The Callan Method
The Callan Method is a fast, fun and effective way to learn English or Spanish. Its distinctive methodology is loved by many thousands of students in hundreds of schools worldwide.
The Callan Method
Callan Method Lessons
Callan Method lessons engage learners in immersive and lively listening and speaking practice. For this, a unique and fast-paced question-and-answer routine is used, which means every student gets the chance to speak as much as possible. When they speak, the teacher corrects their mistakes and offers constant support and encouragement. No time is wasted, and lessons are always dynamic, immersive, full of energy, and enjoyable.
Callan Method lessons consist mostly of oral practice, with reading and writing work in the middle. During each session, students meet and use new language (words, expressions, grammatical forms and structures etc.), but Callan also ensures that students get adequate revision of the language they’ve already covered – crucial for effective learning.
A central and powerful feature of the Callan Method is that course content is carefully designed to enable fast learning and progress while also avoiding ‘learner overload’. The student is never overwhelmed by unfamiliar words and structures, as every new language item a student learns is always and only practised together with language they have already met and practised during their earlier studies.
Methodology
Callan courses are unique in terms of content and structure, and both elements are crucial to the Method’s impressive results – but the way in which the teacher delivers lessons is equally important. This too is unique. So, new teachers receive dedicated training before using the Callan Method. They need to speak quickly in class, there should never be any silence, they should mime and gesticulate, and they must correct mistakes. And Callan is lively and dynamic; teachers need to keep the momentum going at all times.
Revision and New Work
During each session with their teacher, students practise language they have already met before (i.e. they do revision), and then they are introduced to new words, expressions and grammatical structures, which they immediately use in speaking practice.
Learning new things is essential for progress, but adequate revision practice is needed as well if someone wants to be able to recall words and structures in real time when they’re talking. By systematically managing the balance between “revision” and “new work”, the Callan Method ensures that students progress far more quickly and more confidently than in a conventional language classroom.
The Callan App
The central feature of a Callan Method course is real lessons, with real teachers. But when a learner enrols at a Callan Accredited School, they also have access to the Callan App, which is perfect for practising between lessons.
The Callan App acts as a reader for any eBooks students have purchased. Our eBooks come complete with full audio. The app also contains a separate Exercises section where students can:
- listen to questions, record themselves speaking as they answer them, and compare their answer to that of a native speaker – a great way to practise, especially for pronunciation;
- write dictations as they are delivered by native speakers – any mistakes are highlighted on the screen, and students can go back to make corrections;
- do lots of extra exercises to revise the vocabulary and grammar covered during earlier lessons.
Students can use the Callan App on any Windows, Android or iOS device.
So, Callan stands out from the crowd in the language-learning world. It’s fast, fun and highly effective. The distinctive teaching approach, efficient use of lesson time, systematic revision, emphasis on oral skills, and additional app-based practice all combine to deliver excellent learning outcomes – fast!
Students' reactions to the Callan Method
We chose the Callan Method over any other methods because it has a proven track record of making rapid progress in English. We want our students in Japan to learn English efficiently in a fun and easy way! The Callan Method has been my key to success! I couldn’t speak English before, but now I can spread my wings and I’m always ready to face the world.
Raiko Fujioka, School Owner, QQEnglish, Japan
Testimonials
The Callan Method is a fast and fun way of learning English. This method allows me to improve my pronunciation and speaking.
Chloe Gaucher-Lambert, Student
Students, Testimonials
A great method, an excellent teacher who listens carefully and corrects all our mistakes, even the little ones, and gives short explanations where needed. I’m very satisfied.
Student, Volis Academy
Teaching this way has proven to be a lot of fun and very rewarding. You can really see the progress the students are making, and help them to make adjustments to their pronunciation and word choices on the go. The fast pace of the lessons combined with well written questions make the lessons lively and interesting.
Justin B. Quilling, Senior Teacher
Teacher
Students have gained a solid understanding of the fundamentals and can see the relationship between concept and application.
Teacher, Native Camp
Teacher
I speak more Spanish after a few months of Callan Español than other languages that I studied for years in the old-fashioned way. Absolutely amazing, well done and thank you.
David, student
Callan Español
Illustrated and attractive books that capture kids’ attention, where there aren’t the usual grammatical exercises but stimulating and engaging activities. Kids ask me to repeat and repeat their favourite ones!
Lisa Jane Franchini, Registered Teacher
Lisa Jane Franchini, Registered Teacher
Callan for Kids
Unlike some methods that teach English through games and focus on isolated vocabulary, Callan for Kids actually gets children to say full sentences.
Naida, School Director
Callan for Kids
We have some teachers who were students in our schools and in a short time finished the course speaking fluently, and then started giving classes. Callan is unique!
Diego Bello, School Director
Teacher
With improved pronunciation, accurate grammar and practical vocabulary, the Callan Method gives students the confidence to use English in the real world.
Simon FitzGerald, Director
Teacher
When I heard about Callan for the first time I felt that it matched my need. It helps students to communicate. In my opinion, studying English is for communicating, and this truly matches my studying style.
Mr Nut, Student
Students, Testimonials
The lessons are fun, interactive and well thought out. I am amazed at how much Spanish I can speak already.
Joanne, student
Callan Español
The Callan Method is a unique method, which allows students to immerse themselves in the language. Multiple years of teaching and hundreds of satisfied students prove that it is highly efficient and highly practical.
Esmira Yashchenko, Teacher
Teacher
I am now in my third year of Callan Español and growing in confidence all the time. The teachers are fun and very supportive. I have no fear of making mistakes when I try out my Spanish abroad, and I can read Spanish newspapers and even fiction quite well.
Sean, student
Callan Español
I did not actually think it would work out. However, to my surprise, I saw the results just in a couple of weeks! I still cannot believe that but it is a fact. I highly recommend that you also try it out and you will not regret!
Alena Postova, Student
Students, Testimonials
First of all, I found out that I can speak in this language and I have gained confidence in speaking English. I have moved from theory to practice in communicating with various people at work and with tourists who visit Krakow.
Krzysztof Legutko, Student
Students, Testimonials
The new platform is great! It’s much easier to have everything at the same place. I love working with Callan, always improving.
Marianna Bittencourt, School Director
Teacher
I felt that I really benefited from the teacher training course. My belief, knowledge and teaching skills of the Method improved massively.
Joseph Wharfe, School Director
Teacher
The greatest take away for my students is that they have all expressed how their ability to listen and comprehend to native speakers has greatly improved. As for me, I revel in the progress my students make as they slowly but surely build on their skills.
Teacher, Native Camp
Teacher
I thought that working with 1st graders was going to be a lot tougher than it really is. But our children are more than suitable for Callan Method.
Juan Arango, School Owner
Callan for Kids
Illustrated and attractive books that capture kids’ attention, where there aren’t the usual grammatical exercises but stimulating and engaging activities. Kids ask me to repeat and repeat their favourite ones!
Lisa Jane Franchini, Registered Teacher
Callan for Kids
Callan encourages you to get out there and speak – and if I can do it, anybody can! Book a lesson and surprise yourself.
Sean, student
Callan Español
It all makes sense and makes both the student and the teacher know that they chose well and that they will get where they want to get.
Pavel Ondovcak, Director
Teacher
I like Callan Method because it has improved my English speaking and listening very quickly by repeating sentences and expressions that are commonly used in daily conversations.
Stephanie Rolando Bodar, Student
Students, Testimonials
The Callan Method is extremely effective. Studying 8 stages not only enabled me to communicate with foreigners, but also helped me achieve my professional goals. This is why I intend to carry on with my studies and complete all 12 stages.
Tsitsino Gakhokidze, Professor at Georgian Aviation University (Student at the British Centre)
Students, Testimonials
I like it because I can improve my English a lot more than in the past. I understand a lot of words and it is easier to talk to foreigners.
Mr Yuri, Student
Students, Testimonials
Me siento muy cómodo trabajando con el método Callan porque rompe los paradigmas tradicionales de enseñanza del idioma y creo que la mejor manera de aprender es hablando y corrigiendo simultáneamente.
Prof. Leandro Narváez (Spanish teacher)
Callan Español
Lesson preparation is not time-consuming in any way, since everything is scripted and prepared for the teacher. Lessons are dynamic – neither the teacher nor the students have any time for boredom.
Eka Jmukhadze, Teacher
Teacher
Like a chipmunk on speed riding a bike running on liquid helium.(From the school: “This really is one of our students rating his lesson!”)
Student, Volis Academy
Students, Testimonials
The kids learn by listening and speaking English directly with no translation needed!
Lisa Jane Franchini, Registered Teacher
Callan for Kids
Our students need to quickly improve their English for work, for study, for life. The Callan Method gives them exactly what they need.
Simon FitzGerald, Director
Teacher
You can really feel yourself progressing, answering questions with much more ease than you did last lesson and the lesson before. This palpable progress is great for the student and motivates him to keep going.
Teacher, Volis Academy
Teacher
I’ve been visiting Spain for years and whenever I tried to speak Spanish in shops or bars people would always reply to me in English. I’ve now completed four stages of Callan Español. The people in Seville now understand my Spanish and I can hold simple conversations easily. It makes such a difference!
Carol, Student
Callan Español
Recently we trained a new teacher for our small academy in Andalucía. She is Spanish and bi-lingual, but had little teaching experience. Suddenly, with the Callan Method, she found a structure and technique for teaching English to her fellow Spaniards.
Chris Hanson, School Owner
Teacher
Lots of techniques help students learn fast and effectively, showing results from the beginning.
Diego Bello, School Director
Teacher
The activities in Stage Six do such a great job preparing the kids for A2 level exam parts! Such a simple way to teach it all, and my two students are speaking quickly and fluently and having fun.
Christopher Hanson, School Owner
Callan for Kids
It’s great to see how students learn fast with the Callan Method. They normally begin the course with little or no English at all and suddenly they are speaking.
Diego Bello, School Director
Teacher
The new B1 Workbook has been a great help to my students preparing for their official exams. They can do the work themselves at home. They remember the lessons from the Callan Method that taught them each rule. And they bring their questions to me after their regular lessons.
Chris Hanson, School Owner
Teacher
It’s so important that the books as a cornerstone of the Callan Method are so well written and structured.
Pavel Ondovcak, Director
Teacher
I must say that we really looked forward to Callan Español and it came at the right time and was exactly what we needed. Just like with the English version, the books are very well done, going from simple things and making it harder and harder as the student progresses.
Pavel Ondovcak, Director
Callan Español
Let me give you feedback about Stages 5 and 6 for kids. The structure is great and very clear. The exercises are very, very good for the students. The illustrations make it easy for students to understand the grammatical sentences.
Congratulations for the great job!!! Couldn’t expect less coming from you.
Diego Bello, School Director
Callan for Kids
Thanks to constant listening and speaking with the Callan Method, our students find that the most difficult part of the exam becomes the easiest.
Chris Hanson, School Owner
Teacher
With almost 20 years of teaching experience using the Callan Method I can only say that it has been a truly rewarding experience.
Christopher B. Gray, Senior Teacher
Teacher
After the training, the students feel we are different and compliment our lessons even more, which is a good sign.
Cassio Mollman, School Owner
Teacher
I like that the teacher speaks quickly and corrects pronunciation mistakes.
Agostin Castro, Student
Students
The children are able to learn through context with Callan For Kids, rather than strictly from translation. They are thinking in English.
Joanna, School Director
Callan for Kids
The Callan for Kids books contain content similar to the original first three stages of the Callan Method. However it is geared more toward the interests of children. They enjoy the illustrations in the students’ books and wall charts.
Justin B. Quilling, Senior Teacher
Callan for Kids
With its emphasis on speaking and repetition, the Callan Method enables students to use new vocabulary straight away. They see their English improving from the first lesson.
Simon FitzGerald, Director
Teacher
I started with 3 children at the beginning of last September and this September I started with 40 children and hope to double that in a short time.
Bernadette Ashby, Registered Teacher
Callan for Kids
I started with 3 children at the beginning of last September and this September I started with 40 children and hope to double that in a short time.
Bernadette Ashby, Registered Teacher
Teacher
I have found more and more logical sense to Robin Callan’s books every year that I have taught and appreciate the extremely clever way in which he constructed this wonderful method to teach English.
Christopher B. Gray, Senior Teacher
Teacher
El Método Callan me ha dado una visión nueva de cómo aprender y enseñar. La dinámica de grupo se hace entretenida, mientras los nuevos conocimientos por repetición se quedan en la memoria de los estudiantes.
Prof. Leandro Narváez (Spanish teacher)
Callan Español
Wow, great method! An effective method in which students are active and not passive.
Lisa Jane Franchini, Registered Teacher
Callan for Kids, Teacher
They are just 6 years old but we’ve noticed that our children are more than suitable for Callan Method and the parents love it too!
Juan Arango, School Owner
Callan for Kids
Lesson preparation is not time-consuming in any way, since everything is scripted and prepared for the teacher. Lessons are dynamic – neither the teacher nor the students have any time for boredom.
Eka Jmukhadze
Teacher
I have found more and more logical sense to Robin Callan’s books every year that I have taught and appreciate the extremely clever way in which he constructed this wonderful method to teach English.
Christopher B. Gray
Teacher
With its emphasis on speaking and repetition, the Callan Method enables students to use new vocabulary straight away. They see their English improving from the first lesson.
Simon FitzGerald
Director
I have no time to think in Japanese in my head because I have to answer the question immediately. This trains me to understand English without Japanese and respond quickly.
Native Camp
Online Student
I have no time to think in Japanese in my head because I have to answer the question immediately. This trains me to understand English without Japanese and respond quickly.
Native Camp
Online Student
I love studying at Smile School with the wonderful Callan Method, owing to which you begin speaking English automatically. You learn a lot of new things every lesson but it seems so easy because of constant revision.
Nadia Skoryk
Students
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