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The Learnables?
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Looking for feedback, both positive and negative, for The Learnables. I have a 10yo & an 11yo who will be learning German this year, and I am looking for something they can do mostly independently. I tried out the samples, and I really like it. Thoughts from those who have used it?
We used the Learnables for French with my dd16. She did not really learn that much while using the program. The program seemed somewhat lackluster, I know it is for learning and not enterrainment, but it didn’t suit her learning style. It may work for your children because as we know they are all differnt. We used Rosetta Stone a little (not enough grammar) and eventually switched to Duolingo (online and FREE).
We have used the Learnables for Spanish and really really liked it a lot…….we spoke with the writers of the program at convention several years ago and were very impressed with their level of knowledge about languages. I have been amazed at how quickly my daughter picked up Spanish at only ten years old. My husbabd like it so much that he took it to work with him and used it over his lunch break.
That was just our experience. I personally seem to prefer curriculum wihtout all the bells and whistles – they seem to be a distraction BUT maybe your kids would be attracted to that?
Like the above post said, all kids are different! That is just what has happened with us.
I’ve heard such good things about learnables….
But we own an old version… (book and cassette tapes!) And the first bit is soooo boring, but I think it would improve. I’m debating what to use next year. (German)…
We used it for French some time ago, and I’ve been thinking we will return to it. When we used it, I just set my laptop up on the kitchen table, and pressed played right after they were done eating lunch. 10 minutes MAX per day. They were repeating phrases and words within a week and still have fond memories of it. Will it teach them the language fully and perfectly? I truly don’t know. I just know that my kids, aged 5, 7, 10 and 11 all seemed to have the language “stick” using this program, with not much effort – AND, they had a positive attitude about foreign language while doing it.
Looks like you’re done discussing this, but in case anyone ever comes to search this topic in the future, I wanted to add my humble opinion. When I was in the elementary grades I used the Learnables for French study. I was living in a French-speaking country, but being homeschooled I did not interact with French speakers much in my elementary years. I now speak fluent French and use it in my job on a daily basis. I would say the Learnables gave me a good foundation in French sentence structure, but I would never have learned to speak fluently using the Learnables alone. In keeping with CM methods, I would recommend the use of the Learnables for 10 min or so per day in elementary years and most of all watching movies in French (many Europeans have learned English beautifully from watching American films during their childhood). During secondary years there is nothing better for teaching French writing than the “Moi Je Parle Francais” series. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Writing should be practiced daily by keeping a journal in French and if at all possible corresponding with a French penpal. Use the journal to record events of the day for practice in using correct tenses. Try not to use it for recording your deepest thoughts and feelings as you might get frustrated with the lack of ability to fully express yourself in a second language and thus break off the very essential habit of writing. For reading comprehension practice, procure a Bible in French (La Bible du Semeur or Francais Courant versions are easy to follow) and read chapters or books which you have already memorized in English. Continue to watch movies in French.
My son has used The Learnables for French. It is a good, solid program. My son worked through the first two levels, and is now working through level 3. He has done The Learnables and Basic Structures which are important for reinforcing what they hear on The Learnables cd’s. Definitely get those. We have no real complaints about it except that The Learnables can be repetitive. This is why I allowed my daughter to drop the Spanish after Learnables 1 because she was very bored with it. I’m still looking for a good spanish program because I hate to spend all the money on Rosetta Stone, and I’m not convinced that it’s the best program.
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