The
Language Master a multi-sensory, self-pacing, portable teaching
instrument that was highly adaptable to a variety of teaching
techniques and environments. It was produced by Bell &
Howell, a US-based former manufacturer of motion picture machinery,
in the early 1970s, and was designed to help modify the verbal
expression of autistic and disabled children.
The Audio Visual Products Division of Bell & Howell originally
developed the Language Master in conjunction with the Monterey
Language Program but it was soon adopted by Ladybird as a
teaching aid for their popular Key Words Reading Scheme. The
units bought in by Ladybird, which carried the model number
1727, were identical to the ones being used in American schools,
and carried no mention of Ladybird on their casings, but 100
cards were produced to correspond with the Key Words that
Ladybird were promoting through their successful reading scheme,
and boxes were especially branded as a Bell & Howell /
Ladybird product.
