Breaking the Barrier Spanish 1 - credits and pacing

[summerreading]

Is Breaking the Barrier Spanish Level 1 considered enough for one year of Spanish?

There are 12 lessons, how do you pace that out through the year?

 

Thanks

[TCB]

In my opinion it is definitely enough for 1 year of Spanish. It covers way more grammar than was covered in the Spanish 1 course my dd took at our local high school. Most textbooks used in school language classes are used for more than 1 year, for instance the text used at my local school was covered over 2 years, so 6 chapters the first year and 6 the next. BTB is a very good program. It is difficult to pace it because some concepts can be covered more quickly than others, and this even varies between students in my experience. We tended to go through it in a 'do the next thing' way - in other words we stayed with something until it was clear and understood and then went on.

Edited October 9, 2018 by TCB

[Amateur Actress]

We are using Breaking the Barrier French 1 and if your school year has 36 weeks (like ours) that means each lesson can take 3 weeks.  I use that as a rough estimate, but then assign what I think is a reasonable amount each day.  So far that means 2.5-3 weeks per lesson.  

[ByGrace3]

1 minute ago, Amateur Actress said:

We are using Breaking the Barrier French 1 and if your school year has 36 weeks (like ours) that means each lesson can take 3 weeks.  I use that as a rough estimate, but then assign what I think is a reasonable amount each day.  So far that means 2.5-3 weeks per lesson.  

 

This is what we are doing... 12 chapters, so about 3 weeks per lesson give or take. I definitely want mastery so we are slowing down occasionally. They introduce some grammar concepts at what I consider lightning speed, so I am ok slowing it down to make sure the material is grasped.  

It is definitely enough for Spanish 1 . .  . more than enough. 

[mom31257]

It was too challenging for us because I just couldn't devote enough time to learn it well. A friend who is a Spanish teacher said it went very fast and introduce a lot more than normal Spanish 1 curricula. 

We switched to Visual Link so that ds could do it on a computer by himself. 

 

[summerreading]

1 hour ago, mom31257 said:

It was too challenging for us because I just couldn't devote enough time to learn it well. A friend who is a Spanish teacher said it went very fast and introduce a lot more than normal Spanish 1 curricula. 

We switched to Visual Link so that ds could do it on a computer by himself. 

 

 

I tried to check out Visual Link but the links to the free lessons on their site said the YT account was terminated. 

[Matryoshka]

I used Breaking the Barrier with my kids.  While I did really like how it presented the grammar, I do think it went very fast, and and the vocabulary was unevenly and randomly introduced without a lot of review.  I think it would be very difficult to teach without a fluent teacher (I am one).  I also spread one chapter out over 3 weeks as others have suggested.

I'm now teaching Spanish classes to not-my-kids now and have started using Avancemos.  I usually hate public school texts, but I have to say I really like this one.  The vocab is introduced in a logical manner, and the grammar is also well taught and tightly integrated with the vocab, and the pace is more measured.  There is constant internal review that is integrated with new learning so that it's not even obvious that it's review, which makes retention much easier.  With the online portion, there are videos and listening exercises.  There's a physical workbook for practice, but also extra online practice if you want it.  The one thing it's lacking is the speaking portion you'd get with a live teacher, but that's just as true of any curriculum you'd use on your own without a teacher.  

[summerreading]

52 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

I used Breaking the Barrier with my kids.  While I did really like how it presented the grammar, I do think it went very fast, and and the vocabulary was unevenly and randomly introduced without a lot of review.  I think it would be very difficult to teach without a fluent teacher (I am one).  I also spread one chapter out over 3 weeks as others have suggested.

I'm now teaching Spanish classes to not-my-kids now and have started using Avancemos.  I usually hate public school texts, but I have to say I really like this one.  The vocab is introduced in a logical manner, and the grammar is also well taught and tightly integrated with the vocab, and the pace is more measured.  There is constant internal review that is integrated with new learning so that it's not even obvious that it's review, which makes retention much easier.  With the online portion, there are videos and listening exercises.  There's a physical workbook for practice, but also extra online practice if you want it.  The one thing it's lacking is the speaking portion you'd get with a live teacher, but that's just as true of any curriculum you'd use on your own without a teacher.  

 

Can I buy a used textbook and still access the online listening exercises?

[summerreading]

On 10/9/2018 at 11:00 AM, ByGrace3 said:

 

This is what we are doing... 12 chapters, so about 3 weeks per lesson give or take. I definitely want mastery so we are slowing down occasionally. They introduce some grammar concepts at what I consider lightning speed, so I am ok slowing it down to make sure the material is grasped.  

It is definitely enough for Spanish 1 . .  . more than enough. 

 

Are you a Spanish speaker? Do you think this is a bust for someone with just high school Spanish and in laws who are fluent to practice on occasionally or could we make it work? I do like the CDs so wee can hear proper pronunciation. 

[Matryoshka]

32 minutes ago, summerreading said:

Can I buy a used textbook and still access the online listening exercises?

You can see if they'll sell you the individual online license - that should give you both pupil and teacher access.  It's a bit over $17; you have to buy it from them directly (hmhco.com - but I think it's best to call).  That's what I do with my students, but I am buying multiple student licenses (but as few as 3...).  I buy the texts (used) and workbooks (new but previous edition) on Amazon (although the online portion does have an full online text plus all the PDFs to print out the workbook.)  There are also useful extra worksheets and reading exercises a bit hidden in the Teacher portion of the online materials, as well as tests and quizzes (even easier and harder versions of them).  And the videos are fun - my students really like them (they're a bit cheesy with bad acting, but we just laugh at the bad acting).  There's a whole story in the videos that carries on through the whole year.

They also have a whole homeschool package they sell with all of that bundled (but with brand-new books, of course).  Don't know how much that is.

[summerreading]

6 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

You can see if they'll sell you the individual online license - that should give you both pupil and teacher access.  It's a bit over $17; you have to buy it from them directly (hmhco.com - but I think it's best to call).  That's what I do with my students, but I am buying multiple student licenses (but as few as 3...).  I buy the texts (used) and workbooks (new but previous edition) on Amazon (although the online portion does have an full online text plus all the PDFs to print out the workbook.)  There are also useful extra worksheets and reading exercises a bit hidden in the Teacher portion of the online materials, as well as tests and quizzes (even easier and harder versions of them).  And the videos are fun - my students really like them (they're a bit cheesy with bad acting, but we just laugh at the bad acting).  There's a whole story in the videos that carries on through the whole year.

They also have a whole homeschool package they sell with all of that bundled (but with brand-new books, of course).  Don't know how much that is.

 

Thanks I looked through their site and was a little confused with the different packages. So I'll call them like you said. Is this the right book? https://www.amazon.com/Avancemos-Level-1-MCDOUGAL-LITTEL/dp/061859406X

[Matryoshka]

19 minutes ago, summerreading said:

 

Thanks I looked through their site and was a little confused with the different packages. So I'll call them like you said. Is this the right book? https://www.amazon.com/Avancemos-Level-1-MCDOUGAL-LITTEL/dp/061859406X

Yes, that's the right book.  I'm using that 2006/7 hardcopy edition (I picked used in good condition ones) with the current 2018 online materials, and it works fine in spite of their insistence that they made changes, I've found almost none other than the cover and the web addresses on the old books are outdated - but of course when you get the online materials it sends you to the right place so that's a non-issue.  The Cuaderno para niveles is the workbook - I also got the 2006/7 edition of that (but like I said, all the PDFs for that come for free with the online stuff, so it depends how you'd like it).

As for the online materials, here's the link to the PDF catalog with ISBNs... you want Online Student Edition with Resources 1 Year on page 18 for $17.15.

Edited October 10, 2018 by Matryoshka

[mom31257]

2 hours ago, summerreading said:

 

I tried to check out Visual Link but the links to the free lessons on their site said the YT account was terminated. 

There are a lot of videos here. 

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC0Dok8dzUCdpgExgO6j97yg

I had an old version of the first level, so I bought the second level on CDs on EBay. The safest thing is probably to purchase and download from the internet. 

[ByGrace3]

18 hours ago, summerreading said:

 

Are you a Spanish speaker? Do you think this is a bust for someone with just high school Spanish and in laws who are fluent to practice on occasionally or could we make it work? I do like the CDs so wee can hear proper pronunciation. 

 

I am not a native speaker, but once upon a time I was "fluentish" ? I taught high school Spanish once upon a very long time ago. I really like the way BTB is set up. The teaching makes sense, but it definitely moves fast. My dd has been using Quizlet for practice and review during the week. She likes the games and says it is helping.  I am meeting with the girls about 1.5 hours one day a week and then I was having my dd work for a minimum of 30 minutes on the other days, but to really master the material, I am having her move towards an hour a day. 

I think learning Spanish is always better with a Spanish speaker if you have the option. . .  if your in laws are local could they set up a conversation time once a week or even every other week? or via Skype or Facetime? I think doing the oral exercises and just having someone practice the current vocab and grammar topics is key to learning the language no matter which curriculum you use.  (you could just say, hey in-laws, can you talk about "______" with her and use the verbs "..." Grammar concepts can be learned from a book, but to learn the language it really must be applied. But how awesome if  your in laws would be willing to help out just by applying the knowledge, or even playing games in Spanish. We do a lot of that...Uno, Go FIsh, Headbandz, Scattegories, pictionary, Charades. . . We like fun application. ?