The Palteca Method

Learn how Palteca helps you become fluent in Spanish

Core

Comprehensible Input

Learn Spanish naturally, the same way you learned your native language, through entertaining content you can understand.

Designed using:

  • Input Hypothesis by Stephen Krashen1
  • Principle that all content has to be entertaining, and useful from day 1
  • Affective Filter Hypothesis: Emotional states impact language acquisition, with negative emotions hindering the ability to learn a language2 3 4
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Acquisition

Triumph over forgetfulness

Optimize your time and forget less of what you have learned.

Designed using:

  • Spaced Repetition based on the Forgetting Curve 5
  • Optimizing memory with images 6
  • The optimal number of items to learn at one time 7
  • The optimal ordering of related items 8
  • Von Restorff Effect
  • Elaborative Encoding

Listening

Unblock the brain’s sound filter

Overcome the brain’s natural block toward new similar sounds.

Designed using:

  • Studies that demonstrate the necessity of Minimal Pairs 9 and training can overcome it 10 11
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Motivation

One of the challenging pillars

Learning Spanish takes a lot of time, therefore, being motivated and disciplined is crucial.

Designed using:

  • Using the language is exciting, and can motivate learners12
  • Building the habit is very important13

Acceleration

Grammar & Real-World Tips

Fast-track your progress with strategic grammar insights and practical learning hacks.

Designed using:

  • Practical tips to learn Spanish in and out of the app from learning Spanish first-hand, and teaching Spanish
  • Grammar can accelerate language learning14 15 16 17

Scientifically Proven

Our method is based on research and evidence-based practices in language acquisition. We continuously refine based on the latest findings in cognitive science and linguistics.

 1 Teaching and learning English as a second language : trends in research and practice : on TESOL ’77 : selected papers from the eleventh annual convention of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Miami, Florida, April 26-May 1, 1977 | WorldCat.org. (n.d.). https://search.worldcat.org/title/4037133 ↩︎

2 Bernhardt, E. B., & Krashen, S. D. (1989). Second language acquisition and second language learning. Modern Language Journal, 73(4), 483. https://doi.org/10.2307/326882

3 Arnold, J. (1999). Affect in language learning. In Cambridge University Press eBooks. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA39142007

4 Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

5

6 Bower, G. H. (1970). Imagery as a relational organizer in associative learning. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 9(5), 529–533. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-5371(70)80096-2

7 Miller, G. A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63(2), 81–97. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0043158

8 Goto, H. (1971). Auditory perception by normal Japanese adults of the sounds “L” and “R.” Neuropsychologia, 9(3), 317–323. https://doi.org/10.1016/0028-3932(71)90027-3

9 Lively, S. E., Logan, J. S., & Pisoni, D. B. (1993). Training Japanese listeners to identify English /r/ and /l/. II: The role of phonetic environment and talker variability in learning new perceptual categories. ˜the œJournal of the Acoustical Society of America/˜the œJournal of the Acoustical Society of America, 94(3), 1242–1255. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.408177

10 Mcclelland, J., Fiez, J., & Mccandliss, B. (2002). Teaching the /r/–/l/ discrimination to Japanese adults: behavioral and neural aspects. Physiology & Behavior, 77(4–5), 657–662. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0031-9384(02)00916-2

11 Busse, V., & Walter, C. (2013). Foreign Language Learning Motivation in Higher Education: A Longitudinal study of Motivational Changes and their Causes. Modern Language Journal, 97(2), 435–456. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2013.12004.x

12 Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. https://catalog.umj.ac.id/index.php?p=show_detail&id=62390

13 Norris, J. M., & Ortega, L. (2000). Effectiveness of L2 instruction: a research synthesis and quantitative meta‐analysis. Language Learning, 50(3), 417–528. https://doi.org/10.1111/0023-8333.00136

14 Ellis, R. (2006). Current Issues in the Teaching of Grammar: An SLA perspective. TESOL Quarterly, 40(1), 83. https://doi.org/10.2307/40264512

15 Goo, J., Granena, G., Yilmaz, Y., & Novella, M. (2015b). Implicit and explicit instruction in L2 learning. In Studies in bilingualism (pp. 443–482). https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.48.18goo

16 Spada, N., & Tomita, Y. (2010). Interactions between type of instruction and type of language feature: a Meta‐Analysis. Language Learning, 60(2), 263–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2010.00562.x

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  1. Krashen, S. D. (1985). The input hypothesis: issues and implications. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA35128831
  2. Bernhardt, E. B., & Krashen, S. D. (1989). Second language acquisition and second language learning. Modern Language Journal, 73(4), 483. https://doi.org/10.2307/326882
  3. Arnold, J. (1999). Affect in language learning. In Cambridge University Press eBooks. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA39142007
  4. Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  5. Murre, J. M. J., & Dros, J. (2015). Replication and analysis of Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve. PLoS ONE, 10(7), e0120644. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0120644
  6. Bower, G. H. (1970). Imagery as a relational organizer in associative learning. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 9(5), 529–533. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-5371(70)80096-2
  7. Miller, G. A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63(2), 81–97. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0043158
  8. Tinkham, T. (1997). The effects of semantic and thematic clustering on the learning of second language vocabulary. Second Language Research, 13(2), 138–163. https://doi.org/10.1191/026765897672376469
  9. Goto, H. (1971). Auditory perception by normal Japanese adults of the sounds “L” and “R.” Neuropsychologia, 9(3), 317–323. https://doi.org/10.1016/0028-3932(71)90027-3
  10. Lively, S. E., Logan, J. S., & Pisoni, D. B. (1993). Training Japanese listeners to identify English /r/ and /l/. II: The role of phonetic environment and talker variability in learning new perceptual categories. ˜the œJournal of the Acoustical Society of America/˜the œJournal of the Acoustical Society of America, 94(3), 1242–1255. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.408177
  11. Mcclelland, J., Fiez, J., & Mccandliss, B. (2002). Teaching the /r/–/l/ discrimination to Japanese adults: behavioral and neural aspects. Physiology & Behavior, 77(4–5), 657–662. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0031-9384(02)00916-2
  12. Busse, V., & Walter, C. (2013). Foreign Language Learning Motivation in Higher Education: A Longitudinal study of Motivational Changes and their Causes. Modern Language Journal, 97(2), 435–456. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2013.12004.x
  13. Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. https://catalog.umj.ac.id/index.php?p=show_detail&id=62390
  14. Norris, J. M., & Ortega, L. (2000). Effectiveness of L2 instruction: a research synthesis and quantitative meta‐analysis. Language Learning, 50(3), 417–528. https://doi.org/10.1111/0023-8333.00136
  15. Ellis, R. (2006). Current Issues in the Teaching of Grammar: An SLA perspective. TESOL Quarterly, 40(1), 83. https://doi.org/10.2307/40264512
  16. Goo, J., Granena, G., Yilmaz, Y., & Novella, M. (2015b). Implicit and explicit instruction in L2 learning. In Studies in bilingualism (pp. 443–482). https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.48.18goo
  17. Spada, N., & Tomita, Y. (2010). Interactions between type of instruction and type of language feature: a Meta‐Analysis. Language Learning, 60(2), 263–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2010.00562.x