Learn a Foreign Language Online {TOS Crew Review}

Have you or your child ever wanted to learn a foreign language?  Now you can learn a foreign language online with Middlebury Interactive Languages.   We recently got to review Elementary German 1: Grades 3-5 through their online program and the TOS Crew.    

Why German?  German is a language I’ve always wanted to learn and one that we do hear spoken around us occasionally.  I took one semester of it in college and loved it.  I knew then that I was going to want my kids to learn German as well as expand my knowledge.  But, when you live in the country near a small town, there aren’t many language instructors available.

I was thrilled when I learned that you could actually learn a foreign language online.  But then there were all the different courses!  And they of course all had varying costs and reasons that they were the best.  I was so relieved when we got offered this review so that I could stop researching them all!

The course we received is the first semester of the year one German.  You can take Elementary German I and II(so a full year), Middle School German I and II, and High School German I and II.  So all in all they offer three years worth of the German language.  Each course is paid for separately, but that’s a lot of foreign language!

 

This is an immersion based program.  Middlebury Interactive Languages is different than other immersion based programs in that they bring world culture into their lessons.  So really you’re not just learning a language, you’re learning about a people and a culture as well.  You’re going to get experience and reinforcement in learning how to listen, read, speak, and write the language as well as the cultural enhancement.  It’s really a well rounded program.

We used this program three days a week.  There are 45 lessons.  I would have loved for us to be able to use it more, but it just didn’t fit into our schedule.  When you use this way to learn a foreign language online, you’re not just watching videos.  You’re getting much more.  You’re watching videos, being exposed to the written German, hearing it, and seeing images.  It helps to make sure all the senses are engaged and ensures more children learn!  We were right on with using this three days a week as the suggestion for grades 3-5 is 2-3 lessons a week.  So doing three lessons a week with 45 lessons it will take us 15 weeks to finish one semester of German!

 

I have to say that I may have loved this program just as much as my kids and I could easily see us continuing with the German course.  I learned some new things and would love to take some other languages myself!  My kids are also really excited by it!  They for one really love being able to use mommy’s computer as it’s not something they do everyday.  They also like knowing that they’re learning a new language.  While learning this language they can pick up bits and pieces of other conversations!  They also think they have a secret language that they can talk to each other in.  I hated to burst their little imagination bubble and tell them that there is a whole country that speaks their secret language!  They were shocked to say the least.  

Oh and hey mom this is for you.  You don’t have to grade their work!  The computer does that!  Your child will love this.  Well at least mine have!  The student using this is in 4th grade.  Really all of my kids were crowding around to listen and learn.  But only one got to control the keyboard!

Make sure you check out all the other Crew Reviews on the Main TOS Blog Page.  We got to choose a language and a level so there is going to be some variety available to help you choose which language and level is right for you.  Also check out Middlebury Interactive Languages on twitter, instagram, facebook, pinterest, and google +.