We are currently hard at work developing new programs we will be launching in a few months' time. Central to these are complete maps of each of the languages for which we are creating a program. While the mapping process has been central to Linguisticator since its inception, it was only this past summer that we found a suitable medium for displaying the complete map of a language.
IMAGE: THE FIRST GROUP OF ELT TIGER STUDENTS AND OUR COURSE MAP AT LEPTIS MAGNA, LIBYA.
The mapping process is labor-intensive, but is the most important part of learning a language. For the majority of people using Linguisticator, it is much simpler than it is for us at Linguisticator HQ. We want to make sure we get every single pattern and variation possible, so we do a lot more work than normally necessary. While it may take half an hour to map the majority of a feature, it can take weeks of research to ensure every last scrap has been detailed, explained, and formatted in a way that is visually clear. The exciting part about this, though, is that weeks of work can be presented in a few minutes, almost invariably prompting the question: "Why isn't language always taught this way?" If you only knew what went into the process!
We are very excited to have partnered with another Cambridge-based company, Textiler, to get our language maps printed on fabric. Razor sharp digital printing combined with the flexibility and durability of fabric makes these the ideal medium for presenting the patterns of a language. Seeing everything in one place is particularly useful, as it does not fit on a piece of paper or computer screen.
We are currently working to create these fabric grammar posters for a number of languages. The map content will, of course, be central to the language programs we are currently creating; an actual fabric map, however, will not come with the subscription itself, but rather be available separately for order.
In the photo above, you can see several students from ELT Tiger's trial in Libya gathered around our map of English. Though normally quite confined because of the security situation, I was able to get to Leptis Magna, the famous Roman ruins. Almost all the students in my class surprised me by meeting me there. This photo was taken in front of the arch of Septimus Severus at the entrance to the ruined city.
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