Get 'er done Spanish

[Sweet Home Alabama]

In a perfect world, I think it would be wonderful to teach a foreign language to fluency in homeschool.  The truth is, this is the one subject we just need to get finished.  Ds (10th grade) has completed half of Alpha Omega Spanish I, and he hates it. (I'm not enjoying it either...)  I'm not much help since I had only one year of Spanish way, way back in high school.  We are not going to outsource this since we're outsourcing three core classes.  I'm hoping you all can make suggestions on how we can get through the second half of this Spanish.

I guess we may need a different curriculum???  I know this sounds just terrible, but at this point, I want to salvage our relationship at the expense of getting through Spanish.  What can we do to make it through this painful course?  

 

[Miss Tick]

I don't know anything about Alpha Omega. I wonder if you can parse out the grammar parts to do alongside Duolingo? 

Or, scrap it and do  dual enrollment next semester or summer or year?

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Duolingo is a name I hear often.  Don't recall how expensive it is or how to use it.

Thank you for answering!

[Slache]

4 hours ago, Sweet Home Alabama said:

Duolingo is a name I hear often.  Don't recall how expensive it is or how to use it.

Thank you for answering!

Duolingo is a free app that many use as a supplement. We are happy with Easy Spanish Step By Step. I do not have a highshooler but my kids have a Spanish background.

[mom31257]

Visual Link Spanish is what I am using with my son. We tried a curriculum, but it was just too challenging for me since I didn't have time to learn it as well.

I have older versions of the program, and the first level didn't keep score. I simply recorded his grades on each unit's test. The second level is keeping score of everything.  He is not becoming a fluent speaker, but he's familiar with vocabulary and the basics of grammar. Our only goal is to get the credits on his transcript. 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

We actually have Visual Link Spanish!  I forgot about this!  Remembered about it late last night. 

This may be exactly what we need.  I have no idea how to get it back up and running.  I'll give this a shot today.

I truly hope this works.

[Dmmetler]

If your budget accepts it, Homeachool Spanish Academy-sessions with an instructor who is a native speaker, plus downloadable worksheets that can either be done online or printed and scanned. I pre-bought for the year and it came to about $10/hr, which is pretty cheap for language tutoring. You can do a trial (and try out a few teachers to find one that meshes with your DC. In DD’s case, they suggested a specific one, and it’s worked well). 

[acresoft]

If you can't find a way to enjoy it, forget it, or find an enjoyable curriculum. He might not even need it. If forgetting it isn't a desirable option find a curriculum you like. Maybe you would like the student textbook from Risas y Sonrisas. Another place that has Spanish is whistlefritz.

Or you could buy a Spanish phrase book and make flashcards, and play a game.

[Momto6inIN]

I am going to second Visual Link Spanish! We've used it for my 2 DSs and my DD just started it today. We do go on to Destinos afterwards to really help get them fluent enough to pass a CLEP test - but Visual Link Levels 1-3 by themselves are a fantastic painless way to start and would definitely be sufficient language and grammar practice for high school credit.

 

ETA: We have had to contact the company several times to get the software reinstalled on various new laptops and they are always very accommodating.

Edited August 14, 2018 by Momto5inIN

[acresoft]

Glad you found your Visual Link Spanish.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

4 hours ago, Momto5inIN said:

I am going to second Visual Link Spanish! We've used it for my 2 DSs and my DD just started it today. We do go on to Destinos afterwards to really help get them fluent enough to pass a CLEP test - but Visual Link Levels 1-3 by themselves are a fantastic painless way to start and would definitely be sufficient language and grammar practice for high school credit.

 

ETA: We have had to contact the company several times to get the software reinstalled on various new laptops and they are always very accommodating.

 

I've been out of the house all day.  I'm going to see if VLS is still on my laptop now.  I think it is.  Otherwise, it is on ds's dead laptop. In that case I guess we have to call the company.  We are on limited internet.  Can anyone take a guess how much data it would take to reinstall?  I can see myself up between 3-6 AM getting this on the computer.

[Momto6inIN]

2 hours ago, Sweet Home Alabama said:

 

I've been out of the house all day.  I'm going to see if VLS is still on my laptop now.  I think it is.  Otherwise, it is on ds's dead laptop. In that case I guess we have to call the company.  We are on limited internet.  Can anyone take a guess how much data it would take to reinstall?  I can see myself up between 3-6 AM getting this on the computer.

Sorry I don't know how big of a download it is 

[mom31257]

17 hours ago, Sweet Home Alabama said:

 

I've been out of the house all day.  I'm going to see if VLS is still on my laptop now.  I think it is.  Otherwise, it is on ds's dead laptop. In that case I guess we have to call the company.  We are on limited internet.  Can anyone take a guess how much data it would take to reinstall?  I can see myself up between 3-6 AM getting this on the computer.

At the link I listed above, there are computer requirements listed at the bottom of each volume's page. 

Could you possibly go somewhere with faster internet to download it?

[Sweet Home Alabama]

4 hours ago, mom31257 said:

At the link I listed above, there are computer requirements listed at the bottom of each volume's page. 

Could you possibly go somewhere with faster internet to download it?

Yes. Ds is going to down load it at grandparent's house.  Actually, he tried early this morning during free time but found out that the codes we have were a one use time only.  I'm not sure that we can reuse the codes that we have.  

I emailed VLS support about this, but they have not responded.  Do you have any advice about that?

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

On 8/14/2018 at 9:54 AM, Momto5inIN said:

I am going to second Visual Link Spanish! We've used it for my 2 DSs and my DD just started it today. We do go on to Destinos afterwards to really help get them fluent enough to pass a CLEP test - but Visual Link Levels 1-3 by themselves are a fantastic painless way to start and would definitely be sufficient language and grammar practice for high school credit.

 

ETA: We have had to contact the company several times to get the software reinstalled on various new laptops and they are always very accommodating.

Mom, ds tried to use the original codes that we have to download VLS onto a new computer.  He found out that the codes that we have are one time use.  I tried emailing VLS support, but they have not replied.  Would you tell me how they reinstalled the program on your new laptops?

[mom31257]

9 minutes ago, Sweet Home Alabama said:

Yes. Ds is going to down load it at grandparent's house.  Actually, he tried early this morning during free time but found out that the codes we have were a one use time only.  I'm not sure that we can reuse the codes that we have.  

I emailed VLS support about this, but they have not responded.  Do you have any advice about that?

 

I'm sorry, but I've never contacted the company. I've only used CDs to install the program. I loaded it and then gave the CDs to a friend. I think two computers were all that the CDs allowed. 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thank you!  I have an email from the original purchase that says downloaded programs can be used for a lifetime, but I'm not sure if that means on different computers.

 

[Momto6inIN]

2 hours ago, Sweet Home Alabama said:

Mom, ds tried to use the original codes that we have to download VLS onto a new computer.  He found out that the codes that we have are one time use.  I tried emailing VLS support, but they have not replied.  Would you tell me how they reinstalled the program on your new laptops?

I don't remember anything about ours being a one-time use ... maybe you bought a different program than I did? I think they have a couple of different options if I remember right.

We have an access code that allows it be installed on 2 computers at a time. I've got 3 teenagers and at least 2 of them working on VL at any given time so it's always on 2 computers. Anytime an old laptop has died, we've emailed the company and they've done something on their end that allows us to download and install on the new one with the same access code even though we've technically already got 2 copies. We've done that several times (as hard drives tend to have a short life around here).

Sorry, I wish I was more help.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

It is a help.  In fact, the company finally answered my email.  They requested my access codes, so maybe they are going to fix the system to allow the codes to work on ds's computer. 

It is good to know that you've been through a similar situation successfully.

Thanks so much for replying.  :)