UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 My 8 yo DD would like to learn Spanish. She is 2nd grade this year and I told her we could start next year. All I know is Rosetta stone and it looks fairly independent. What are other choices? Any recommendations? Would Rosetta Stone work at her age? Thanks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Duolingo. It's rather like Rosetta Stone, but free, no bugs, and you/she can track her progress. It's available as an app or at their website and you can do lessons offline or on (offline is limited to current topic). I paid too much for Rosetta Stone, didn't ever have it work properly, found out I had no access to the extras posted on their American website because I was overseas, and had a limited number of times I could download it. I won't buy their products again, and I used to like it. There's too much out there that is free for them to be charging $$$ for a fraction of capabilities. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Duolingo is great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Yet another vote for DuoLingo. I like it far better than Rosetta Stone. We just started with Homeschool Spanish Academy to get more listening/speaking practice as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mamabear.3 Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Another vote for duolingo! Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 I wasn't that impressed with Rosetta Stone. And it is really not for most kids that young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Agreeing with others, DuoLingo is great for what it covers. Also consider: Getting Started With Spanish, Visual Link Spanish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Maybe I am using it wrong, but Duolingo seems like too much typing/writing for younger kids. My dd started Middlebury Interactive Spanish (bought at a discount through the HSBC) and it is going really well. Pricy, but to me it has been worth it as she does it all alone and is learning a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 The app seems to have less typing than the web version. There are more paste-in activities, and writing comes up about 4 times per 20 activities. My writing-averse 5yo is liking it, though with doing the lesson online about once a week and using the other four days for Song School Spanish and various hands on activities. I think by 8 he'd be able to do it at least 3x a week on his own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 The app has a lot less then typing then the computer interface. Eldest does it on his laptop. But he has a program of some kind that let him install the android app version on his laptop. He ally enjoys doing it, and I think he is about 1/3 of the way done the English to French tree. He also keeps it gold all the time, and maintains his streak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Salsa! Was a much better choice for Ds when he was that age. DuoLingo was a bust. Now, Ds loves Duo. Salsa is free through Georgia Public Broadcasting. They are 20 minute immersion videos with silly, muppet-like characters. I thought it was going to be cutesy, but Ds watched religiously and learned a ton! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 I applaud your DD for wanting to learn Spanish. My impression is that most people on WTM who review Rosetta Stone are *not* favorably impressed with it, and it is not cheap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 There's a study out there comparing duolingo to Rosetta Stone showing Duolingo is superior. Too lazy to find it right now, but google will find it for you. :-) If at all possible, find someone for her to actually speak with. This will make a huge difference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 I agree with the Salsa! recommendation. She could start with the PBS Oh Noah! Web site. Get a Spanish Picture Dictionary (check your library). Learning a foreign language independently at any age is tricky. Perhaps you want to have her spend 6 months or a year just building a basic vocabulary. If so, another thing you might consider is Spanish/English workbooks. I have one for reading and I've seen one for science. I got them cheap on Amazon. They are intended for classroom work where they get copied and handed out. They have the same page in English and in Spanish. We have one that is Beginning Reading Activities which is below youngest dd's level, but that is ok for learning new vocabulary, especially if you are looking for something independent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 There's a study out there comparing duolingo to Rosetta Stone showing Duolingo is superior. Too lazy to find it right now, but google will find it for you. :-) If at all possible, find someone for her to actually speak with. This will make a huge difference! My sister in law is Puerto Rican and speaks it to her regularly. She has picked up a bunch and I think that is also driving her. It is great!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikslo Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 My 8 yo DD would like to learn Spanish. She is 2nd grade this year and I told her we could start next year. All I know is Rosetta stone and it looks fairly independent. What are other choices? Any recommendations? Would Rosetta Stone work at her age? Thanks! Why wait until next year? If she is interested, I would have her start now while the interest is high. (It can be a relaxed introduction, it doesn't have to be formal daily lessons and drill.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 (edited) Motivation is important and she has expressed an interest. Born and raised in L.A., which has a large Latino population, I sincerely regret that I didn't have the interest your DD has when I was a child. Never, did it enter my mind, at that time, that I would end up living in Colombia... More opportunities for employment are open to someone who is truly bilingual. ETA: It is easier for young children to learn a 2nd language than it is for adults. They hear things more correctly and have a better chance of getting their accent correct. Edited January 13, 2016 by Lanny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Try Duolingo now while she is interested and see how it goes. Possibly you would have to scribe for her. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gabrielle68 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 For younger children I have found that DuoLingo works much better on the iPad versus the computer. There is a lot less typing required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 For younger children I have found that DuoLingo works much better on the iPad versus the computer. There is a lot less typing required. I don't like sharing around my iPad for Duolingo. Logging people on and off the duolingo account is annoying. Instead, on my computer I have something called, "Blue Stacks" installed. It lets me install android apps. So the boys do it that way. Just like the iPad it has less typing, but it is still able to be done on a computer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My3girls Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Dd3 is self-studying Spanish with Duolingo. She is now asking for a class so I am investigating one for next year. She loves Duolingo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasien7 Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 We have used Middlebury Interactive for my 4th grader (French.) He has loved it, and is very willing to "do his French." Meanwhile, 3 of my other kids have been doing Rosetta Stone Spanish, which is NOT appealing to any of them. It really is not designed for or directed at kids. Also, like someone above mentioned, I have had many glitches with Rosetta Stone. Middlebury interactive has been great. The downside is cost. My son blew through his first $100 session in about 6 weeks...so that adds up to a costly year! After two sessions, I switched him to Duolingo, and put him in a small group class (4 kids) with a private French teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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