On Valentine's Day: Love Goes a Long Way -- Even Regarding Jingles Training!

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

Happy Valentine's Day. I do realize that February 14th is not necessarily celebrated by all peoples and all cultures.

However, I am taking this occasion to extend my greetings to all those who treasure the idea of love.

Love can manifest itself in many ways. But for this particular Valentine's Day, I wish to talk about the love a

person can have for kerm own edification.

One of my clients, a very hard worker -- and a most intelligent person -- has recently set a record for improvement.

Let's refer to this client as "Ms. K". Ms. K had shown a great level of proficiency when she produced the Series C Jingles

(Jingles U, V, W, X, Y, Z, AA, BB, CC, and DD). In November of 2021 she had obtained a very high score for these 10 Jingles: 90.35.

The Series C Jingles are not produced using the TRAINING MODE (which is The Jingles' copyrighted, innovative method for helping adult target language learners achieve nativelike phonological competency). Rather, my clients practice Series C employing the regular mode (the mode employed by each and every speaker of any given language that humans speak or have ever spoken). However, the ability to produce the Series C Jingles in a nativelike manner rests upon a client's proficiency level in producing the Series A and Series B Jingles -- which are to be practiced, for the most part -- in the TRAINING MODE.

Ms. K reached the "perfection level" (designated by the score "90.50") in both her Series A and Series B Jingles

on May 23, 2021. Since the TRAINING MODE scores have a maximum of 90.50, Ms. K had nowhere left to go in them...

Three months ago, when Ms. K had a session (from me) which reviewed her Series C achievement level, I pointed

out numerous mistakes that she was making and provided her with samples of her mistaken gestures. I had her video record the entirety of my corrections.

Ms. K explained to me that she had forgotten many essential points that she had learned two or three years earlier (when she had qualified the contents of various worksheets that dealt with the Series C Jingles). The complexity of mastering the phonology of a language that is not one's native language had become as evident to Ms. K as it has always been to me!

During the course of our one-hour-long Series C Jingles "review" session, I pointed out Ms. K's mistakes to her one by one. The reader is reminded that this approach would not have worked if Ms. K had not already reached the "perfection level" (described 3 paragraphs above) in Series A and Series B.

After the session ended, Ms. K spent several days reviewing the video recording of the session, carefully writing each and every correction I had provided for her on Worksheet 205-1. After that, she diligently practiced Series C multiple times.

Ms. K reinforced this effort by carefully listening to all of the explanations I had made. When I measured her on January 23rd of this year (2022), I was literally awed by her performance.

Ms. K, an accomplished violinist and pianist, is now a top Jingler as well. The love she has for practicing and for

constantly improving her technique netted her a score of 90.62 for the Series C Jingles, a record that had never been

achieved. (Remember: The Series C Jingles are produced in the regular mode -- so the "90.50" does not apply to them!

Talent -- and LOVE -- Yes, LOVE -- worked together hand in hand to result in Ms. K's extraordinary performance!

As Ms. K's instructor, I must say that even if your culture may not include Valentine's Day, all who know what love is will be able to appreciate today's story!

Steve Walker

Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.