Testimonials

Grace H. – Chinese Teacher - Indianapolis, IN

Because the symbols/pictures are self-explanatory, I am able to use Chinese 100% of the time when teaching.  I cannot say enough good things about QTalk^®!  My students still remember what I taught them two years ago!!  I highly recommend schools with Chinese language programs think" outside the box" and give QTalk^® a try!" 

Sister B.J. L. - Louisville, KY

The students particularly like the sticker pages and are anxiously awaiting making the cubes.  They want to go to the next sticker page without doing all the other pages in between.  I love the way the students, especially the ones who are sensory and kinesthetic learners (the ones who were my slower and disinterested students last year) shine.  They are proud to show their answers now.  They do not have to learn how to spell the words.  They can simply make sentences with pictures and read in Spanish or they can simply trace the words or select from a word bank.  

I am receiving a lot of positive feedback from parents as well.  They say that my child wants to come home and make sentences.  They do not need to tell them to sit down and do their homework.  They do it automatically, not only in the time set aside to do homework, but at other times as well.  

…Thank you very much for the program and making my job as a teacher much more enjoyable. 

Bei T.—Chinese Teacher - Round Rock, TX

 I have received the cards today and started using them in my Chinese class immediately. Students are all engaged and participated for the entire 90 minutes! Thank you very much for the great product and fast shipment.

Georgia B.—French Teacher - Thetford, VT

I tried the QTalk^® cards in a 2nd grade class today for the first time. We just sang a song about foods, one for each day of the week. I put my magnet days of the week up and we reviewed them. Then I introduced the food cards that were in the song. Then they had to match the food with the day. We sang the song. Then I started with Lilli loves ______ (food). I made substitutions and they could say the phrase easily. Then I had them be more proactive. They LOVED the cards. I am all set up to go on from there next week. They were the best behaved today than they have ever been.

Dr. B. - Neuroscience and Linguistics - Qunnipiac University, CT

QTalk^® Cracks the Code on language instruction.  QTalk^® is truly revolutionary. Students have never learned so fast or been as engaged as they are with the Digital Language System. Everything about it fills them with excitement and confidence - they beg to be called on.  Positive emotions lead to faster and more efficient transfer to semantic memory and formation of phonetic synapses - exponentially improving recall and vocalization.

Elizabeth B. – French Teacher – Lake Forest, IL

This is my 18th year of teaching French.  I have used SYMTALK for the past 8 to 9 years in the 6th-8th grades and began using QTalk^® this fall in the 5th grade.  There are significant advantages to using these programs.  First of all, the use of pictures, like pictograms, makes the message instantly available to the student without the need of English to French translation.  This makes speaking instant and natural, thus providing an experience closer to a French immersion than textbook methods. In addition, not only does the process allow for the rapid learning of a large amount of vocabulary, but also helps students internalize just as quickly what could be perceived as cumbersome grammar skills.  I am convinced that this method addresses a larger range of learning styles and enables many students to have success in a foreign language where they would not otherwise when using a traditional method.  Secondly, the sequencing of the visual cards that create the sentences helps the students absorb French syntax which is rather different than English syntax.  Therefore, students master word order more naturally thanks to their visual memories and rely once again on that memory to compose new sentences without faulting, as they would, when relying on English to French translation.   Thirdly and equally as important, is that this is a hands-on method that allows for a great deal of creativity both for the teacher and the students.  My 5th grade students rush to class so that they can be the first to “write” a French sentence on my whiteboard using the QTalk^® cards.  They enjoy writing the longest sentence they can possibly create for their classmates to “read”.   The creative ideas that can be generated with this method are limitless and lend themselves so well to differentiated instruction.  Finally, Maurice Hazan has created a visually enticing program.  It is as beautiful as it is effective.  My 5th grade students love using QTalk^® Book 1. They are drawn to and browse through the esthetic pages, looking forward to the upcoming lessons.  I could not be more pleased with the approach and the program.

Carrie F., Language Teacher – St. Petersburg, FL

The QTalk^® curriculum is engaging, interactive and fun. Students love the colorful pictures and are quick to memorize the vocabulary. I even had one student who could not think of the English word for a picture! From day one students are reading and speaking grammatically-correct sentences which gives them a huge sense of accomplishment. The interactive SMARTBoard software and online games allow students to practice the material in an entertaining way.

Celia N. – Spanish Teacher - Loudoun County, VA

Teachers and students like this method because it is mostly based on hands-on activities. Students are able to manipulate the flashcards and the language is not longer abstract but, instead, very visual and authentic.  This method truly develops fluency and oral comprehension in the foreign language. In addition, the games are fun with lots of opportunities for group and pair activities in the classroom.

Students are able to communicate in the foreign language by using these flashcards and by creating sentences in group and with each other.  In fact, their oral production and comprehension is developing at a faster rate since we have been using this program. Students like to manipulate these flashcards and create sentences on their own, or as we call them “crazy sentences” as longs as they are grammatically correct.

This program has been successful because it relies mainly on visuals, which are essential for language acquisition.

I would certainly recommend this program to other schools. You will see a noticeable increase on your students’ language development.

Grace H. – Chinese Teacher - Indianapolis, IN

I use this program to teach my students Chinese. I can see the unbelievable results right away—within minutes.  Students are able to speak Chinese using correct sentence structure without any effort.  The symbols/pictures created by Maurice Hazan lower students' apprehension levels as they begin to speak. Looking at the pictures reduces their stress as they process the meaning of words. Chinese language learners spend A LOT of brain energy "decoding" characters.  When this happens, they have less energy to focus on communicating orally, which is actually a very hard part of language learning.  With QTalk^®, students are not stressed when reading or interpreting characters into meaning and sound when they speak.  Moreover, because the symbols/pictures are self-explanatory, I am able to use Chinese 100% of the time when teaching.  I cannot say enough good things about QTalk^®!  My students still remember what I taught them two years ago!!  I highly recommend schools with Chinese language programs think "outside the box" and give QTalk^® a try!"

Jon S.  - Dept. Chair -  New Canaan, CT

We have used QTalk^® (and formerly Symtalk) with our sixth graders for many years and have always enjoyed it.  This system gets kids using language in the context of full sentences right away, from their first class.  It is always rewarding for the students to see that they can express meaning in full sentences within such a short time of study.  The manipulatable images (both magnetic and digital) are wonderful.  We love projecting the images on the SMARTBoard and then being able to create on-the-spot sentences with them....students love doing that, too.  The games that accompany the text are fun and engaging.  We have recommended QTalk^® to other schools as we know that students and teachers both enjoy working with the system.  Furthermore, Maurice, the inventor of the system, is very helpful and accessible and welcomes feedback.

Sonya B. - Spanish Teacher - Springfield, MO

I have been using the teaching method developed by Maurice Hazan for 5 years. I am a strong proponent for his approach and highly recommend it to teachers of language students of any age.   It combines three modalities of learning: visual—the picture vocabulary cards; auditory—listening and then repeating the words; and kinesthetic—manually putting the cards in order to create original sentences.  I use the method for my 600+ elementary Spanish students in Kindergarten through Fifth   Grade.  My students really enjoy building and reading the sentences.  They beg to be chosen to come to the board.  It’s so amazing to hear even Kindergartners able to “read” the pictures, saying complete sentences in Spanish with confidence. The workbooks also are very straightforward and provide speaking, reading, and writing practice.  I have found the picture vocabulary cards to be very adaptable for playing games as well.  Formerly I taught many years in high school.  Should I ever return to that level,  I would definitely use the method for them as well!  Thanks, Mr. Hazan, for creating this method that enables me to share the gift of language with a new generation of children!

Viviane C. - French Teacher - Fort Myers, FL

The QTalk^® approach to language learning offers visual, auditory and/or kinesthetic learners opportunities for success.  Students love the colorful symbol cards and perform immediately in the target language by learning vocabulary in a communicative setting.  The hands-on, student-oriented and cooperative group activities and games have every student engaged in and enthusiastic about learning the new language.   In addition, the meaningful activities translate directly into increased long-term retention.  I have been using the QTalk^® (and formerly the Symtalk) method for three years now and am always impressed with the level of excitement and joy the students demonstrate in class and the pride they show in their accomplishments.  I would definitely recommend the QTalk^® method to all foreign language teachers whose aim is for students to build communicative competence from the start.  

Suzette W. – W.L. Coordinator - Loudoun County, VA

At Loudoun County we have a FLES program at all 51 elementary schools and in grade 6 at all middle schools. All students in grades 1-6 are taught Spanish. We use a variety of instructional materials for the program but two are perhaps the most significant in the program………To increase oral fluency, we purchased QTalk^® for all 65 schools. It provides visual cues for speaking. The creator and national sales manager will have a booth at ACTFL. This program has been extremely successful for us and our teachers love it. I highly recommend you check it out.

Faith L. - Language Supervisor - Loudoun County, VA

QTalk^®'s visual methods access both sides of the brain.  This allows for a faster learning time and a longer retention of vocabulary words learned than does a translation method.  Matching pictures to words in a new language stores the knowledge in a different part of the brain, as well.  Students and teachers can see the results quickly.  Moving from knowing little or nothing in the language to forming sentences in one class period gives all concerned a feeling of pride in their accomplishments.

Matty Y. – Spanish Teacher - Short Hills, NJ

My class of elementary students benefits greatly from QTalk^® .  The visuals through pictures means they are able to retain and internalize information more effectively than just copying a teacher’s exercises.  I would recommend this program to any teacher of foreign language.  QTalk^® is a valuable and relevant resource.

Amy R. – Spanish Teacher —Fort Worth, TX

The QTalk^® method has been the best program for our K-4 Spanish curriculum.  The students love to manipulate the picture cards to make their sentences and are eagerly awaiting their turn at the board.  They are actually speaking and remembering the vocabulary we use in each lesson and can recall it easily with, or without the cards.  We, the teachers, love that all of the vocabulary words have a card that represents clearly what that word means.  The workbooks are also a great written supplement to the program and the games are very helpful and fun to use, as well.  I would highly recommend this program to any and all schools trying to teach a second language.  The results are amazing!!

Cathy Q. – Spanish Teacher —Princeton, NJ

I have used this method (QTalk^®, and formerly Symtalk) in my Spanish classes for the last 13 years. During that time, I have come to see what an effective method it is in spurring students on to authentic and comprehensible dialogue.  The visual emphasis works so well with the majority of our students, and the accompanying cards and games really help to make the learning fun as we reinforce quite sophisticated concepts. I believe that it is partially because of this method that our students have been able to read, write, and speak with more substantive language structures at earlier stages than in programs with traditional programs. I would recommend QTalk^® to language learners at every level.  Suerte!

Kristi E.—Spanish Teacher —Littleton, CO

As a teacher, I like the QTalk^® method because it gets students -- even very young students -- speaking in complete sentences right away.  This visually-based method is very engaging for students, and it appeals to multiple intelligences.  I can teach visual-spatial learners and auditory learners equally effectively, and even my students with learning differences such as dyslexia have done very well with the program.  QTalk^® is a great way to get all your students  speaking a language quickly, and having fun while they're doing it!

Shara Khon D.—Spanish Teacher - Baltimore, MD

I really enjoy using the QTalk^® method of foreign language instruction.  This method is appealing to all students whether they are visual, auditory or kinesthetic learners. The symbol cards provide my students with the opportunity to manipulate the language and to learn how it works.  Instead of learning the grammar first and then applying it to use the language, my students use the language first and then the grammar flows naturally from the sentences that they create.  It also helps me teach my students vocabulary in context instead of memorizing lists. They have better retention of the vocabulary and sentence structures from year to year than other methods that I have tried.  My students are amazed by how much they know and how much they can say in such a short time.   

Lesa R.—Spanish Teacher – Lewisville, TX

My students absolutely love the QTalk^® method. It gets them forming and speaking in complete sentences in Spanish from the first lesson.  The pictures help give visual cues to the vocabulary they are learning. I have used it in my classroom over the past 5 years and am constantly amazed how much the children retain (even after returning from summer break). It is amazing and one of my best resources as a Spanish teacher.

Clara V.—Spanish Teacher —McLean, VA

During my first 15 years of teaching Spanish, I spent a lot of time looking for a method that would suit my students’ needs. A few years ago, I discovered Maurice Hazan’s system. With increasing success, I started using this method to teach my first and second grade students. This approach produced outstanding results. Today, The Langley School has successfully implemented this method to teach Spanish and French in grades K-5.  In a friendly and engaging approach, students acquire not only an extensive vocabulary, but develop speaking skills while learning grammatical concepts and sentence structure. Maurice Hazan’s system promotes oral communication from the first day. This method also provides educational games that are the perfect complement for the reinforcement of the material introduced, while providing the teacher with the necessary tools to design a lesson plan that is dynamic, effective, and engaging. This is the best way to learn a new language.

Rita M.—Exec. Director - Liberty Corner, NJ

The pure genius of the QTalk^® method, created by Maurice Hazan, was very clear to us when we first started using it in the late 1990s. Since then, we have been able to help a whole generation of students learn a 2nd language using the wide range of learning tools created by Mr. Hazan. This totally unique concept, that makes even the most reluctant learner feel confident in a short period of time, continues to be the cornerstone of our language programs. We recommend it to any language teacher without any reservations.

Val S.—Spanish Director - Richmond, VA

For many years QTalk^® (and formerly Symtalk) has been the focus of my summer Immersion Camp for five to seven year olds. The program offers a unique, hands-on approach that allows students to "speak in complete French sentences and read French to you on the first day of camp! " as I say to parents in my brochure. Not only do students love the program, but the retention level is astounding. They never forget the engaging symbols and their progress is phenomenal. I have been teaching for over thirty years and have never encountered a more effective method! 

Gina M. – Spanish teacher - St. Louis, MO

I have been teaching Spanish for 8 years in grades JK-6th Grade. I was always looking for a program that would engage students during the learning process of the language with “hands on” activities as well as encourage them to speak since the very early years. It was exciting to find these requirements in Symtalk which I have been using for the last three years. This program has been very well accepted by our students. It addresses the main styles of learning: visual, oral and kinesthetic. It is exciting to hear 4-year-old students making sentences in the target language, just by looking at the pictures.  It is even more exciting to find out about the new technology materials offered by QTalk^® for Promethean boards which our school now has. I believe this software and the online games are a wonderful addition to the already enjoyable program.  I highly recommend this program to other schools!

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