1. What is "Colorfon"?

"COLORFON" is an experimental teaching system designed to help students of all ages improve their English promunciation.

2. Phonetics and Phonology.

The difference between PHONOLOGY and PHONETICS .

"PHONOLOGY concerns itself with systems of phonemes, abstract cognitive units of speech sound or sign which distinguish the words of a language:

PHONETICS, on the other hand, concerns itself with the production, transmission, and perception of the physical phenomena which are abstracted in the mind to constitute these speech sounds or signs." (Wikipedia)

In simple terms, PHONOLOGY is about the use of symbols to represent the individual sounds that make up words; whereas PHONETICS is about the physical production of these sounds by use of the mouth, tongue, lips,vocal chords etc..(This is my personal interpretation - I hope that's acceptable to any linguistic academics out there.)

3. A Short History.

During the mid-eighties while I was teaching in Paris, I attended a course on "Phonetics" where I was introduced to an alternative method of teaching English to foreign students.The originality of this method lay in its use of multi-coloured squares(flags) as a substitute for the traditional English letters. As a result of this seminare, I started using it in my evening classes.

The first few lessons were focused on learning this new phonetic alphabet. This was fun for the students because instead of the usual matching-up of words and pictures, they got the permission to try out all kinds of funny noises, getting a lot of attention and laughter all round. I turned this chaos into an organised game and it worked: most of the students learnt most of the sounds in a very short time.

As the lessons evolved however, and longer words and sentences were introduced, it became more and more difficult for the students to remember the sounds of each and every symbol (about 45).

Any task that becomes more difficult with time, instead of becoming easier, becomes annoying - the initial enthusiasm of students turns into frustration and they get tired of it. in this case, too many similar flags to remember without any real connection between them.

I introduced the same material to other groups of students and witnessed the same reaction.

The experiment came slowly to an end; but not without having had it's effect on me. In a short space of time, I had learnt something very immportant: that there could be other ways to improve pronunciation which did not rely on rules and memory alone.

This situation seemed to me unacceptable.

At the same time, knowing that I wasn´t the first one to be aware of the "black hole" in second-language learning, I wanted to know why pronunciation has been left out of the language-learning process, as though it was an incurable desease. I decided to concentrate my efforts on finding out more about where the problem lay exactly.

This curiosity was the starting point on a long road that would open up a world that not only I was not prepared or trained for, but would occupy far more of my time and mental energy than I could possibly have immagined.

My very first action was to find out more about phonetics, phonetic methods and teaching practices that are presently used by teachers in the classroom. This is where the internet makes life so much easier. As I wandered through the immense amount of material used , invented, concocted, I made notes on what I thought could be improved. I made modifications to some methods and completely transformed others. I spent a long time experimenting with new ideas and playing around with old ones, but was never really happy with the result.

I decided one day to write down a list of "requirements" that might be the building blocks on which to create an experimental system of sorts. The result was a list that took the following form:-

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1. that colour must play a leading role.

2. that the graphics be as minimalistic and simple as possible.

3. that the graphic images of the vowels be immediately and inequivocably recognizable as sounds(FONS) and not letters(CONS).

4. that the colours be reduced to just 6 (primary and secondary).

5. that all sounds must correspond to those of the IPA (International Phonetic Association).

6. just as colour is an essential factor so must interactivity be fundamental for prolonged participartion.

7. that the interface be intuitive and friendly; giving students the autonomy to act alone, make decisions, make mistakes and make ammends, consequently becoming responsible for their own progress and, being aware of it, boosting self-esteem.

8. that it must be self-stimulating , so that there is no need for encouragement or supervision, which means they can engage themselves away from any sort of external influence or authority.

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Using the above list as my road map, I set about creating something new, from scratch.

It took several years ( had to take second place due to work and family) before I had a valid experimental system ready. I used it in the beginning in evening classes for children whose curriculum didn't include English classes. It is because of these children's enthusiasm and that of their parents that I decided then to dedicate more time and research to developing this new system. "Colorfon" was born.

I was now settled in Italy. Teaching no longer being my principle activity, it took a long time and many trials, experimental classes and constant interuptions before I was organized enough to begin using computers as a media for teaching Colorfon in my classes. The success of these lessons over only a short period convinced me to take the next step. A big step. Take Colorfon to a larger public.

4. The website.

I am no programmer, and have no formal skills in computer languages or website building. Everything displayed on the following pages is the fruit of patient code-manipulation, ceaseless trial and error, and countless modifications of other peoples programmes. The internet today is full of websites where people freely share their know-how and expertise to help others like me who do not have the time nor inclination to become masters of web code languages. Without their contribution this site would not exist. I thank them all!

5. Who is Colorfon for?

Whether you are student, teacher, school kid or retired university professor; Colofon will surprise you. Some people will be daunted by it's apparent "complexity" and unorthodox presentation, but I am convinced that as you become familiar with it, you will acknowledge it's simplicity and effectivness. Colorfon will grow on you; of that I am sure.

I also believe that anything that attempts to do things in a un-usual way stimulates the brain, and we can all use that. So, who is Colorfon for? The answer is ..."Everyone who is curious enough to attempt a radically different solution to a seemingly unsolvable problem!"

6. Why are some people "better" than others at learning languages?

There is no quick answer to that, so I won't bore you with my own personal theories.I don't find learning a new language particularly easy myself and may be one of the reasons why I sympathise with those with the same difficulty. What I do understand is that no two people learn anything in quite the same way, and in my opinion only a SMALL PART of any given population are able to take full advantage of a system that does not take this into account.

In an ideal world, and perhaps in a not-too-distant future, every student will have his/her OWN personal programme suited to their individual level/capability/tendency. Because this is not yet a reality, there is an enormous potential of gifted individuals who are left out of the "privileged" and, (not surprisingly) "successful" mainstream. This huge untapped resourse is left to stew in it's own juice. And most people do just that. Because there is no glue that binds them, no union to join and no valid alternative, people are left alone with the misplaced idea that their insuccess has something to do with an inherent cognitive disability rather than a grossly defective sorting system hovering over their heads.

7. When the Teacher becomes the Student.

The following is an example of how one individual clearly demonstrated his own disapproval of my teaching methods.

Mateo was a healthy, spright, eight-year-old in one of my first experimental computer classes. Although at first, a little introvert, but at the same capable of bursts of usually-distruptive super-activity, he surprisingly distinguished himself (to my great satifaction) as being equally competent, albeit taking a little longer than the rest of the class, in the completion of the preliminary exercises. After compliments and back-slapping allround at achieving success at our first computer experience together, we moved on to the next stage of the programme, to which the other children immediately awaited with enthusiasm. To my great surprise(again) and disappointment, Mateo, no longer in the mood to concentrate, sprang up from his desk and, finding a football in the corner of the classroom(silly me!), and to the boistrous approval of his classmates, began a furious one-man football match with one of the classroom walls as opponent. Completely oblivious to me and my persusive attempts (trying hard not to lose my temper in front of a new class but at the same time aware of the general pandimonium that could ensue if I was too lenient), Mateo showed no intention of stopping his one-man show. I decided to act. I picked up his football and put it high up on a shelf where he couldn't reach it. He sulked for a while in a spare desk at the back of the class, and then came back to his own. After a little hesitation, he started moving the mouse. I couldn't see what he was doing from where I was standing, but, more than satisfied with having him back with us, left him alone. He was so absorbed with what he was doing that in the end, my curiosity got the better of me so and I went over to his desk. He was repeating the original exercise! And when he had finished, he started it over again!

He was simply doing what he was good at; and not seeing the reason why he should do something that required more effort.! This may seen a mundane example, but it opened my eyes to the fact that, although refusing to colaborate with me by following MY programme, he had in fact invented a way of participating by doing what HE wanted to do! And he was enjoying every minute of it! From then on, I gave him freedom to choose his own agenda, realizing that his continued presence in my class depended on the satisfaction HE got from being successful. This experience and others like it have convinced me that the success of a good experimental exercise depended on the constructors ability to combine eficiency with attraction: that means being prepared to adapt to the "outsider" !

The conclusion to this anecdote is that although we all understand that everybody learns better when they enjoy what they are doing, enthusiastic teacher will be surprised more often and perhaps learn something useful too if their pupils get the opportunity to take part in the decision-making. Of course, it's not always easy to apply this when you have to keep-up with standard instituitional programmes, but, methods CAN be improved upon, and MUST be if educational equality is a priority. Educational Equality in terms of the individual's right to explore rather than just accept the given sdandard.

To sum up this experience, I would say that there is a great majority of us that are judged by those in authority by what we cannot do instead of by what each of us ENJOYS doing. Every child (especially those with apparant "difficulties"), should be considered as a completely functional and "smart" human being, and that they are each capable of MUCH, MUCH more than we believe them to be. That it is only us, as adults, that are limited in our assessment of them.

Given the right environment, they can fly too. Colorfon is dedicated to them.

8. Why isn't everybody capable of learning a second language using existing traditional methods?

The drawback with learning a non-phonetical language such as English-as-a-Second-Language(ESL) becomes apparent(for some) when students have little or no access to a native speaker who can act as as mediator between them and spoken speech. Every serious language institute has it's own audio-visual lab and there are numerous on-line courses that include the same kind of speech training, mostly by the listen-and-repeat method. This has been and still is perhaps the only valid way to practice spoken English in a non-English speaking envoirenment. You have to be motivated, consistant and a very consistent and practiced self-learner in order to obtain satisfactory, permanant results. Unfortunately, not everybody is. A lot of students (that means anyone who is attempting to learn anything), for an infinite of reasons, just don't have the determination, concentration, and whatever else it takes, to volutarily undertake a task that they(the students) are specifically not obligated to do. So if they can avoid it, they will. Unless they happen to be enjoyable, fun, exciting, rewarding! That's not easy to accomplish, but I think it can be done.

9. What makes Colorfon different?

How The Colorfon Alphabet differs from the IPA is immediately evident by it's use of colour. This for two reasons. One is because colour is naturally attractive to everyone. That means it draws attention. A good starting point, especially for children. The second is that colours (there are 7 that Colorfon uses) can be used as the common denominators(families) for all it's family members, with each member(FON9 having a specific "role" within the family; while at the same time sharing the same "styling" with members of the other families in a kind of sound spectrum. This division into families is the underlying(and possibly controversial) feature of Colorfon, and is responsible for it's originality and simplicity.

I mentioned "styling".There are just 2 "styles". and 2 add-on sound extensions or "dipthongs", so, in all, there is a total of just 9 sound-symbol associations that have to be learnt in Colorfon, and they are made easier to remember by a convenient colour-identification system. The other fundamental characteristic of Colorfon is the deliberate choice of ONLY English-Alphabet letters for the CONS; this allows for an immediate VISUAL distinction from tha coloured FONS, with the result that reading is accurate and time-saving.

10. What can colorfon do?

In the context of learning a second language, many adults complain that they cannot "remember" how a word is pronounced, even though they have heard the word perhaps hundreds of times. These people and a great number like them (me included) are deficient in "auditory" memory: our brain have a problem "registering" (plus retaining it!)the "sound" associated with any given spoken word. Although Colorfon has no magic wand that eliminates or reduces spelling rules, it by-passes the need to remember how any word is pronounced.

The basic principles behind "COLORFON" are simple and well-known in the field of linguistics and can be summed-up in one word. "Phonology": a lot of people prefer to use the term "Phonetics".

Now we don't have to study or know anything about phonology or phonetics to use Colorfon: They are simply the technical terms for the study and production of "sounds" in speech. Now in order to analyse this phenomena, we have to "breakdown" the audible output that any given speaker produces. An abstract flow of contiuous "noise" must be converted into manageable and tangible units of individual sounds. That may seem an almost impossible task at first sight, considering the fact that no two people's voices are the same and there are many many people on this planet! Instead of writing words as a group of individual letters chosen one by one from the alphabet, it takes the "sound ", or collection of "sounds" that you actually hear when words are spoken, and then represents them visually(on the screen in our case!).

The "concept" of sound-symbol association is thousands of years old, so Colorfon has invented nothing new! What it attempts to do is, with the help of the almighty PC, is to update, refresh and perhaps stir new enthusiasm for what is the Archille's heel in many methods of learning English. ie. Pronunciation. The "sounds" or "phonemes" (as ufficially called) that are used by COLORFON are a replica of those in the "IPA" (International Phonetic Alphabet).

11. Is there a "downside" to Colorfon?

Colorfon does not help you with your spelling; neither can it teach you grammar, at least not in this early stage. There are many, many good institutes, books and websites that teach the English Language through traditional methods, and these are the obvious roads to follow if you need a thorough and complete preparation, especially if you intend to sit any kind of official examinations.

12. Colorfon and the IPA.

The beauty with Phonology lies within it's attempt to breakdown speech into separate units of sounds(Phonemes); each one, unique and repeatable. Because it deals with human sound output, and since no two people have the same speech characteristics, the application of phonetics is an inexact science. Nonetheless, in the name of clarity and classification, an international, authoritive and academic body, founded over a century ago in Paris, created the International Phonetic Alphabet(IPA), a complete table of Phonemes that the human vocal chords are capable of producing, and represented these sounds as unequivocal graphical characters, numbering over 160. Any one language will only use a fraction of these. Conventional English Language Protocol require the use of about 44 Phonemes. Colorfon operates with 42.

13. Is Colorfon difficult?

My hope and intention with Colorfon has always been that everyone who is interested will discover that Colorfon is genuinely effective in improving pronunciation. As I mentioned earlier, everybody learns differently, and this intends also the RATE at which we learn. Children are obviously the best learners, and naturally pick-up Colorfon quicker than adults do. But Colorfon is intended for everyone. Children are driven by challenge: adults are driven by motivation. Even with the handicap of age, earnest and mature grown-ups can be incentivated with the fact of having learnt the advantage of being constant. If you possess some of these qualities and are prepared to listen carefully and follow the instructions designated to each exercise, there is no reason why Colorfon should be difficult. In the end, it is all a question of time, and energy. It's an old story : but the more of these you have at your disposition, the greater chance you will have of succeeding.

With the Colorfon website, I have tried to create an interface that is esthetically attractive, easy-to-use, and which requires few instructions, and (for small children) a minimum of supervision. I know that it can be improved. It's mainly up to you, the actors in this show, to let me know how. They call it feedback, and anyone can get in touch with me through the Contact Page.

14. A word on Claims and Inventions.

The very first language to be written down (in ancient Egypt)I understand, was composed of a mixture of symbols and familiar creatures and objects from everyday life. Recycling the world around you transforming it into a durable heritage.

In the same way, Colorfon is no more than recycling. because it uses colours and letters familiar to everyone. No-one invents anything. Most of the time, we human beings only make use what is already there. Sometimes it is just below the surface, and sometimes it lies further down: but it's there. And anyone can take it, however difficult and distant away it may seem at first sight. Immagination, creativity, tons of patience and a pinch of faith are the qualities necessary before reaching the final goal, but human beings have potentially illimited quantities of all of these (It's an injustice that most of us don't the opportunity to practice them).

The process may take longer than you expect; but that's part of the parcel. The aquisition of Knowledge can be seen as the result of balancing Action with Reflection. Knowing what to do and when to do it. Knowledge becomes Art. And you become an Artist. <\p>

Good luck to all who experiment and innovate.

15. Conclusion.

What I have accomplished in publishing this website is to construct the presentation of an idea. It is an experimental platform in it's very first stage of develepment as yet an untested learning tool. It is only an introduction to a system and it's symbols, which, even in this limited presentation, gives the opportunity to anyone to get an insight into the Colorfon language and at the same time evaluate it's usefullness.

Colorfon does not help children to read. And is not intended as an aid to infants learning their mother tongue. It is not the final step to mastering a language either.

Just as Phonology is an inexact science, so Colorfon, as one of it's many siblings, has it's imperfections. But within the boundaries of limitation, Colorfon might be an immportant solution to pronunuciation problems that many second language students encounter, especially those who are self-learners and have little or no access to native English speakers. I hope it will help some to regain lost enthusiasm and assure others who doubt their own ability, to understand that they CAN, with their own determination and vision, achieve and succeed in what may have seemed a lost battle.

Any critisism, constructive or not, will be gratefully considered, especially from acedemics and professionals who work in the same field, but also from students, who are the real actors in this scenario.

Colorfon doesn't claim to be a teaching method. It is simply a phono-graphical transcription of standard written English that has proved helpful to many students over the years in improving their pronunciation. More than help them, these classes gave me a unique possibility to test, develope and modify Colorfon to it's present "condition". I am indebted to them for being the guinea pigs of this experiment.

16. Next.

The first pages introduce the Colorfon Alphabet. It is about Bricks and Mortar. The Mortar represents the FONS, which are the elegant and coloured "rondals" each with their own distinct and inconfutable sound. They are the organizers; they dictate the orders that bring and keep the Bricks together. They represent the Soul of the alphabet. Charismatic and induscutibly in command, they are The Mind: they are the Masters.

The Bricks represent the CONS. The white soldiers that can hardly stand up alone without falling over. They are the bones of the language, the slaves, the hard stuff. left by themselves they have no identity, no meaning, no mission. Obediently bent into submission by their leaders, but also their brothers in arms. That, harnessed beautifully and intrinsicly together, breath life and meaning into an endless stream of apparently disordered utterances that proclaim the finished masterpiece:-

SPEECH.

Have Fun. AB.