HSfromthestart
- Reviewed on Thursday, September 24, 2009
- Grades Used: 9th
- Dates used: 2009-2010
Don't you just hate vocabulary???
Isn't that the worst part of learning a foreign language? I know that vocabulary lists are not easy, but we have found an easy way to learn Spanish with no vocabulary lists!
We are using The Learnables Spanish curriculum, which can be used with a CD-ROM or an audio CD and book. We use the audios and book.
It is like a book of flashcards, but you do not look on the back to see if you are correct, because for the first three months or so, you simply listen. You keep up with the native Spanish speaker by listening to what number he is on. So it is like vocabulary, but there is no trying to see if you're right, and then getting it wrong.
I have studied with The Learnables curriculum in the past, and I am using it this year with my daughter. After three days, she said when she heard a word or phrase, the pictures were beginning to pop into her mind.
This is a big plus, because many people can speak a foreign language after studying it, but have a hard time understanding spoken words by another person. I know this is true from my own trip to Mexico after a year of learning highschool Spanish from a native speaker.
The first book, The Learnables 1 (with 4 CDs), is 10 lessons, with 100 images each (some repeated, some combined with other words in other pictures), which takes about a week or more for each lesson. Just listen to it a couple of times each day, only moving on to the next lesson when you are sure you know all the phrases or sentences.
After completing The Learnables 1, the student goes on to Basic Structures 1 (with 3 CDs), where they get to Read Along with the Spanish CDs and see pictures. These are sentences and short paragraphs comprised of the words already learned in The Learnables. These lessons also are meant to be paced and reviewed. The workbook part of the lesson can't be redone unless answers are written in a notebook, but reading the paragraphs along with the CD can.
This does not seem like enough work for an entire year of homeschool Spanish, but keep in mind, it is meant to be reviewed often before going to the next step.
Total for 1st year = 2 books, 7 CDs.
The second year has an additional 280-page book, Spanish Grammar Enhancement 1, (with 4 CDs) which is to be used first before beginning The Learnables 2, and Basic Structures 2. (also with CDs)
We plan on beginning Spanish Grammar Enhancement 1 near the end of this school year instead of waiting for next fall.
http://www.learnables.com/learnables.html
The sample online only shows the first 10 images, which does not really show you how it really works, in my opinion. The pictures do not "come into your mind" because you do not get far enough into the lesson to see how this is possible.
This homeschool Spanish curriculum is not very cheap, but it can be found on eBay or Amazon. I recommend researching the curriculum site and calling them to make sure you know exactly what you're looking for before going to eBay or Amazon.
|
titus2
- Reviewed on Wednesday, January 17, 2007
- Grades Used: all
- Dates used: 2003
I used the Hebrew Learnables and my children loved it. I found it was alot easier for them to use the tapes and pictures rather than a workbook format -- although as you progress workbooks are needed, but not right away. I like the immersion approach. They learn to speak the grammar before formulating it on paper. For young children, you will need to sit with them and point at the picutre's and make sure they are making an effort to repeat what's being said, but as they get older, the program is fairly self explanitory and they could do it on their own.
For Hebrew, it is worth getting this program....since their are few people who can speak it properly without having to go to a Synagog or Israel.
I think next year though, I'm switching to Rosetta Stone, the picutres are better and it's on the computer.
|
Sherri
- Reviewed on Sunday, July 10, 2005
- Grades Used: any above age 7
- Dates used: 2004-2005
Initially, I thought the Learnables looked and sounded terribly boring, and I was disappointed in my purchase. (no color images and tons of repetition) My 7 y/o and I struggled to complete several lessons via CD. She wasn't very excited about Spanish. So, this summer, I bought the Learnables Spanish 1 on Computer to go with it. What a boost!!!! It's a simple program, but my daughter LOVES it. We've whizzed through half the program already, and she's really learning. We both love learning Spanish now. Even my 4 and 5 year old kids are picking it up by just standing around at the computer as she works each day. This is a no frills program, but it's very effective. And the computer program is a very valuable addition.
|
Susan Trexel
- Reviewed on Friday, July 09, 2004
- Grades Used: Levels 1 and 2, and Basic Structures
- Dates used: 1992-1997
My daugher who is now 21 used and liked the Learnables for French. She did the Level 1 and 2, and also the Basic Structures 1 and 2,which is words along with the pictures, and some writing is involved. I also did German level 1 myself, and so did my second daugher, so all 3 of us can say we really liked this way to learn a language, in a beginning way. It is not hard to follow the pictures. Yes, at times you did wonder what the word was they were getting at, but after a while, it clicked, and also you can use a foreign language dictionary and look it up! My daugher wanted to learn French and so her desire probably is what made the program successful for her. If you give any child some schoolwork to do that he is not interested in, no matter how fun it may seem, it will not be something the child will really put effort in. It is like anything...any thing any of us want to do really badly, we make the effort because we desire it and WANT to learn it! My first daugher also studied Italian on her own. My second daughter has yet to show the same enthusiasm for a foreign language. So I am not requiring her to study one. If you have a child who really wants to learn a language, I think Learnables is a very good springboard to start from. I think the listen and look at the picture approach is very good for beginning in a foreign language. I still remember many of the German words from the level 1 that I listened to 15 years ago!
|
|
