Formal study of French, Latin and Spanish further instillled in me a need for an interesting, engaging learning-centered approach to language study. I was bored by language teaching strategies that emphasized memorization of vocabulary and grammar rules and language application merely through translation. My success in the classroom did not translate into success in real world settings. These experiences, in retrospect, gave me the impetus I needed to devote my professional life to experimenting and creating a more engaging and effective way to teach language - at least to a student like me.

After college in Japan, marriage and a move to Hawaii, I had a chance to test some notions about teaching language. As I enrolled in graduate courses in linguistics and pedagogy at the University of Hawaii, I was also given a position as a graduate assistant with teaching responsibilities. I soon found that some students were quite comfortable with the conventional approach to langauge learning, indeed they expected it. But I also discovered other learning styles among the students in my classes--including those who seemed to favor my own 'learning by doing' style.