Aludlam Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 My husband and I have finally decided to add a foreign language to our studies. After much debate we've decided on German, primarily because there is a 50/50 chance that we might end up in Germany in a few years (dh's work). So, with that in mind would you please recommend a "painless" program. Dh would prefer a computer based program, something written for the kiddos but that we could use also. Are we looking for Rosetta Stone? Please send me some advice! As always, thank you very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I am planning on using KIKUS German (it is for ages 4-7), but you need to have a little knowledge of the language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 (edited) My husband and I have finally decided to add a foreign language to our studies. After much debate we've decided on German, primarily because there is a 50/50 chance that we might end up in Germany in a few years (dh's work). So, with that in mind would you please recommend a "painless" program. Dh would prefer a computer based program, something written for the kiddos but that we could use also. Are we looking for Rosetta Stone? Please send me some advice! As always, thank you very much! Not a full program, but the Berlitz Adventures with Nicholas are a nice introduction and are at many libraries. There are three sets (The Missing Cat, Five Crayons and A Visit with Grandma) that teach basic vocabulary in a friendly way. I tagged this for German. You might want to check out the other threads with the tag. We're using Tamburin and Das neues Deutschmobil, but both assume the teacher knows German. Edited May 25, 2011 by Sebastian (a lady) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aludlam Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 Thank you all for the suggestions. The only German I know are the few words that my dad has taught me. He spent two years in Germany during WWII. It's amazing how much he learned and has remembered. We don't live near him, or else he would be a great resource for us. I'm going to look into these programs. Thank you all for responding. I welcome any more suggestions! thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I was really nervous about Rosetta Stone-- I found it terrific to use to brush up on my German after a few years of disuse; it did what "school" (high school and college and some living in Germany) German never did for me; it got me "thinking" in German instead of "translating" everything. But how would it do for two kids who never spoke German before, ages 7 & 10? I held my breath and tried it. In the first moments, my 10YO said, "But Mom, how do I know what anything means?" I told him to be patient, pay attention, and let the program work; it would not work if I taught it over him. By the end of the first lesson, he came out smiling, pointed at his brother eating a snack, and said, "Der Junge isst!" When his brother ran away, he pointed again and said, "Er rennt!" When I grabbed a glass of water, he grinned and said, "Die Frau trinkt!" In other words, he got it! He did the first worksheet the next day, spelling the words correctly (many of the words are elsewhere on the worksheet though) and even correctly matched up articles and nouns, made plurals correctly, and correctly matched nouns and verb conjugations-- after the first day. A lot of people say RS doesn't "do a complete job" and maybe there are better programs out there somewhere-- certainly there are cheaper ones! But at least for now, I'm sold. If my kids learn to think in the language, get a grasp on the grammar as they obviously already are from day one, then I figure they'll learn what they can from 5 levels of RS, conversing with native speakers when they get the chance, and travel when they can. I think RS will have given them a nice underlying structure through which to pick up more language, even after just one or two levels. Your mileage may vary! Good luck! Jen http://hillandalefarmschool.blogspot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloquacious Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Have you tried Live Mocha? It's similar to Rosetta Stone, and online - parts of it are free, and then there are paid portions, but you could try out the free bits and see how you like it. JoAnne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 There's also Mango which some libraries have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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