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Foreign Lang.
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I have 3 simple questions:
1. Is buying Rummy Roots worth it?
2. How many of you actually do a foreign lang. and when did you start?
3. Those that do what are you using, are you doing Rosetta Stone?
Thanks, Trying to decide if I want to start this now?? (5th, 4th, 2nd graders)
Misty
1. We have heard lots of good things about Rummy Roots, it’s only $15, so it’s on our list for next year. Right now we use English From the Roots Up, and the girls actually like doing that.
2. We have not actually started a Foreign Language yet. My DH has gone over some of the Hebrew alphabet with the girls, but nothing major. It’s something I really need to get going on.
3. I’ve also heard nothing but good about Rosetta Stone, but the cost is just WAAAY too much for us right now. We can get through the first course on the Army’s EDU website since DH is Active Duty, but then what would we do??? I’m thinking about purchasing the Hebrew Tutor software, it’s only $50. I think all the “talk” for FL right now is learning through immersion. I’m thinking turning on the Latino channel would immerse them in Spanish??? Buying an Italian Opera would be immersing them in Italian??? Buying “Songs of Israel” would be Hebrew immersion??? I don’t know.
I’m glad you asked this ? Waiting to see what someone who actually knows what they’re doing has to say 🙂
Kathi
We love Rummy Roots! I’m amazed at how much my boys (and myself) have learned by playing this simple game. However, we have to limit how often we play because it can become redundant. Every other Friday, on game day works good for us.
Hope youre getting your rest, Misty, and enjoying your new blessing!!
🙂
Heather
I saw a Spanish program recently on currclick that claims to be built on CM principles. It is called The Fun Spanish by Classical Reading and Writing Publications and here is the link.
http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=26166&it=1&
I have my eye on this for next year. It is under $20.
I like the looks of the Rummy Roots – we sporadically use the Word Roots program from the thinking company, and this looks like more fun.
( 😀 just trying out the smilies – I’ll bet smiley usage is up a lot . . . 😉 )
Gem
Ok on this same topic..does anyone teach Latin, Greek, or Hebrew and if so what curriculum do you use. Does the game you guys referenced Rummy Roots help teach Latin and Greek? 😀
Shelly
My 12yo and I have started into Latin this year using Getting Started with Latin. It’s a wonderful introduction! We’re doing all the lessons orally, and it seems to be a very gentle approach. It was written for the author’s homeschooling nieces, so no previous Latin is needed for the teacher. In fact, I’m learning it along with my daughter and we’re having fun with it. It’s truly an all-in-one introduction for any age.
Once we finish this, I want to dive into the Cambridge Latin course that a friend told me about. It looks great with its continuous storyline and all.
Foreign Language is something I struggle with alot. I really want my children to learn Latin and Greek. But, I just cant seem to fit it into our day without feeling like a failure. So we have let it go completely. I do hope to bring it back but until then we are just not going anything. I do am going to have to check out what Sonya has suggested though.
For those of you who teach and study language, I would love to hear which language you chose and WHY. For example, why have you chosen to study Latin?
I have always loved languages and we teach them enthusiastically! I will try to answer all the questions above but please ask me if I forget something! LOL
We are currently teaching Spanish (I begin this at age 4) Latin (begin at age 10) French (begin at 14) So I have one taking all three languages, two taking two, and my youngest is just in Spanish.
I have used Rosetta Stone. It is very expensive. There are good points to it, but there are some things that just did not work well for us. I think that hearing and speaking (language immersion) are critical for foreign language success, but often it is just not enough (unless you can immerse all the time and have lots of conversation throughout the day) Just for one example, Rosetta Stone did not teach, and my children were unable to pick up from the program, when to use ser and when to use estar in Spanish. I had to go back and teach that specifically. So we simply have decided to move on to other things. I can’t afford that much money for something I have to supplement.
I have the Fun Spanish from that website. It is cute. It is NOT a complete program. You would need other components, including heavy audio components unless you are a good Spanish speaker yourself. It is OK for supplementation.
We use a broad smorgasbord of things for Spanish, including lots of audio resources (many free on the Web), dual-language books, songs, etc. These are good for young ages. I can speak some Spanish myself, and we have lots of conversation and I try to get us as many opportunities to practice our Spanish as I can!
I have tried a bunch of Latin resources, and finally have settled on my true love, Latin in the Christian Trivium. 🙂 It is absolutely perfect for us! There is a continuous story line (about a family who meets our Savior, no less!) lots of teacher support, lots of reinforcement, clear tables and things to memorize, and Scripture to translate.
For high school age French and Spanish, I recently found Breaking the French Barrier and Breaking the Spanish Barrier. Good, solid books with great audio resources, easy to use, and AFFORDABLE! 🙂 I am very pleased with the French program my oldest is using.
I speak French, some Spanish, had had a little Latin previous to teaching it but have mostly been learning that along with the boys. We are contemplating jumping off into a few languages I have no experience with, which will be fun. We would like to add some German soon.
I personally think language learning is one of the best investments you can make. As a graduate student, I found I could identify by a college student’s writing those that had had serious language study and those that had not. Foreign language is excellent for vocabulary, English expression, for learning beauty, for cross-cultural learning, for gaining sympathy and love for other people, for mental organization, for testing well on standardized tests, for expanding the soul, for learning OTHER languages. I have learned amazing things by reading the Bible in other languages. The only drawback is that it is intimidating. The good things so far outweigh that!
I will try to get to “why Latin” later, but mostly it is for the reasons above. I believe that students of Latin write better English. Students of Latin receive lots of help in all the Romance languages, learn English vocabulary, better understand English grammar, do better on standardized tests, learn logic and mental organization, learn attention to detail and how important it is to “choose the right word”
OK, I have to go and TEACH Latin now. 🙂
Michelle D
Hola! We picked Spanish to study in our family because we live in a city with many Spanish speakers.
After trying different workbooks and teachers, I finally found The Easy Spanish, which is based on the Charlotte Mason approach. It’s not inexpensive, and I have my eye on the recommendation from Gem.
What I like about the program is that you get a CD to listen to dialogue and vocab for each lesson. The Spanish is taught mixed in with English and I love this! The program focuses on putting Spanish words into your conversations as you know them, even if it’s only a few words or phrases. It seems like a more “natural” way to learn a language, especially for younger children.
Another plus about the program is that the characters are homeschoolers. 🙂 And, there are Bible verses in Spanish for memorization and/or copywork.
The downside of the progam is the cost. It was over $100 if I recall correctly. I also don’t like that it’s cumbersome to figure out how to use the lessons. I need to print off worksheets to put into a binder, and it’s confusing and time consuming to keep it all straight. When we fall behind in our Spanish lessons, it’s because I didn’t get around to printing off the pages. Not good!
I plan to start Latin next year, and I’m jotting down Sonya’s suggestions.
I did have one real concern about The Easy Spanish. I had heard so very much about the French part of the program, and I was one of the original purchasers of the Spanish program when it first came out. We were disappointed on many fronts. My sons thought it was really, really silly, and (more seriously) it was riddled with errors. I hope that has been corrected, but I know that another user and I both contacted the publisher several times trying to get corrections on the website, and after some time, I just gave up, got rid of the program, and moved on to something else. I was disappointed in the quality for the price for sure.
Hate to give a poor review of something, but I also think it’s good to get differing opinions at times to help us make good choices about our money.
Michelle D.
ok I’m hearing lots of great advice! My question is this I don’t know any language, and just reading it that wouldn’t work. I need to hear it!
what would u suggest?
Misty
Either Spanish or Latin. I go back and forth cause Spanish would be very usefull but Latin would be more on the biblical and that would be great on so many levels.
So I don’t know Latin or Spanish, but as I said it would have to have something we could hear and see, for we have both types of learners here.
thanks MIsty
Misty,
I don’t know if this helps, but the Latin book Sonya recommended (I also have but have yet to use) has free, on-line, MP3 downloads for pronunuciation and lecture assistance recorded by the author himself. (http://www.gettingstartedwithlatin.com/) I’ve heard many good things about this book. It seems very user friendly and not real intense at all – a good option to introduce Latin. The author is also working on a Spanish lesson book which should be ready soon. (http://www.gettingstartedwithspanish.com/)
Hope all is well with the precious little princess. 😀
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