of the Utah 100 for fastest
growing companies in the State of Utah in 2001.
- PowerspeaK12 has received the coveted Practical Home
Schooling Reader's Choice Award for five consecutive
years.
- Awarded by the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum in
2001, PowerspeaK12 has been named as one of the Top
25 Companies in Utah Valley at under $5 million revenue
From our founding, our mission has been to revolutionize
the way people learn foreign language. Our courses
are based on methods developed by innovative language
teachers and used by students from elementary age to
adult. Our course designer, Dr. Robert W. Blair, is
foremost among his peers in language teaching. His
passion for how languages are learned permeates his
courses and inspires everyone who works with PowerspeaK12
or uses our products.
The world is shrinking. From consolidating economies
to third world development to the need to understand
and communicate with other cultures, more and more
people of all ages need to be able to communicate across
borders. At PowerspeaK12, we are a company of revolutionaries
passionate about filling the need to connect people
around the world.
We also understand the challenge learners face with
a diminishing supply of language teachers and increasing
class-sizes. We believe we have the solution. Our PowerspeaK12
courses have proven that we know how to make individualized
learning work. Our courses are book and audio-based
and are also delivered in electronic formats. We offer
learners, teachers and schools the ability to meet
their foreign language needs in a new, affordable and
effective way. With methodology based on decades of
research from world-leading teachers, as well as accreditation
from the Northwest Association of Schools, Colleges
and Universities, we stand alone as the leader in for-credit
foreign language instruction.
We invite everyone to see what learning a language
was meant to be with PowerspeaK12
Sincerely,
James G. Blair
Founder & CEO
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