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Typing & Foreign Lang
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So I am looking at scheduling next year. There are a few things I am wondering…
1. Typing: My sons are doing this and have no speed yet. So do I continue with my son who will be 12? He’s getting discouraged and I want him to keep it up. Any suggestions? Also, they are only doing this 2 times a week is it enough?
2. We are going to switch to Latin for awhile and I think I’m going to just go easy and use a program called Eurotalk which really just is “hear and speak” there is no work involved? Does this seem silly? And is 2 times a week with any forgein lang. enough?
3. As I said I am “thinking” of using Eurotalk. But I would really like something much cheaper. But I need something that is really self taught. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks Misty
My daughter liked Dance Mat for typing (free). It’s a little hokey, but fun (mabye not for a 12yo boy, though!)To work on speed, I now have her typing her writing assignments and e-mailing a couple friends—we’ll see if that helps!
Mango is a ‘hear and speak’ language program that can be found free at some libraries. If your library doesn’t have it, often you can pay an out of district fee (like $30.yr) to use the program. We only do it 2x/week, but she does Greek 2x/week so we just don’t seem to have any more time for languages! Oh, just noticed you said for Latin, she’s using it for Spanish. I don’t know if they have Latin. Sorry! :)Gina
Misty, are you thinking of Eurotalk for Latin? I have Spanish Eurotalk; it is OK for some things. I do not think the format would work well for Latin.
Typing–I think this must be done often but not for a long time. I’ve found ten to fifteen minutes a day for just a year or two is plenty to get a basic typing speed. If he has not developed enough speed to efficiently type papers, then I think setting him a short section to type each day would be a good way to speed him up. A couple of sentences should do. Typing is one of those things you just have to practice enough to have the muscle memory to do it quickly for it to be effective.
I agree with Bookworm that typing is best done for a few minutes each day or most days rather than a chunk on only one or two days.
Glad to get some more responses on this. Ok.. So I like Bookworms advice. I think I will have him do copywork for 10 min and do 10 min of typing “daily”. He can pick what he wants to type?? Think that would be good?? I think I will do this for both my older boys who have done all of Mavis but just can’t get the spead down. Thanks
Also, Eurotalk for Spanish is ok for my younger ones and they enjoy the games. But you are right it might not be good for the older ones. Bookworm do you have any suggestions for Latin?? I would be glad to hear of your wisdom in this area.
Thanks for popping this back up! Misty
Are you wanting to do Latin with everyone, Misty? The program I use is best for 5th grade and up. It is Latin in the Christian Trivium. It is very well done, but would be a bit much for the younger set. I don’t have a lot of experience with the Latin programs for younger children, because I just glanced at several briefly in the process of deciding how we’d do foreign languages over the years. I am not fond of the idea of doing a Latin program, picking up just a tiny bit of vocab, very little grammar (most kids under 10-12ish do not yet know enough grammar to make sense of real Latin) and then have to teach it all over again anyway when we progressed to a “real” Latin program later. So apart from a brief and disastrous experiment with Latin’s Not So Tough, we have done nothing other than study with Latin in the Christian Trivium.
I have had quite a time deciding what I am going to do with my 9yo for foreign language this year, and have decided he is not yet ready for Latin in the Christian Trivium. His grasp of grammar concepts necessary is just not there yet. He’s just not ready for noun cases. I think I am going to continue him in just Spanish for another year, with Spanish for Children, and have him do some possible supplementing with a Latin mottoes and phrases set I found on Currclick (got it for free during one of their promotions) Don’t know how that’s going to work yet, as I just recently decided on it! LOL
It is Classical Academic Press’s new Spanish curriculum. My son has had a bit of Spanish, especially vocabulary, but with the usual neglect of popular programs for grammar. This looks to be a bit of a remedy, although we will still use some oral-based stuff along with it. It is for grades 3-6, but to me it looks like a better choice for 5th-6th grade. Anyway, it is not expensive, and I got it with a gift certificate, so we’ll see how it goes! Noah is finishing the more CM style The Fun Spanish by Kimberly Garcia–it is not a complete program but reinforcment for adjectives and verb conjugation. She was at one time planning on doing a series on this but this is the only one she has ever come out with, so. He has also done the first three Eurotalk CD’s and various other online vocab type things, plus we do Spanish songs and copywork and scripture verses occasionally.
I don’t have any experience yet in Latin, as mine are too little, but I have LOTS of personal experience in Spanish and these are my thoughts… since no one actually speaks Latin (right????) I’m not sure that I personally would understand (or appreciate?) the value of using a program that was focused on learning to hear/speak Latin – isn’t the main point of Latin to be able to READ it? Please correct me if I’m wrong – that’s just my understanding.
As for learning a foreign language, in my personal experience two days a week is NOT enough time to truly learn to speak a language. I don’t think you need to spend hours, but I took five YEARS of spanish EVERY day and I still can’t speak it. I can read it and write it, I can understand it spoken, but actually speaking it, no. Sadly, I got much higher grades in Spanish that many of my fellow students that were native spanish speakers, because while they could speak spanish, they were not able to write it or even read it very well. Now, the program I was in, not DID require or include daily “hearing” of Spanish speakers, which I think is what would have made the difference in my ability to speak the language. Perhaps two times a week working on actual “workbookish” language work would be enough to learn a language as long as it is coupled with DAILY listening of native speakers. I’m not sure it even matters WHAT you listen to, spanish music, spanish soap operas ;-), children’s movies in Spanish WITH spanish subtitles would probably be GREAT and the younger you start them the better. I hope that’s helpful to you!
Rebekah
Just a question.
Would Sign Language be considered a Foreign Language??
Before completely converting over to the CM method my 11yo ds and I were taking an American Sign Language class together. He really likes it and is actually pretty good at it. To add another language to this particular child would probably stress him out or to say that Sign Language isn’t as valuable/CM worthy would break his heart.
My other two boys, 7 and 4, have not been exposed to any formal foreign language lessons, but they do spend a lot of time with my in-laws who could probably help out with the Spanish part, since they do speak it fluently. But to ask them to or expect it, is another story:)
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
ASL is absolutely a foreign language and just as valuable. I know that one of Sonya’s daughters did ASL, too.
For young ages, ASL is a good choice. For high school, you’ll need to check the colleges your child might attend, as ASL is not considered a foreign language by all of them. Just a thing to keep in mind.
Bookworm.. I will be looking at both these spanish programs. Can you tell me as someone who has used them. The main differences and pros/cons to them. My boys are 6 (which this one just enjoys the Eurotalk), & will be 9, 11, & 12 next year.
You got me thinking about Latin also.. my thought is for good use of my money I might continue Spanish for one more year. Beef up the grammer knowledge with my 11 & 12 yr old and then do Latin for a couple years. As I feel you have a bit of knowledge there I don’t have. And it seems to make perfect sense.
I also, after reading everyone’s posts and THANK YOU> will get my boys doing spanish and typing daily in one form or another. You are right.. they can’t really retain if they aren’t doing it daily. Thanks for bringing that into light for me.
Love to keep learning! Also I think ASL is VERY much a language that more people should know. Misty
Bookworm.. Sorry to keep asking you
Ok.. so I looked at the Spanish for Children.. what I get from this is it is a FULL corse. I would have to get the primer books for each child I wanted to work on that. Otherwise the complete kit would be it. Now on the other one By Kimberly Garcia?? I can’t seem to find anywhere to tell me about the program. I see where to buy it, but nothing else. Do you have a website for that one. Also, still willing to hear your thoughts. MistyMisty, here is a link for The Fun Spanish:
http://www.classicalreadingandwriting.com/
My copy of the Spanish for Children has not arrived yet; all I’ve found of it so far is the sample on the Classical Academic Press website. I hope to have a better idea of it soon! Eurotalk is good for some vocabulary and useful phrases. It is weak on grammar and conjugation. The Fun Spanish was a nice reinforcement for my children; they already had the basic grammar mostly down, but this was really good help for things like conjugating verbs, and changing endings of adjectives to agree with nouns. We combined it with Spanish songs, copywork Bible verses, the audio cd’s that came with Eurotalk for an auditory component.
Ok.. so I looked at the Spanish for Children.. what I get from this is it is a FULL corse. I would have to get the primer books for each child I wanted to work on that. Otherwise the complete kit would be it. Now on the other one By Kimberly Garcia?? I can’t seem to find anywhere to tell me about the program. I see where to buy it, but nothing else. Do you have a website for that one. Also, still willing to hear your thoughts. Misty- The topic ‘Typing & Foreign Lang’ is closed to new replies.