Any good online courses for Spanish language?

[mathnerd]

The recent thread on OSU German opened my eyes to the possibility of online courses offered for Spanish language. My DS is only 6 now, but he has done a lot of kiddie Spanish from preschool level. He has studied informally using a lot of "Teach Spanish to Kids" type of DVDs that I picked up along the way. He also has done some simple workbooks. He has always had some staff at his preK and preschool who were native Spanish speakers and have taught him some songs and words. He loves Spanish and wants to learn it. I would like him to be fluent in Spanish before he reaches middle school which is when Languages are offered as an option in our school system.

I would prefer an online program that allows him to go at his own pace because hiring a Spanish tutor or adding in a Spanish group class to our weekly routine is not an option for us right now. Are there any online courses that are available for the age group 7 years and up? BTW/ he is learning Latin, but is still at the elementary level. Any and all suggestions are appreciated.

[kmn722]

Have you considered Rosetta Stone?  It is geared for older students or adults but if you have the time to do it with your child and you have some basic language background it might work.  We started it with our son at age 6.  I would not recommend it for all 6-year-olds, actually I would not recommend it for many.  But... it has worked well for us so far.  We took it slow and are just finishing level 1 after 2.5 years.  I supplement with reading Spanish picture books, learning Spanish songs and prayers, and a once a week tutor.  Anyway, it may be worth looking into.  When we lives in MN, we had access to Rosetta Stonw through our local library's web site.  Since we moved away, we then purchased the software.  It is spendy so if you can get a glimpse of it before purchasing it, I recommend it.

 

Also, my Mother uses the Rosetta Stone on-line course and enjoys signing up for class-times and interacting with other adult learners.  I don't think that would work well for a child unless they were to set up a children's class.  And, then, it is unlikely that the class would consist of children that are the same style learner as your child. 

 

Just my two-cents.

Kim

[morgan]

Have you thought about Homeschool Spanish Academy or LanguageConvo?  It's pretty inexpensive 1:1 instruction via skype with native speakers. I tried to research and figure out what programs would be appropriate for my 6 year old, and these two seemed the best. After emailing both with my questions, I decided to try LanguageConvo in the fall. Like you, it was really important that my child be able to move along at their own pace, and this (at least in theory) seems to be set up for this.

[Pen]

I think BBC has some language meant for younger children--  "Muzzy" or some such.

[mathnerd]

Thanks to you all for the helpful replies. I am familiar with Rosetta Stone and am going to look at the Spanish offering from them. I had not even considered tutoring through Skype, what a good idea. I will research more on Homeschool Spanish Academy and LanguageConvo. My local library had Muzzy, so I will be sure to check that one too!

[Dmmetler]

Your library may have others available, too-My DD has discovered Mango Languages and has gone through courses in several languages through that program. DuoLingo is another online option, and is free.

Finally, if your son watches TV at all, Spanish language audio tracks can help reinforce the language. Most DVDs have them, and many TV channels have both a Spanish and an English track option-I can access it through my cable company.

 

 

[bakpak]

There's lots of on this topic on the Bilingual Board. I suggest a search there, after starting with the Resource Lists pinned at the top of the board.

 

Good luck!