mile ▁B ial s ▁De ▁Sau z é ▁( T ours , ▁December ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁– ▁July ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 6 4 ) ▁was ▁a ▁French ▁born ▁natural ized - American ▁language ▁educ ator ▁who ▁developed ▁the ▁Cleveland ▁Plan ▁for ▁teaching ▁foreign ▁languages . ▁He ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁origin ating ▁the ▁convers ational ▁method ▁where ▁students ▁hear ▁a ▁teacher ▁speak ▁a ▁word , ▁then ▁write ▁it , ▁then ▁speak ▁it . ▁This ▁method ▁replaced ▁the ▁older ▁method ▁of ▁simply ▁memor izing ▁words ▁and ▁grammar . ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁T ours , ▁France , ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Po it iers ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁He ▁married ▁Mel anie ▁Phill ips ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁and ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 . ▁They ▁had ▁one ▁daughter , ▁Marc elle . ▁He ▁received ▁his ▁doctor ate ▁degree ▁from ▁Saint ▁Joseph ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁ ▁His ▁career ▁included ▁heading ▁the ▁modern ▁language ▁department ▁at ▁Temple ▁University ▁and ▁the ▁French ▁Department ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁prior ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁While ▁teaching ▁at ▁both ▁schools ▁he ▁became ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁S igma ▁Pi ▁chap ters ▁at ▁each ▁and ▁was ▁initi ated ▁into ▁the ▁organization . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁became ▁director ▁of ▁foreign ▁languages ▁for ▁the ▁Cleveland ▁Public ▁School s ▁in ▁Ohio ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁to ▁