The history of the English Verb Wall is inextricably linked to the History of the Spanish Verb Wall, which I originally published in 1980. Through the years, I always felt there should also be an English Verb Wall, but I could never get my brain to sort out my native language. Realizing that grammar concepts can be visualized rather that verbalized, my goal was to teach "grammar" without grammar terminology, using colors, fonts, symbols and locations. I always said that I would work on the English version whenever I "had the time." As a full time teacher, mother of four adopted children from Costa Rica, somehow I never found the time.

When I retired after 30 years of teaching Spanish, I found myself still extremely busy with several projects, the primary ones being
(1) presenting my Spanish Verb Wall workshops,
(2) organizing concerts for Spanish students performed by Justo Lamas of Argentina and
(3) raising my two wonderful grandsons, Nathan and Dylan.

In 1998 Laurie Nesrala, coordinator of the W.R.I.T.E. Institute (San Diego County, California) felt there was a definite need for developing the English Verb Wall and commissioned me to drop all other work projects and devote one month to the thinking process involved in developing this useful tool. At the end of this month, I was to go to San Diego and demonstrate the new English Verb Wall. (This in itself was in inspiration, since I love San Diego and will go there for any excuse!)

I did exactly what she requested and dropped everything. I spent three frustrating weeks-all day long-staring at charts and graphs, trying to see my own language through the eyes of someone who does not know it--either a young native speaker or someone learning it as a second language.

At the end of the third week of mental gymnastics, I suddenly realized that I had been trying to approach English through the same system that I had developed for Spanish. Obviously, the problems that learners face with these two languages are not the same, so I began to focus totally on the structure of the English language and how to express it graphically. I kept the color-coding as close as possible to the Spanish system. In fact, if some day all elementary students were to be coded in to my English system, they would have a much easier time learning Spanish, French or German, if foreign language teachers would also use my system.

About five days before my now-dreaded trip to San Diego, I had what I can only call a "vision." Everything fell into place. I began frantically getting it on paper in publishable form. Finally at 3:00 AM the day I was to leave for San Diego, I had the first "rough" version of the English Verb Wall ready. Unfortunately, due to lack of time, I had never assembled it in its entirety before the workshop. As I began putting all the component parts on the wall, we all realized that it needed to be condensed somewhat in size. It went from floor to ceiling and beyond!

After some major trimming and condensing, I came up with the current version. I don't think it can be condensed any more. The size is important because the learner needs to be able to stand in the different tenses. I have it now so that it can be displayed in an area approximately 4' x 10'.