Looking for best German curriculum and best way to learn to converse in Spanish

[AuntieM]

Greetings to all, I have "lurked" here a bit and now that my oldest is going to be a high schooler next year, I have a couple of questions (and will likely have more!).

 

He has decided he would like to study German, and plans to go for it for the 4-year term as he is a college-bound science-freak and sees that some of the more selective universities want applicants to have 4 years of language study. That's fine with all of us (me, him & dad). So the first question is, what is the best for German? I am looking for something effective and somewhat self-teaching. I would love to hear your tried-and-true favorites for high-school level study.

 

Also, I believe that it would be beneficial for all of us to become conversant in Spanish. Because he is truly interested in studying German, as well as continuing with his Latin studies, and did not choose Spanish for his "formal" foreign language study, I do not want to burden him with a grammar based curriculum. We want to be able to speak Spanish passably (or better yet, well!), but want it to be fun AND effective. What are your best tips for learning conversational Spanish?

 

Thanks, I look forward to your replies!

[Hillary in KS]

We have started using "So You Really Want to Learn Spanish" by Galore Park. It is lightly grammar-based, but really focuses on conversational Spanish.

 

I'm using it with my 12 yo ds and having great results. It would be a light curriculum for your older ds, but I'd think you could move through it more quickly and and grammar wouldn't be oppressive to him.

 

Hillary

[Michelle in MO]

have personally never used it:

 

http://germanonline.okstate.edu/

 

German Online at Oklahoma State University. If your son is interested in anything like chemistry, German is not a bad choice, since Germany has some major chemical companies.

[mysticamethyst]

This is the same combo we are doing here. We are using Rosetta Stone for both to start with. You can purchase a workbook for both languages;my kids seem to like it all right. HTH

[Staci in CT]

I can attest to it being an amazing and successful course. Sabine Lewis, the course designer and leader, is very well known and respected among US German teachers. The student takes online lessons on his own schedule, and has weekly telephone chats with the German teachers. There are plenty of quizzes, tests, and projects to assess progress. The program has enabled my dd to score quite well on the national AATG tests, and she will be heading to Germany with them this summer. This is a 5 year program though, in order to get through the AP level. I think Spanish and French may only take 4 years.

 

I highly recommend this program with no reservations whatsoever. It is probably the best online course we have even encountered (aside from PA Homeschoolers courses).

 

Staci

[Riverfront Headmistress]

Have you looked into your local cc?

[Ruth in NC]

My 17yo is taking his 2nd year of OSU German and we are really pleased.

 

My daughter is taking OSU Spanish and I am pleased bu it is not as good as the German.

[Moira in MA]

Stacy can you say more about the AATG? I'm not familiar with it.

 

tia

[Staci in CT]

Moira - most languages have a nationally recognized standardized test that is used in schools to assess progress. You may know about the National Latin Exam and the Concours used for French. They use these tests in our local public school and we use them at home.

 

AATG stands for American Association of Teachers of German (aatg.org). This is a great quality organization. They provide links to many scholarships, contests, local resources, and they sponsor the annual exam. My daughter was able to join a German National Honor Society through making contacts via this organization. She went to an award ceremony and received various tassels, pins, and plaques. The AATG is very helpful and will work hard to help you achieve your goals locally.

 

The annual exam is given in December and January. We go to our local library for administration because, unlike the Latin exam, the German exam cannot be proctored by a parent. If you achieve above a 90%, you can apply for a free summer trip to Germany. But even if you don't, the exam truly measures what has been learned so far. There are 3 or 4 levels of testing, so you can do it every year until you are ready for the SAT II or AP.

 

Good luck.

 

Staci

[tmkclscroggins]

We are using the German course from OSU this year and love it! It is well-organized and if the student has a problem or is confused about something, he/she can call in. My dd is learning so much. We will continue to use this class for the rest of high school!

 

melissa

[Moira in MA]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

[AuntieM]

and the resounding approval of the Oklahoma State program! We will definitely look into that! I appreciate the details and web link.

 

As far as the Spanish, we'll keep looking, would love to hear additional recomendations.