sweetpea3829 Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 I'm kicking around foreign language for my soon to be 7th grade boy. Likely going to go with French, as it's what I learned for a 2nd language and I speak it best. SO MANY OPTIONS! Here's the thing. We do not have cap-free internet. We have satellite internet. So our monthly data usage is capped at 15GB. After that, the speeds slow way the heck down. But...I can use our mobile data on my cell phone. Still...a lot of the online programs are a bust for us. Which is a concern for Duolingo. If I did decide to use Duolingo, is it enough? Would you recommend anything else to supplement? A workbook, for example? What are your other favorites for foreign language, especially French? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Duolingo is a great supplement, but by itself, no, it is not enough. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 I do not consider duolingo enough, because it is missing: consecutive text for reading comprehension, writing assignments for composition systematic grammar study speaking and conversation practice Duolingo is fine for vocabulary practice. If I were using if for school, I would supplement with grammar workbooks (the Practice Makes Perfect series is very good), reading texts, composition assignments, and speaking opportunities with a teacher or tutor. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 What would you suggest for a solid French program that does not break the bank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Totally off topic but have you looked into cellular internet? When we rented this house our landlords said the only option was satellite internet, but I figured out we could add a hotspot to our family unlimited plan (at&t) for the same price as another line and we're able to get unlimited internet that way. We can stream Netflix and music and whatever else. I was so excited to figure out a better solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Definitely not enough. But I don't have any good recommendations for programs, I hope someone else does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 2 hours ago, MeaganS said: Totally off topic but have you looked into cellular internet? When we rented this house our landlords said the only option was satellite internet, but I figured out we could add a hotspot to our family unlimited plan (at&t) for the same price as another line and we're able to get unlimited internet that way. We can stream Netflix and music and whatever else. I was so excited to figure out a better solution. Meagan, I started off here with a MiFi Hotspot from Verizon and HATED it. That was 7 years ago. It would constantly drop, it only had a 5GB monthly data limit, and it was slower than the satellite. Streaming was definitely not an option. Our cell phone signal here can be spotty (it's inconsistent...one day its perfectly fine...the next its not). Who are you using for cellular internet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 5 minutes ago, sweetpea3829 said: Meagan, I started off here with a MiFi Hotspot from Verizon and HATED it. That was 7 years ago. It would constantly drop, it only had a 5GB monthly data limit, and it was slower than the satellite. Streaming was definitely not an option. Our cell phone signal here can be spotty (it's inconsistent...one day its perfectly fine...the next its not). Who are you using for cellular internet? We have AT&T. We have the most premium cell phone plan because it has higher speeds with unlimited. We originally got the plan so we could use our cell phones instead of satellite internet as much, but when we found we could just add a line like a normal family plan but it was a mobile hotspot, that made our year. It isn't perfect. Our hotspot only allows 15 devices, and with tablets, wifi speakers, and rokus that added up fast, but it is still infinitely better than the alternative. Plus we love taking it with us. We rigged a roku up to our minivan's over head screen and now my kids can watch whatever they want when we travel (and we roadtrip a lot) or stream netflix on their kindles while we're driving (although I do limit, obviously). I'd look into it. Cell phone providers have improved a lot when it comes to internet in the last several years. Sorry to derail. It just made such a difference for us I thought I'd mention it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraBeth475 Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 5 hours ago, sweetpea3829 said: I'm kicking around foreign language for my soon to be 7th grade boy. Likely going to go with French, as it's what I learned for a 2nd language and I speak it best. SO MANY OPTIONS! Here's the thing. We do not have cap-free internet. We have satellite internet. So our monthly data usage is capped at 15GB. After that, the speeds slow way the heck down. But...I can use our mobile data on my cell phone. Still...a lot of the online programs are a bust for us. Which is a concern for Duolingo. If I did decide to use Duolingo, is it enough? Would you recommend anything else to supplement? A workbook, for example? What are your other favorites for foreign language, especially French? Have you asked your librarian about resources? Our library has some children’s books in other languages, videos, and even a few foreign language conversation clubs. That said, something is always better than nothing. If you can’t do a comprehensive foreign language program for seventh grade, it isn’t the end of the world. And Duolingo would certainly give your son some vocabulary and familiarity he could build on with later studies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Practice Makes Perfect makes a great supplement for Duolingo. There are also some translation \writing groups on the internet that grew out of Duo's immersion which are great. I think it depends on the level you are aiming for and the kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carrierocha Posted July 30, 2018 Share Posted July 30, 2018 How about Excelerate Spanish? It is a DVD-based program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted July 30, 2018 Share Posted July 30, 2018 This may or may not be useful OP, but The Great Courses now offers a French course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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