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guitarnan
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| Posted: Jan 11 2010 at 9:20pm | IP Logged
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My dd has decided to switch, mid-year, from Spanish to French. (Her brother is studying French and she's picked up some words, the accent and so on.)
We have access to the Tell Me More language software through our public library, but it doesn't seem to work well with my computer/peripherals. The budget can't instantly stretch to include Rosetta Stone - I would have to save up for that.
Any suggestions for textbooks? Online resources? I could start her with ds's French I book (and I will if I have to) but it would be fun to find some audio resources as well. She can still sing all the songs from Learning Spanish With Grace and she used that almost two years ago.
Merci bien!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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jdostalik
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| Posted: Jan 11 2010 at 9:41pm | IP Logged
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Mary Grace and I are using First Start French by Memoria Press...I studied French in high school and college and did not want to invest in an expensive program until I knew that dd would enjoy learning French as I did...The program is very basic--comes with an audio CD, workbook and TM and it is very inexpensive...
I don't really like it terribly well, though...just seems as if the explanations of the grammar rules are very awkward...I would like a program that is strong on grammar as well as pronunciation and have heard that Rosetta Stone is strong (immersion, pronunciation, speaking) but weak on grammar?
Don't mean to hijack the thread, Nancy, but perhaps there are some recommendations for a basic junior high/high school french course that is strong overall and will not break the bank?
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Jennifer in TX
wife to Bill, mom to six here on earth and eight in heaven.
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pmeilaen
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| Posted: Jan 11 2010 at 9:45pm | IP Logged
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We've been using The Learnables with my first grader, fourth grader, and sixth grader with great success. Another source we're using for my sixth grader is So Your Really Want to Learn French from Great Britain. It gives you practice in writing and is a great supplement to The Learnables.
A program I used in college is French in Action. I liked it quite well.
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Eva
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Jan 11 2010 at 9:59pm | IP Logged
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Eva, we've been watching French in Action videotapes for ds for a year and a half! I used them when I took French at a community college and just loved the approach. (Can't say ds agrees, but he likes the humor in the plot line.)
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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pmeilaen
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| Posted: Jan 12 2010 at 9:58pm | IP Logged
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Nancy, are you also familiar with the books and workbooks that come with the program?
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Eva
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Jan 12 2010 at 10:05pm | IP Logged
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No - I looked at them a couple of years ago but decided not to use them, as they were more expensive than dd's textbook and workbook.
Have you used them?
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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pmeilaen
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| Posted: Jan 13 2010 at 9:49pm | IP Logged
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Yes, I used them while taking a French class and thought that they were quite important for the program.
I just remembered that there is another fairly new French program from Canada called Mission Monde. There's a review of it on the Welll-Trained Mind Forum.
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Eva
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Jan 13 2010 at 10:28pm | IP Logged
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Interesting! I wonder if anyone here has used it?
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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jdostalik
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| Posted: Jan 15 2010 at 10:42pm | IP Logged
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Eva,
The Learnables looks like a really good program and a better fit for my daughter...did you use the Basic Structures book when you did the first Learnables book or did you just use So You Really Want to Learn French instead (or perhaps you used both?)...SYRWtLF looks very good, as well! 
Any insights appreciated when you get a moment.
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Jennifer in TX
wife to Bill, mom to six here on earth and eight in heaven.
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: Jan 16 2010 at 6:39am | IP Logged
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jdostalik wrote:
| Any insights appreciated when you get a moment. |
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I second! My dd10 really wants to learn French and I have no idea where to start.
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 Paula
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pmeilaen
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| Posted: Jan 16 2010 at 2:30pm | IP Logged
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Jennifer, I start French around age 4, by exposing them to songs through the following CDs/tapes: French for Kids 2-12 and the Whole Family, Les plus belles chansons, Teach Me French, Au fil des saisons and the books that go with that last CD called Graindor. These books and the CD are a Waldorf publication and the songs are pentatonic -- more suitable for small children.
In grade 1, I continue with the above, but start with The Learnables. This is the name of both the series and its first book. We then continue with Basic Structures 1. Then you move on to Grammar Enhancement, followed by The Learnables 2, and Basic Structures 2. There's also Level 3 and Advanced, but we're not that far yet. There are also Bible Stories available. Since this is just an auditory program, in grade 4 I add L'Art de Lire, which is a little bit dry, but perfect for beginning French reading, writing, and grammar. This program has several levels as well, but we switched to So You Really Want to Learn French in grade 5. We've been working on this book for two years, although you could cover it in one.
If we're working on The Learnables we do it for one lesson daily, if we are working on Basic Structures or Grammar Enhancement we do it for 10 minutes daily. L'Art de Lire and So You Really Want to Learn French we do twice a week for half an hour. The songs we do twice a week for the students who don't yet write in French, and once for the other ones for half an hour.
We do not use the computer edition of The Learnables. I do know basic French, but am still learning with all the above.
I hope that this is helpful.
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jdostalik
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| Posted: Jan 16 2010 at 5:00pm | IP Logged
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Wow, Eva, thanks so much for taking the time to add all the wonderful links to your post. 
Seeing your approach to French for your children is inspiring. 
Mary Grace and I are in for some fun and I thank you for your help. 
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Jennifer in TX
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pmeilaen
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| Posted: Jan 19 2010 at 1:55pm | IP Logged
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Thank you for the kind words. I hope that you'll enjoy the materials.
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Eva
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MarieA
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My dd is using Michel Thomas Method Speak French and Madrigal's Magic Key to French. We absolutely love Michel Thomas' courses and I really enjoy paring it with this book. (The book is out of print, but can often be found at Amazon.)
Marie 
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Erin
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| Posted: Feb 01 2010 at 3:41am | IP Logged
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guitarnan wrote:
| The budget can't instantly stretch to include Rosetta Stone - I would have to save up for that. |
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I've just heard about LiveMocha apparently as good as Rosetta Stone but free! Haven't had time to check it out yet.
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Erin
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mariB
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We use LiveMocha and love it...interactive, free, and fun! My 5th and 8th grader use it and I'm having my high schoolers do it too after doing 2 years of Latin.
My favorite part of this program is how they introduce simple french sentences early and then as you move along they give you the words of a sentence mixed up and have you move them around until they are in the correct order.
eg.
Je suis une fille.
suis Je un fille une
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marib-Mother to 22ds,21ds,18ds,15dd,11dd and wife to an amazing man for 23 years
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4Real Forums : Across Time and Place
Topic: French Text for 7th Grade?
