Matthew got obsessed with learning different languages last summer. I blame it on the All Around the World DVD from Sesame Street, kids were singing in different languages, and the kid got hooked. There was one day that he kept asking how to say this word in Spanish or Portuguese and a sentence in French that I was tearing my hair out already! It is a good thing that one of my sisters know a little Spanish and would set him straight and teach him a few basic Spanish words to soothe his appetite for learning another language.

While I have no objections to my kids being multi-lingual, I also know that enrolling them in language classes is not really feasible given the facts that we are not exactly located in a convenient location within the city and that I am not mobile, meaning I have no car and do not even know how to drive.

That’s where the internet and the world wide web would come in. Thankfully, we have working computers that we can let the kid use and the internet to find a self-study program. You can learn Spanish online! At www.transparent.com, they have over 105 languages you can choose from to study and different levels of Learning Software to choose from! I like their BYKI level - which means “Before You Know It”! It’s the starter and most basic level. And from there you can choose the level of mastery you want to have. For each language they offer, you can see their product software available, its own blog where they feature basic words. For example, they can feature how to count from one to ten using that language! Then, they provide general information about the language, some survival phrase guides, and downloads. I feel like I really learned a thing or two just by going through their site. Of course, I really would prefer their Everywhere Audio software package where everything really is hands-free, you just listen! They even provide flash cards (electronically) for you to review words! If Matthew wants to learn Spanish, I really would like to learn to speak French!

The software is not entirely limited to self-help learning people. This can very much help people who have learned the language and wants to brush up on their word skills. Classes can even get their whole package learning software to aid in their teaching. This is totally a unique concept to learn languages.

Share This