latin vs. spanish

[half-dozenroses]

I would love some help as I am pondering what to do next year for foreign language.

My kids will be 7th, 6th, 3rd and 1st.

I am fluent in Spanish but have yet to find a curriculum that I love. And I am not a "wing it" kind of person, where I am comfortable with a little of ths and a little of that. I have tried that, and we end up not getting any language done!

The oldest have done La Clase Divertida, and we have attempted Espanol para chicos y grandes. Oh, and we also started the Learnables but did not like it.

Para chicos could be fine, but b/c there is no aspect of it that they can do on their own, it rarely gets done (too busy with everything else, I guess).

 

So now that dd is entering middle school, I really want to pave the way for her (and the rest) to make some strides in a foreign language.... but I don't know if I am going to find something at the lowel levels in Spanish that I like.

 

Do I try to stick it out with Para chicos... or should I do something radical and switch to Latin for a year or two?? Being Latin-based, I know that Latin can only help their spanish down the road, but it seems like such a big switch.... and then a new language opens a whole other can of worms as far as curriculum goes.... I need some input!!

 

Thanks in advance! I know you all will have some great ideas!!!

[Laura Corin]

I'm a bit of an oddball on this board, but if you are only going to do one foreign language, I would choose a modern one. It seems that you have a great opportunity to teach Spanish to a very good level - I would go with that. Then it just becomes a question of making Spanish more central to your day, so you actually get to it.

 

If you get the Spanish going really well, then maybe adding in Latin would be good, but I'd work hard to get one language going well, rather than spreading yourself too thin.

 

FWIW, we use Galore Park French, and I have heard good things about Galore Park Spanish. As you are fluent in the language (the programmes are designed to be taught by a fluent teacher) you might want to look at it for your older children (aged about 9 and up). I don't have suggestions for your youngers.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[half-dozenroses]

Thank you, Laura.

This looks like British company... how did you preview/order the material? What made you decide to go with this curriculum? Is it all workbook-based?

[Laura Corin]

It's not workbook based - it is a text book plus an audio CD and a teacher's book (which probably just has the answers in it - I haven't seen the Spanish one though). There are samples on this page. If you want to buy, you can contact Horrible Books in the US, or Book Depository (free shipping to the US) in the UK.

 

I started using Galore Park French because I really liked the Galore Park Latin texts. The French one is fun and thorough. You have to add in some more conversation (because the CD is very limited) but you can do that because you are fluent - I no longer recommend Galore Park to non-fluent speakers.

 

Just a note: the Spanish is Spain Spanish, not S. American Spanish, but I am told that the differences are not huge.

 

Laura

[Matryoshka]

I am also fluent in Spanish, and I also find that the hardest thing is not getting to it. But let's face it, your kids are going to learn way more, as well as better and faster, if you teach it to them rather than having them do it independently. You're fluent, you can do it.

 

What I did to make sure we got to it was get a class together. Once a week, I teach my kids plus two of their friends. Actually, I have two classes, one for my older kids, and one for my younger - each has two "extra" students.

 

Then, it gets done. Only takes an hour, and they come to my house, so no extra time for me. The rest is homework.

 

I used Español para chicos y grandes level 1 for my younger group, and it worked very well for this. I did not like level 2 at all, though - it moves very fast, and they were only 9yo last year. I agree that there is virtually nothing good out there for post-k/1st and pre-middle school. Chicos y grandes was good, but I needed more than one year of it! We've ended up just reading and translating Trip to Mexico this year, along with extra vocab in Español con juegos y actividades, which is a great supplement (it has three levels).

 

At about 10yo/5th grade I have them start on Spanish the Easy Way, which has been discontinued, but Spanish Now! Level 1 is virtually identical. I have them do it over two years.

 

Next year, I'm having my older group start with Breaking the Barrier Level 2. I'm really excited about this curriculum. I've also had the older group doing a lot of reading - Los viajes de Rosa y Ernesto last year, and next will be Cajas de cartón.

 

I also have them watch DVDs in Spanish, and sometimes I have them watch Mi Vida Loca on the BBC website. I'd also like them to do Show Time Spanish next year (Coffee Break Spanish is the first level). They're online radio shows that teach Spanish - only take a few minutes a week, but I'd like them to hear more Spanish.

[half-dozenroses]

I am also fluent in Spanish, and I also find that the hardest thing is not getting to it. But let's face it, your kids are going to learn way more, as well as better and faster, if you teach it to them rather than having them do it independently. You're fluent, you can do it.

 

What I did to make sure we got to it was get a class together. Once a week, I teach my kids plus two of their friends. Actually, I have two classes, one for my older kids, and one for my younger - each has two "extra" students.

 

Then, it gets done. Only takes an hour, and they come to my house, so no extra time for me. The rest is homework.

 

I used Español para chicos y grandes level 1 for my younger group, and it worked very well for this. I did not like level 2 at all, though - it moves very fast, and they were only 9yo last year. I agree that there is virtually nothing good out there for post-k/1st and pre-middle school. Chicos y grandes was good, but I needed more than one year of it! We've ended up just reading and translating Trip to Mexico this year, along with extra vocab in Español con juegos y actividades, which is a great supplement (it has three levels).

 

At about 10yo/5th grade I have them start on Spanish the Easy Way, which has been discontinued, but Spanish Now! Level 1 is virtually identical. I have them do it over two years.

 

Next year, I'm having my older group start with Breaking the Barrier Level 2. I'm really excited about this curriculum. I've also had the older group doing a lot of reading - Los viajes de Rosa y Ernesto last year, and next will be Cajas de cartón.

 

I also have them watch DVDs in Spanish, and sometimes I have them watch Mi Vida Loca on the BBC website. I'd also like them to do Show Time Spanish next year (Coffee Break Spanish is the first level). They're online radio shows that teach Spanish - only take a few minutes a week, but I'd like them to hear more Spanish.

 

Thanks so much for your thorough response! My 12 yo and 10 yo seemed bored with Espanol para chicos, but my 8yo enjoyed it - maybe that is why? Maybe time to switch them to something else? So you recommend Spanish Now Level 1 - do you use one book per child? And if you took 2 years to go through, say 7th and 8th grade, then Breaking the Barrier Level 2 could start counting for HS credit??

 

Also, may I ask why you did not continue with Spanish now level 2? Just curious. Is it not rigorous enough for transcript credit?

 

You are right - I can do it. I need to make it a bigger priority. :001_smile:

I wish we could work it into our small co-op b/c that would be the ideal setting - I have already committed to teaching 2 writing classes, though, so I am tapped out! Some moms there do hire a teacher to teach high school Spanish...but I cannot justify that, as I know I can do this myself!

[Matryoshka]

Thanks so much for your thorough response! My 12 yo and 10 yo seemed bored with Espanol para chicos, but my 8yo enjoyed it - maybe that is why? Maybe time to switch them to something else?

 

 

Yes, I'd say Chicos y grandes level 1 is good for around ages 7-9. The really annoying thing is that level 2 is aimed at middle schoolers - and even for them, the concepts come fast and furious with very little exercises to reinforce. There needs to be a level inbetween... I did really like level 1 for the age we did it at, though. We did it the year she was 8.

 

So you recommend Spanish Now Level 1 - do you use one book per child? And if you took 2 years to go through, say 7th and 8th grade, then Breaking the Barrier Level 2 could start counting for HS credit??

 

 

Spanish Now level 1 is the equivalent of a year of high school Spanish - it might even go a bit beyond what many 1st year courses cover. You could also use Breaking the Barrier level 1. I waffled on switching this year when I start my younger, but I decided to stick with what I know - less thinking for me! One thing I liked about SN1 was that there's a funny dialog at the beginning of every chapter, as well as some oral comprehension exercises - that made it easy for me to get them talking without having to come up with material myself. Each chapter also has a grammar lesson and additional exercises. I did the book over 5th-6th, but you could also do it over 7th-8th.

 

BTB has many less chapters, although it covers the same material. It's just that you spend more weeks per chapter (around 3-4). There's only a dialog every other chapter. However, on the website there are free downloads with prompts for conversation based on the vocab and grammar in the chapter, so you can use those for that. Now that the kids are a bit further along and reading more, I am also going to have them reading from their book, so I feel less need for dialogs. The author of BTB has a great paper on his site called The Ideal Lesson Plan. It gave me a ton of ideas on things I could do to improve my Spanish lessons. It also gave me a much better idea on how to implement the BTB books.

 

BTB also has built-in reviews, which SN1 does not. I had to take a break every now and then and find supplemental material for review (I used Hayes Spanish Grammar Exercises - Rainbow has them). Another great source for supplemental review if you ever need it are the Practice Makes Perfect books. There's a general grammar one, and specific ones for possible trouble spots like pronoun use and verb conjugations. B&N or Border's has those.

 

I think either Spanish Now Level 1 or BTB Level 1 would make a great first-year Spanish course (either could be done over two years in middle school). You could look at both and see what you like. I'd say both your older kids could be ready for this.

 

Oh, and for Spanish Now or BTB, you do want one book per child - they are both consumable worktexts - lessons and exercises in one book. SN has the answers in back, BTB has an answer key you buy separately.

 

Also, may I ask why you did not continue with Spanish now level 2? Just curious. Is it not rigorous enough for transcript credit?

 

I was all set to do that - I even ordered the copies from Amazon. I had looked it over in B&N, but apparently not closely enough. Superficially, it resembles SN1, but upon closer inspection, the layout was a mess and the lessons disjointed. When I realized the authors of the two levels were completely different people, I understood what the problem was, and returned the books. Someone here mentioned BTB around the same time, and I really like the look of it, as well as the extra stuff at the website. Level 2 is 2nd year high school Spanish.

 

You are right - I can do it. I need to make it a bigger priority. :001_smile:

 

 

Yes, you can. :) For me, the eternal procrastinator, I needed to have someone else knocking at my door to make sure it gets done. But it's kinda nice having the dynamic of 3-4 kids learning together. Also makes it easier to get them to finish their homework! But if you're a bit more disciplined than me, maybe just making a hard and fast time to do it would work. I'd suggest making the teaching time a separate time from the rest of school - maybe in the afternoon. I've found one direct lesson a week from me will do it, and then be available for questions as they do homework (which they can do as part of the regular school day).

[half-dozenroses]

Matroyshka -

Thank you so much!! This is awesome info!! I have printed this out so I can plan for the upcoming years!!

BTW - do you count the 8th grade year of Spanish in your student's transcripts? Or are you going to give them 4 years of high school foreign language ( probably, right??) ? I would like to know what options I will have. Thanks!

[Matryoshka]

Matroyshka -

Thank you so much!! This is awesome info!! I have printed this out so I can plan for the upcoming years!!

BTW - do you count the 8th grade year of Spanish in your student's transcripts? Or are you going to give them 4 years of high school foreign language ( probably, right??) ? I would like to know what options I will have. Thanks!

 

heh... going to have to ask me in another couple of years - my oldest two are rising 7th graders now. With any luck they should have completed Spanish 3 before they're high school age. I haven't quite figured out how this will work out on a transcript... if they go to ps high school, they'll allow them to take a placement exam - if they stay home, I'll have to do some thinkin'. :) In the latter case, I'd probably have them take either the Spanish SAT II or AP to show mastery as well. My goal for them is fluency, and for that earlier is better - I haven't spent a lot of time worrying about how this will look on a transcript yet. :tongue_smilie: