Note:
There is a free evening class at Oster School for learning S.E.E.(signing
exact english). American Sign Language is actually a foreign
language. Deaf kids were having a hard time in school as any
foreign language kid would. Though S.E.E. and A.S.L are
different, they share many of the same signs. Eventually the kids
that learn S.E.E. will transfer over tousing A.S.L. as adults
from what I understand.
I like
learning foreign languages. I think it's pretty cool. Of
course the best way to learn is to live with the natives and throw
yourself into it. Since some of us can't do it or are too shy to
try, a curriculum is good. My favorite curriculum so far is with
Mr. Bickmore from Ensign Learning.
Mr. Bickmore is by day a High School
teacher who uses the TPR (total physical response ) method. You
will be actively participating with this video, not just sitting on
your back side watching. I think if I was watching them from the
beginning again, I would write down all of the stories he tells and
review them. I did do a couple. It would just be another
reinforcement.
I like it because it isn't boring, the
whole family can learn at the same time (and if they don't get it they
can rewind and review anytime). There are no textbooks.
Eveything you need to learn 1 year of High School Spanish (though
younger kids can learn too) is the video and maybe a fly swatter and
some paper and pens or markers. There are two kids that join him
and they are learning right along with you. I've really enjoyed
the tapes. I just wish there was a second year (and that
they were on DVD's so they'd take up less room). Spanish is the
only language available.
The other one I like is Rosetta
Stone.
This is a computer program. Four pictures appear on the screen.
A native speaker will say a word in the language. You click on
the picture you think it matches. So, you're learning the
language as a baby would, by listening and figuring it out as you
go! It will advance to phrases, etc. Pretty soon you'll be
able to recognize all kinds of words and phrases. I haven't used
it in a while because our windows computer was out of service, so I
know there's more to it but, I like it a lot. You
should look at the website. Before I bought it I checked out a
Mandarin Rosetta Stone program at the library and tried it out.
Maybe your library has one. It's nice to " try before you buy "
something like this. Another
popular language program is Power Glide. My kids
tried it (from the
library) and didn't care for it. It is learning spanish through
an
adventure story.
Some ideas you
might like to use for
learning a language:
Label your house with
vocabulary. For review, call out the words and see who can get there
first.
Play any of the games you
would normally use to increase your english skills.
Translate books that you know
well, from the language your learning, to english. For example,
find a well known bible story book in the language and then try to
translate it into english. You can sometimes find books written
in different languages at the library that have the english version
too.
Change your computers
language prompts to spanish.
Listen to radio and movies
etc. in spanish.
Find someone who
speaks spanish and set up conversation dates.
Start a spanish club.