Learnables?

[summer]

Anyone have experience with Learnables? I would love to hear opinions and experiences and such. Thanks!

[kRenee]

I've used level 1 and 2 with my kids. It is set up so that you look at a small picture and listen to the word, then eventually a sentence spoken in Spanish. It starts out very simply and builds on that vocabulary. Sometimes it is hard to guess what the new word being introduced it...especially if it is a verb and you don't interpret the picture accurately. And if the word isn't clear, you may not be able to look it up in a dictionary because you don't know how to spell it.

 

Verb conjugations were especially confusing, but my kids and I just shrugged and recognized it as some form of the verb and continued on.

 

It is designed as an immersion program so you don't see any written word until the second book in each level. It can get really boring. Just looking at pictures and listening to the speaker. We laughed but weren't terribly amused when the man speaks in a high-pitched voice to immitate a child.

 

We learned alot. I would just encourage anyone to break it up into very small lessons. 15 minutes a day is enough.

[Langhaven]

We did it around the lunch table while the kids were small. I thought it was good for vocabulary, but not for conversation. I personally feel that there are better programs. --

[RoughCollie]

We are using Learnables in addition to a Spanish textbook + workbook combo, just so my kids can hear the language spoken with the proper accent.

 

Then, in a couple of years, we are going to descend upon my sister for the summer. She lives in Texas, where there are a lot of Spanish speakers, so the DC (and I, by that time) can learn to converse. My sister must know some Hispanic folks, and if she doesn't, I'll find a nice lady at the mall (or somewhere) and network my way into finding people to talk to.

 

I'd like my DC to go to Spain as exchange students for a semester or for a school year, but that looks too expensive for us to be able to afford it.

 

RC

[Peela]

Boring.

[hsmamainva]

My daughter used years 1 through 3 and really enjoyed them.

 

She's deciding between switching to Rosetta Stone or using year 4 right now (she wants to see both at our area's homeschool convention next week)

[Claire in NM]

Well, my ds work through the first level. He pretty much did it independently and it worked out okay.

 

We used the CD-Rom. My ds and I liked it better than listening to the audio CDs. It does give him some exposure to Spanish. But I think I would use a different program for high school and beyond.

[nmoira]

DD and I have finished Learnables Level 1 Listening and Basic Structures and are finished all but one of the topics in Level 2 Grammar Enhancement. We both greatly enjoy the program, and find retention to be excellent. The Learnables is much more substantial after Level 1, both in terms of new vocabulary and in grammatical patterns introduced. Level 2 Basic Structures contains about 3x the material of Level 1 Basic Structures. I wouldn't ever think of using just one program though, and I am looking for something else that explicitly teaches grammar (and will probably use So You Really Want to Learn Spanish, as I've been impressed with our other Galore Park materials). This I'll introduce either at the end of Learnables Level 2 or 3. In the meantime, I also supplement with Power Glide Middle School (online), but am less than impressed with the program and wouldn't recommend it except possibly as a supplement. I'm flirting with Visual Link Spanish as a replacement for Power Glide.

 

Since DD is on the young side, we have the luxury of time. For child in high school, I' probably recommend teaming The Learnables concurrently with a grammar based program.

[summer]

We are using Learnables in addition to a Spanish textbook + workbook combo, just so my kids can hear the language spoken with the proper accent.

 

Then, in a couple of years, we are going to descend upon my sister for the summer. She lives in Texas, where there are a lot of Spanish speakers, so the DC (and I, by that time) can learn to converse. My sister must know some Hispanic folks, and if she doesn't, I'll find a nice lady at the mall (or somewhere) and network my way into finding people to talk to.

 

I'd like my DC to go to Spain as exchange students for a semester or for a school year, but that looks too expensive for us to be able to afford it.

 

RC

 

I am not so sure I would trust traveling to Texas to learn Spanish. I live in Texas...DFW. I do not know anyone who speaks Spanish. My SIL speaks Spanish and English, but she speaks English all the time with me and our family and I never hear her speak Spanish now that her mother died (her mother did not know English). I do, however, know people who speak Russian, Chinese, and Finnish. I know of a Chinese church here too that I keep getting invited to but have only gone a few times.

 

Maybe once here, they could try to attend a Spanish church service or watch some of the Spanish TV shows. Pretty much, anyone with a first language similar to English (Spanish and French) seems to learn the English quickly.

[Colleen in NS]

DD and I have finished Learnables Level 1 Listening and Basic Structures and are finished all but one of the topics in Level 2 Grammar Enhancement. We both greatly enjoy the program, and find retention to be excellent. The Learnables is much more substantial after Level 1, both in terms of new vocabulary and in grammatical patterns introduced. Level 2 Basic Structures contains about 3x the material of Level 1 Basic Structures. I wouldn't ever think of using just one program though, and I am looking for something else that explicitly teaches grammar (and will probably use So You Really Want to Learn Spanish, as I've been impressed with our other Galore Park materials). This I'll introduce either at the end of Learnables Level 2 or 3. In the meantime, I also supplement with Power Glide Middle School (online), but am less than impressed with the program and wouldn't recommend it except possibly as a supplement. I'm flirting with Visual Link Spanish as a replacement for Power Glide.

 

Since DD is on the young side, we have the luxury of time. For child in high school, I' probably recommend teaming The Learnables concurrently with a grammar based program.

 

nmoira,

 

What do you think about teaming Learnables 1 with So You Really Want to Learn Spanish? For a 10 1/2 year old?

 

Thanks!

[nmoira]

 

What do you think about teaming Learnables 1 with So You Really Want to Learn Spanish? For a 10 1/2 year old?

I've PM'd you.

[RoughCollie]

My kids will watch some Spanish t.v. shows over the next couple of years, that's for sure.

 

Lots of Spanish speaking people live in the town where my sister lives. It is not a big place, like DFW, and is a long way from any large city.

 

I am not so sure I would trust traveling to Texas to learn Spanish. I live in Texas...DFW. I do not know anyone who speaks Spanish.