作为2008年北京奥运会官方语言培训供应商，英孚教育今天宣布旗下青少儿部将全面推出“创新语言实验室”（即iLAB），以最终完善其领先的“EF Efekta™左右脑教学法”。所谓“创新语言实验室（iLAB）”，是指除常规外教授课外，英孚教育自主研发的一种具有革命性意义的互动式家庭作业工具：利用800多个与教材同步的网络英语游戏强化语言学习效果；同时帮助老师和家长实时掌握孩子的学习进度。
“英孚教育的使命不仅在于帮助孩子用英语交流，更要赋予他们拥有获得成功所必需的自信和技能。”英孚教育中国区青少儿部总裁苏丹先生（Dan Sodervall）表示，“iLAB技术的核心理念，简单说来就是寓教于乐。通过游戏闯关的作业形式，希望孩子们在重复训练语言技能的同时，也能获得一种逐渐增长的成就感。我相信我们是目前为止唯一一家拥有这种高科技教学方法的青少儿语言培训机构。”
iLAB的正式推出，使得青少儿英语的教学领域得到无限延伸，从学校到家里，直至每一个有电脑网络的地方，孩子随时随地都能学习英语。iLAB收纳了200余小时的网上家庭作业，取名为“边玩边学”，生动诠释了此环节的设计概念。英孚教育课堂教材的每一个单元，均被分解成四组网络小游戏；每两个单元后另有一个额外游戏，帮助复习此前教学内容。学生必须按学习顺序完成每一组游戏，不得自行跳过任一环节，由此无一遗漏地回顾所有目标语法和词汇。每组小游戏由10-15个问题组成，提问形式多种多样，例如选择题、连线题、拼写题、组词成句题等等。每次作答之后，会由各种可爱的卡通形象显示是否回答正确。整个作业环节全程伴随中文语音及视频解说，确保年幼学生清楚知道应该如何完成。 iLAB的另一独创之处则是专门设计“家长园地”页面，以此磨合中国家长和外国教员之间的沟通障碍。“家长园地”主要追踪孩子每周学习进程，其间包括教师每周反馈、季度级别报告、孩子网上作业进程、学校活动时间表。值得一提的是，英孚教育把“自信”当作级别报告的首要标准，从而全面衡量学生课堂表现。这又一次证明了英孚教育的教学重点不是简单地教授语法和词汇，更注重对学生口语和表达自信的锻炼。
此前iLAB试运行阶段，绝大多数的学生及其家长对这一全新教学技术给予了积极评价。“我对这项简单易用的技术印象深刻，通过这个新系统，我可以随时得知Ben在学校的表现情况，还能与他的带课老师定期联系。当时最重要的还是，我观察到Ben的英语能力得到全面提高，因此他越来越有自信。”一位8岁学生的母亲Angela如是说。
自2000开始，英孚教育为了开发这套先进学习系统，迄今投入经费已逾人民币4亿元，其最终目的则是提升英语学习效果至100%。英孚教育青少儿部采用的“左右脑教学法”，由三个主要元素组成：课堂教学、创新语言实验室（iLab）、生活俱乐部。去除显而易见的iLab，其中使用高科技手段的还有“课堂教学”部分。一年多前，英孚教育正式启动名为“CCU”的多媒体技术，辅助教师课堂教学。
“CCU”多媒体互动教学把多媒体荧幕搬进了英语课堂。英孚教育的各级别教师需从全球服务器下载统一的课堂教学演示材料。当然这些材料不是简单的教材翻版，而是根据课程内容要求及学生接受能力，插入了丰富多彩的图片、音乐等多媒体元素，从而运用这些元素全面调动孩子的感官系统：以视觉、听觉、触觉、感觉多种方式体验英语，使教学内容充满互动趣味。
英孚教育全球业务拓展总监玛琳•卡尔森（Malin Carlsson）认为，“研究表明利用多种渠道的教学方式，其学习效果远好于利用单一渠道。而CCU的研发概念正是基于此类研究发现。经过一年多的实际应用，我们发现CCU以及新近推出的iLAB已经成功大幅提高学生的学习兴趣。而英孚教育产品研发团队则始终致力于把英孚教育变成最优秀、最有效的青少儿英语教学场所。” 英孚教育之所以如此强调先进教学手段，是冀望通过寓教于乐的学习方式帮助孩子树立英语学习的自信心，继而帮助他们塑造成功的人生。此次CCU、iLab之类独创性技术的推出，正是英孚教育作为现代英语教育的引领者不断创新、力求完美的生动诠释。
EF launches Kids iLAB technology, revolutionizing the way children learn English
EF, the Official Language Training Services Supplier of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, announced that it¡¯s Kids division will officially begin to apply innovative language lab (¡°iLAB) technology to is teaching method for children, as part of EF¡¯s proprietory ¡°EfektaTM dualBrain¡± System. In addition to regular lessons led by native speaking teachers, EF has advanced English learning for kids to another level with its iLAB features. With more than 800 educational online games that are synchronized to its regular curriculum, EF¡¯s iLAB offers children an interactive homework tool where each student¡¯s progress can be closely monitored by teachers and parents.
¡°EF¡¯s mission is to help students to not only communicate in English, but also to gain confidence and skills to succeed in life." Dan Sodervall, President of EF Kids China says, ¡°EF¡±s iLab technology has been designed to combine practice & play with English learning, which provides our students with a sense of accomplishment through winning mini games one by one while mastering English concepts. I believe we are the only English school to have such advanced technology for kids.¡±
EF¡¯s iLAB is acessible to students both at EF¡¯s English First kids¡¯ schools as well as from their homes. iLAB contains over 200 hours of online homework named as ¡°Practice & Play¡±. Each unit in EF¡¯s tailor-made course books will be divided into 4 mini games, and after two units there will be an extra game to examine the learning results. Students have to complete the games in sequential order. Thus, they are forced to review all the contents relevant to the target vocabulary and grammar. Each mini game consists of 10-15 questions, and shows the right answers featuring EF¡¯s own animated cartoon mascot- Roddy. Instructions are both given both orally and written in local languages to ensure every young-aged student understands what he should do to complete the homework.
EF ¡®s iLab also includes specially ¨Cdesigned ¡°Parents Pages¡± in order to facilitate communication between Chinese parents and foreign English teachers. EF¡¯s Parent¡¯s Pages track the kids¡¯ weekly learning process. Parent Pages also contain: teachers¡¯ weekly feedback and quarterly grade reports; kids¡¯ online homework progress; EF school¡¯s weekly activity schedule. Particularly in the grade reports, EF emphaszes ¡°confidence¡± as the first priority to measure the students¡¯ performance in class. This further demonstrates EF¡¯s teaching focus where by a student¡¯s speaking and self-confidence are as important as grammar and vocabulary.
During iLAB¡¯s soft launch, the majorit of kids & parents were positive about EF¡¯s ¡°iLab¡± technology. ¡°I am impressed by the easy-to-use technology EF has installed to keep me updated on Ben¡¯s progress at school and give me regular contact with his teacher. Most importantly, I have noticed that his self-confidence and English skills really improved.¡± said by Angela, a mother of an eight-year old EF student.
Since 2000, EF has invested over 400 million RMB and thousands of hours in the research and development of the advanced learning system, in order to accelerate English learning by 100%. EF ¡°EfektaTM dualBrain¡± System, used by EF¡¯s kids schools, is composed of three key components: Teachers, iLab and Life Club. Except for iLab, the advanced technology was also adopted in ¡°Teachers¡± part by launching ¡°Classroom Companion Unit¡± over one year ago. ¡°Classroom Companion Unit¡±, shortened as ¡°CCU¡±, actually means multimedia teaching tools in classroom. Teachers can download the uniform teaching presentation with colorful pictures and beautiful songs. These customized teaching materials have been designed to simulate children¡¯s senses: to learn English by seeing, listening, touching and moving, making lessons more interesting and interactive..
Malin Carlsson, Director of EF Global Product Development, mentioned ¡°Research shows that learning through multiplied channels is more efficient than that through single channel. The principle of CCU is based on this research finding. After more than one year¡¯s practice, we found that EF¡¯s application of technology inside the classrom through our classroom companion unit and now kids iLAB, has really increased our student¡¯s interest in learning. My team¡¯s goal in product development has been to make EF the best, most effective place for a child to learn English.¡± The original purpose for EF Kids emphasizing the advanced teaching method is to build up kids¡¯ confidence through English learning, further to provide them success in life in the future. To this end, EF has unveiled proprietary technology to enhace student learning with both the iLAB and CCU features.
