Crazy English
Crazy English is the name for two distinct but related high-energy, performance-based approaches to language learning:
Li Yang's Crazy English (China, 1990s–)
Li Yang developed Crazy English as a mass-participation movement in China. Students gather in stadiums or public spaces and shout English sentences at the top of their voices, repeating phrases with exaggerated gestures and emotion. The philosophy: the biggest barrier to language learning is psychological — fear, embarrassment, passivity. By shouting in public, learners break through the shame barrier and develop the confidence to speak.
Core technique: "Three Loudest" — say it the loudest you can, the fastest you can, the clearest you can.
Crazy English was phenomenally popular in China, drawing crowds of thousands. It channels genuine insight (that affective factors matter enormously in language learning) into a motivational spectacle. Critics note that shouting pre-scripted sentences does not develop communicative competence, and that the method is essentially memorisation + performance without genuine interaction.
The Rassias Method (Dartmouth, 1964–)
John Rassias at Dartmouth College developed an intensive language teaching method built around high-energy drills, dramatic techniques, and theatrical performance. The teacher models with exaggerated energy, humour, and dramatic voice; students respond with equal intensity. Classes are small and move at a rapid pace, combining:
- Fast-paced drilling with dramatic delivery
- Role-play and improvisation
- Constant encouragement and positive reinforcement
- Physical movement and gesture
The Rassias Method shares the Crazy English philosophy that lowering inhibition and raising energy accelerates language learning, but it is grounded in a structured curriculum and genuine interaction rather than mass spectacle.
Common Thread
Both approaches recognise that the Affective Filter — particularly the fear of speaking and making mistakes in public — is a major obstacle to language production. Their solution is to overwhelm inhibition through intensity, energy, and the safety of collective participation. Neither is a complete method for developing communicative competence, but both demonstrate the power of addressing affective factors head-on.