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The '''Paderborn Methodmethod for language teaching''', also known as the '''Paderborn Methodmethod''' or '''Paderborn Modelmodel''' is a method for teaching foreign languages, ideatedoriginally conceived for children's education. It consists in first teaching a simple language ([[Esperanto]]), andthen 2two years later teaching thea second language. Many studies confirmed that learning a complete and easy propedeutical[[propaedeutics|propaedeutical language]] helps in later learning a more difficult one with no lost time, indeed with gain of it.
The effectiveness of this method was empirically noticed in different studies of the last century,.<ref name = bollettinoUfficiale>[http://jespako.blogspot.com/2011/11/repost-international-language-known-as.html ItalianOfficial OFFICIAL BULLETINbulletin of MINISTRYItalian Ministry for PUBLICPublic EDUCATIONEducation, YEAR122nd 122°year, ROMERome, MAYMay 25th25 - JUNEJune 1st1, 1995, NNo. 21-22]. Contains higha large number of studies and experiments ([http://parracomumangi.altervista.org/BollettinoUfficiale.pdf original in Italian])</ref> and the scientific proof was given by ProfessorProf. [[Helmar Frank]] at Institute, of Pedagogic Cybernetics in the [[University of Paderborn]]'s (Germany)Institute of Pedagogic Cybernetics, andscientifically proved the method's efficacy; thishis study gave the name to this method.
==History of the method==
Many adults who learnt Esperanto had noticed that they could understand better understand the grammar of their own mother tongue and foreign languages, — thanks to having come to know this simple, [[constructed language|planned language]] with its transparent [[Esperanto grammar|grammar]]. So— theyand started to think that such a language could have a propedeuticalpropaedeutical value in language teaching.
=== Other experiments===
BasingThis onconsideration thisled consideration,to many independent experiments werebeing done in differentHungary, countriesGreat (example, HungaryBritain and Greatother Britain)countries. Following, someSome of the most importantsignificant were:
*'''1918-1921''' - Female middle school in Bishop Auckland (GB). Esperanto taught as propedeuticalpropaedeutical language for French and German<ref>Alexandra FISCHER, Languages by way of Esperanto; ''Eksperimento farita en Bishop Auckland (GB) en la jaroj 1918-1921'' in "''Internacia Pedagogia Revuo"'', 1931.</ref>
*'''1934-1935''' - Public Highschoolhigh school in [[New York]]<ref>Helen S. EATON, "An Experiment in Language Learning", in The ''Modern Language Journal'', Volume 19, Issue 1, pages 1–4, October 1934</ref>
*''' 1947-1951''' - Provincial Grammargrammar Schoolschool in Sheffield (GB),<ref>J. H. HALLORAN (teacher of pedagogy at University of Sheffield), "A four -year experiment in Esperanto as an introduction to French.", Inin "''British Journal of Educational Psychology"'', vol. 22, nno. 3, 1952 (novNov.), pp. 200-204.</ref> focalizedfocused on help received by less intelligent students
*'''1948-1965''' - Egerton Park School, Denton (Manchester, GB).<ref>Report: Norman WILLIAMS (didactical director) ''Report on the teaching of Esperanto from 1948 to 1965.'' - It concluded that a child can learn as much Esperanto in 6six months of Esperanto study as in about 3-4 years of French study. ofThe French.conclusion was So,that if all children would learn Esperanto during the first 6-12 months in a 4-5 year course of French, they would gain a lot of time without losing anything.</ref>
*'''1958-1963''' - Somero (Finland), Esperanto used as propedeuticalpropaedeutical language for German<ref>J. VILKKI, V. SETÄLÄ, ''La eksperimenta instruado de Esperanto en la geknaba mezgrada lernejo de Somero (Suomio)''; V. SETÄLÄ, ''Vizito al la eksperimenta lernejo en Somero, Finnlando''.</ref>
*'''1971-1974''',<ref>Marta KOVÁCS, ''Internacia Didaktika Eksperimento Kvinlanda''; Johano INGUSZ, ''Instruspertoj en esperantfakaj klasoj (en Hungario)''</ref> 1975-1977<ref>Helmut SONNABEND, ''Esperanto, lerneja eksperimento''</ref>''' - The [[International League of Esperanto Teachers]] (ILEI), encouraged by previous studies, coordinated international studies, the first in Hungary, and the second in different countries (Belgium, France, Greece., West Germany, and the Netherlands). In 1977 the students met in an educational week, where they learnlearnt about various topics in Esperanto.
*'''SecondLate half1970s ofto 70s, first half ofearly 80s1980s''' - Paderborn experiment (more details below). ThisExperimental time,observation the experiment consisted in observingof two different groups of students and focused on the differences in learning of the two groups.<ref name = paderborn>
Prof. Dr. Helmar Frank, "''Das Paderborner Experiment zum Sprachenorientierungsunterricht"'' in the publication of the Hanns-Seidel Stiftung eV, Verbindungsstelle Brussel/Bruxelles; Günter LOBIN, ''Der propedeutische Wert von Plansprachen für den Fremdsprachenunterricht, (tesi di laurea)'', Universität Paderborn, Institut für Kybernetik.</ref>
*'''1983-1988''' - After Paderborn , other experiments usedcompared two different groups of students to— be compared. Forfor example , in the primary school "Rocca", in San Salvatore di Cogorno (Italy) — with similar results.<ref>Report: Elisabetta FORMAGGIO (Chiavari, Italia), ''Lerneja eksperimento pri lernfacileco kaj transfero en la fremdlingvoinstruado ''.</ref> ▼''and''
Günter LOBIN, Der propedeutische Wert von Plansprachen für den Fremdsprachenunterricht, (tesi di laurea), Universität Paderborn, Institut für Kybernetik, Wartbürgerstrasse 100, D4790 Paderborn
</ref>
▲*'''1983-1988''' - After Paderborn, other experiments used two different groups of students to be compared. For example in the primary school "Rocca", in San Salvatore di Cogorno (Italy) with similar results.<ref>Report: Elisabetta FORMAGGIO (Chiavari, Italia), Lerneja eksperimento pri lernfacileco kaj transfero en la fremdlingvoinstruado</ref>
===Experiment in University of Paderborn===
Under the supervision of [[Helmar Frank]], a professor at the Institute of Cybernetics of Paderborn, two groups of pupils (A and B), both with German as mother tongue, were created in a primary school.<ref name = paderborn/> The mother tongue is German, so the aim iswas to prove the propedeuticalpropaedeutical value of Esperanto for learning English (and in general, any other foreign language).
The groupGroup A startsstarted to learn English sincefrom the 3rdthird year of study, while the group B in the same year startsstarted to learn Esperanto (160 hours); the group B will start also started to learn English after 2two years (5thi.e., in the fifth year of study). Anyway, even if theAlthough group B studied English two years less than group A did, onby the 7thseventh year the two groups reachreached the same level in English, while onin the 8theightth year of school the English level of group B iswas bettermore advanced than that of group A.
The following table resumessummarizes the Paderborn experiment:
{| class="wikitable"
| Year of study
|-
| 3°
| ENGLISH
| ESPERANTO
|-
| 4°
| ENGLISH
| ESPERANTO
|-
| 5°
| ENGLISH
| ENGLISH
|-
| 6°
| ENGLISH
| ENGLISH
| '''A''' continues to learn English, while '''B''' quickly improves in it
|-
| 7°
| ENGLISH
| ENGLISH
|-
| 8°
| ENGLISH
| ENGLISH
| '''B''' excellesexceeds '''A''' in English skills, even if '''B''' learnt it for 2 years less
|}
The study demonstrated that not only thethat group B gained a lot in linguistic skills with English language, but it also that group members could use two languages instead of only one. Because all the pupils had a Germanic language (German) as their mother tongue, the help they got from Esperanto was not a result of its greater similarity to English than to German. In addition to cultural gains, the saving of time and resources resulted in an educational saving as well.
Also to be noticed is that pupils had a Germanic language (German) as mother tongue, so they didn't get a help from Esperanto because the latter is more similar to English than their mother tongue.
One can easily understand that, in addition to cultural gain, the saving of time and resources causes an economical saving in education.
==Hypotheses==
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