I'd like to use this page as a sort of index on the topic of Speaking.  Probably over 1/2 of all comments, discussions, and criticisms of the Automatic Language Growth Approach have to do with the subject of Speaking.  We maintain that speaking early (i.e. before a person is ready) causes the multitude of second language problems that adults have and that children don't.  Much of the language teaching industry is focused on solving those adult problems, which can in fact be avoided entirely (a future blog in itself).  There are so many related issues, I've decided to begin to address them here.  As I add them, I'll add links here as a sort of index, which is probably more helpful for me than anything else. Nature has provided us with the best, most efficient way to gain a new language.  We should use the innate and natural abilities we've been born with in order to gain the best results. Will a student begin to speak perfectly at 700 hours? What do we think and what do we say at the ALG?  Read this blog to see the natural progression of growth stages. Practice, Correction, and the Closed Feedback Loop talks about the reason why practice corrects nothing.  It may seem rather technical, and that's why it's on the ALG World blog rather than here, but think through it - the applications of this fun to think about. Read here for a bit about my experience learning Thai without translation or using English as the basis for Thai. A link to Steve The Linguist. A few comments related to Steve's and Benny's podcast.