Skip to main content

Middlebury Interactive Languages - TOS Review


It has been proven that learning a foreign language can do wonders for the development of kids. Finding a program to do that is not an easy task. I am also up for trying new ones and we had that very opportunity come up recently on the crew through Middlebury Interactive Languages. As a French speaker I desire for my kids to speak French, so I always tend to favor French, and therefore got to review the full first semester of the French Course.

What is Middlebury Interacive Languages?

Middlebury Interactive Languages is an online foreign language course. They offer foreign language learning in Spanish, French, Chinese and German. Some languages cover all grades (K-12), the others start at grade 3 up to grade 12, with some advanced placement courses as well. All of the courses are online so you will need a computer to go through the program.


This is an interactive language learning program. It is divided into units, each made up of 6 lessons. Each unit is introduced through a story being read to the child, followed by vocabulary practices and speaking labs. the remaining lessons allow for the child to review and practice the vocabulary. There is lots of repetition to allow the child to really master the vocabulary. The course is geared toward vocabulary acquisition and speaking fluency skills acquisition. This is accomplished through immersion and the aid of the starting story.

The story being used are familiar ones so that the child is not lost even if he does not understand all the words. He can still have an idea of what is being said. Examples: Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast.

The exercises consist mainly of drag and drop and matching exercises, easy to manage for younger kids. The instructions are in English which makes it easier for the child to work on the course independently.

The speaking lab consists of repeating vocabulary and recording oneself. You even get to hear yourself afterwards. I wish it was self-correcting though.

Each lesson and unit ends with quizzes. All the quizzes and tests are graded and kept on file.

It is important to note that the program involves a lot of oral repetition from the student, so a microphone (built-in or external) is necessary to have the maximum benefit from the program. MY son actually had fun hearing himself repeat the words and expressions.




I had my 4th grader go through the first semester of the Elementary (grade 3-5) French course. He worked on it daily (4 times a week). Middlebury's recommendation for this level is 2-3 times a week. My son did not mind doing it on a daily basis. He was able to go through the course with very minimal help from me.

We found the elementary level pretty easy, but my son has had earlier exposure to French, so we ended up skipping some sections. This program does not require you to have any prerequisites and the elementary levels teaches basics words and phrases such as greetings, numbers, family numbers, and parts of the body to name a few topics.

What we like about Middlebury Interactive Languages:

  • Easy to use and navigate.
  • Interactive and engaging.
  • Interesting stories and catchy songs.
  • Whole language learning.
  • Variety of exercises with immediate feedback.
  • You have access to the quizzes for review.


Price is for one semester (6 months - 45 days of content)

$119 without a teacher. You can add a teacher (for help and support) to your subscription for an total cost of $175.

Click to read Crew Reviews



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Reformation Day Giveaway

We are approaching October 31, which is an important date for all protestants. This date commemorates Martin Luther’s nailing of his ninety-five theses to a church door on October 31, 1517 in Wittenburg, Germany, which in turn provoked a debate that resulted in what we now call the Protestant Reformation. As the “Father of the Reformation”, Martin Luther is a vital figure in Church History. His sacrifice and willingness to wage battle against the spiritual, religious, and political powers of his medieval world allowed Christians throughout time to embrace the following truths: salvation by grace alone , through faith alone,  and in Christ alone, along with the supremacy of Scripture, referred to as  Scripture alone, and all of it for God's Glory Alone. These being commonly called the Five Solas of the Reformation.  Danika Cooley, author and creator of the Bible curriculum Bible Road Trip ,  has recently written a book for young people recounting Luther's story:   When

Veritas Press Self-Paced History - TOS Review

Veritas Press  is a long lasting Christian classical homeschool curriculum company. They have served the homeschool communities for a long time. For the past few weeks, we have been privileged to be reviewing one of their latest products:  Self-Paced History . The Self-Paced History curriculum is an online interactive history program. It consists of 160 lessons per course per year, each covering about 32 important historical events. The full program is chronological and is divided into 5 periods: Old Testament and Ancient Egypt  New Testament, Greece and Rome  Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation  Explorers to 1815  1815 to Present  These courses are best suited to kids in the grammar stage, that is grade 2-6. Tuition for each course year is $199, with a discount of $100 for each additional student. You have a full year to complete the course. Because Self-Paced History is an online program, you will need a computer with internet access. You can find more

Visual Learning Systems - TOS Review

I have to admit I am in love with our first review product from the 2015 crew year. We received a full year subscription to Visual Learning Systems 's Digital Online Science Program Elementary edition and S econdary edition . Science has always been one those subjects I am having all sort of trouble deciding what to use and never being fully satisfied with what we are doing. Well my search is over. I am really hoping to stick with this one. What is Visual Learning Systems? Visual Learning Systems is an online science publisher that provides quality science educational material through videos. They offer Unit Studies for K-12 in DVD or digital format, as well as a Digital Online Subscription for both Primary/Elementary  (K-5) and Middle/High School  (6-12). The program we received, the Digital Online Subscription, is totally online. Therefore you need a computer and an internet connection. It also works fine on tablets. When you sign up you get a log in for the stude