Mom22ns Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Has anyone tried Easy French? I am looking for a French program for my rising 7th grader. She has used and didn't like RS Spanish. I have Mac's not PCs, so please don't recommend Tell Me More or anything else I can't use :glare:. I really want something that will spread over 7th and 8th grade to be the equivalent of one year of high school French. I don't want to rush her or intimidate her, nor do I want to waste her time. I'd love reviews. Oh, I do speak a little very rusty French. I took it in both high school and college, so I can work with her at least in the early years :001_smile:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 :bigear: Surely someone is doing French in Jr. High that is not RS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquinas Academy Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I decided not to use The Easy French because I felt it moved along too slowly. However, DH is francophone, so my kids already had lots of French experience before starting formal French. I've used L'Art de Lire and while I can't say I've been thrilled with it (again, it's on the easy side) it's my favourite French curriculum that I've seen for young kids. If you're wanting a high school course you'd probably have to do all six books. L'Art d'Écrire is supposed to be grade 9 French in the Ontario curriculum, but students there have already studied French for at least a couple years, so it's not a first-year high school course. Another option would be Breaking the Barrier. It's a high school level and sounds like it would work well for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 We like Galore Park's So You Really Want to Learn French. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 I had decided to use Breaking the Barrier, then was starting to wimp out. I was afraid it would be too much for 7th grade. I keep thinking it would be ok if we do the first year spread over two for Jr. High, then do years 2 & 3 in high school. I've looked at Galore Park, but I find the website hard to use. I'm never quite sure what all I need to use it. Can you tell me more about what pieces you bought and how you use it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I had decided to use Breaking the Barrier, then was starting to wimp out. I was afraid it would be too much for 7th grade. I keep thinking it would be ok if we do the first year spread over two for Jr. High, then do years 2 & 3 in high school. I've looked at Galore Park, but I find the website hard to use. I'm never quite sure what all I need to use it. Can you tell me more about what pieces you bought and how you use it? For SYRWTLF, you need the textbook and audio cd. (I also bought the assessment pack and the online practice subscription to RealFrench but those aren't necessary) The best place to buy them new is from Book Depository or Ray at Horrible Books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 Thanks Jen, I'll take a look. Any one else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I just follow Jen around Galore Park French thread to say :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Q Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 My oldest used The Easy French 1 & 2 for 10th and 11th grades, after 2.5 years of Latin. As she was older she worked independently, though I did help her occasionally (I took French for 5 years in school and I remembered more than I thought!). By the end she was reading, writing and translating fairly well but not speaking at all. It was not conducive to learning to speak French and we did not have a tutor She dropped it for 2 years and then took it again this past year as a sophomore in college, It came back amazingly quickly and she wants to minor in French now and is angling to spend a month in France this summer. So, while she did not learn to speak French with it, it laid a good foundation in grammar and vocabulary. Oh, I should mention my favorite thing about the program was the journal my daughter had to keep in French. Extremely helpful!! hth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 So do we need to add something like RS to the book/grammar based programs to get the speaking component? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Q Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 So do we need to add something like RS to the book/grammar based programs to get the speaking component? Hmmm...I have never used RS so I really can't say. That would become expensive and time consuming, doing both LFF and RS. I guess it really depends on your goals. I did not expect my daughter to become fluent or even close in High School so I concentrated on the parts that we could achieve - grammar and vocabulary. Oh, LFF has a cd so it is not like she did not hear spoken french but it was nowhere near enough. If I were you and wanted to achieve more I would look into the Potters School French. It is pricey, but the second class every week and opportunity to speak should really make a difference!! I saw this with my second daughter who is using OSU German - she got much further in German because it was a better program. But we put more time, effort and money into it than we did with French. Basically, you get out what you put in, kwim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvonne Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Is "OSU" Oregon State University? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Q Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Is "OSU" Oregon State University? Oklahoma State University - German Program Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RENEEinVA Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 My younger dd just finished up with Junior High French II at The Potter's School (TPS) with Madame S. She began with JH French I last year. JH French I and II classes are the equivalent of a French I high school class. Madame S. is wonderful! She is worth absolutely every penny. My dd learned so much and now has a wonderful appreciation for the language and culture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I just follow Jen around Galore Park French thread to say :iagree: I will say that the GP CD is very basic - it would be good, if you are not a French speaker yourself, to find a way for your child to get some conversational practice in addition. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted June 19, 2011 Author Share Posted June 19, 2011 Thanks Laura. I know you use a lot of GP so it is good to get your feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemykids Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 I am not sure if you’re interested, but my seventh grader is going to use First Start French along with Powerglide for extra practice. (That will be in addition to a sibling group class of Latina Christiana and a light Visual Link Spanish course....let's hope we can pull it all off :tongue_smilie:) Best wishes with your decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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