It might be possible to learn Spanish without ever taking a class. But that depends on your definition of "learn."

Penn State alumnus Mike Ellis has invented a new way of learning to speak foreign languages.

The flash cards and tutorial manual Ellis has developed to teach Spanish associate pictures and words that sound similar. For example, "cómo está" would be illustrated with a hair comb, among other symbols and short English words. The idea is for a student to see the comb and say, "comb," and piece together pictures out loud until he or she is speaking complete sentences.

"I guess you can't really teach someone to understand," he said. "Some of the language snobs say, 'This is cute, but can it make you fluent?' "

Ellis said he would respond to that criticism by clarifying that he is not trying to teach 8,000 words in a $4 book.

As far as his fluency, though, Ellis said, "I could fool you in about 10 languages."

Ellis has been teaching his 4- and 6-year-old children with this method since they were 2 years old, he said.

"I think it's very kid-oriented, very visually stimulating and colorful," Joe Friedman (senior-accounting) said, as he chuckled at a card with an ice-cream cone, goose and person's toe for "con gusto," or "with pleasure."

Supporters of Ellis' method have encouraged him to push for integrating his flash cards into school systems. Ellis repliedthat endless efforts would not achieve that goal.

"[Schools are] a big bureaucracy -- almost like the military, trying to get something in," he said. "Some teachers don't like what I'm doing. American teachers are snobby, or intellectual, or something ... think I'm dumbing down language ... they're irreverent about languages."

Ellis would respond to critics by focusing on his method's ability to enthuse students.

"[Language] is boring the way it's being taught," he said.

One way Ellis' method excites students is by teaching "cool, helpful words you want to know quickly," he said. Ellis criticizes the traditional pattern of academic institutions to teach formal, less useful phrases.

"I see how it could be helpful for pronunciation," Friedman said. "If you're going to Mexico for a week ... but not to learn the language."

Friedman, who has taken Spanish at the college level, expressed concern over the cards' inability to address verb conjugation.

"The pictures on the borders [of the cards] are confusing," he said. Friedman suggested the card creator remove the borders.

Danny Balin (senior-professional golf management) also said the cards were too cluttered with words and graphics.
However, Balin noted a few redeeming qualities.

"I like the sentence explaining it," he said about the definitions on each card between the pronunciation guide and Spanish spelling of the words and phrases.

Friedman said it would be impossible to learn to spell in Spanish via this educational tool, as students would internalize the English words and spell that way.

"College kids would see these and say, 'What the [expletive] is this? I've been to elementary school before,' " Friedman said of the flash cards being sold in the bookstore. "Where're the yo-yos and Cracker Jacks?"

Ellis said the program grabs students' attention with techniques like referencing The Three Stooges while introducing his method.

"You need an MTV or VH1 approach," Ellis said. "Kids want to be entertained."

Balin also said the cards would be a fun high school presentation for Spanish 1 students.

"It's for a younger age," he said.

And Ellis does not intend to stop with Spanish.

"There are about 5,000 main languages in the world," Ellis said. "I'd like to do them all eventually."