Mar. 13, 2008 - A resource well worth looking into!
Loralin, a homeschool buddy from FIAR, introduced me to a great resource for free online Spanish lessons! It is called Live Mocha. Thanks Loralin!
This site is designed for people age 13 and up. You can choose from several languages to study, and lessons are done using visual, auditory, and review of your work by a native speaker. A sort of buddy system is employed in which your written or pronunciation exercises are sent to another student, who is a native speaker, for correction. To return the favor, you correct the work of someone learning English.
IMs and online friends are a key feature of the site. This is the reason children are not permitted, and teens (or anyone else for that matter!) need to proceed with care. I tested out all the features before offering my recommendation, so here is my two cents: Everyone on the site that I "talked" to was appropriate, respectful, focused on learning, and encouraging. Of course people are people, and abuse of the system is possible. This site does allow you to report any inappropriate emails or IMs.
When you are online working on the lessons, IMs will pop up as people look for others to practice with. You can always refuse an IM. You don't have to add any friends, and you don't have to accept any friendship offers from anyone else. I took the plunge, and everyone has been fine so far. But I don't want to recommend the site without letting you know...
The lessons themselves were great. I was so amazed that this stuff is FREE! One user said that the setup is similar to Rosetta Stone, in which you have pictures, and hear a native speaker saying phrases related to the scenes. I read somewhere on the site that it will eventually become a fee-based site. Get in and give it a go while it is still free! This site will be especially useful to parents who wish to teach Spanish to their kids, but need to get up to speed themselves.
IMs and online friends are a key feature of the site. This is the reason children are not permitted, and teens (or anyone else for that matter!) need to proceed with care. I tested out all the features before offering my recommendation, so here is my two cents: Everyone on the site that I "talked" to was appropriate, respectful, focused on learning, and encouraging. Of course people are people, and abuse of the system is possible. This site does allow you to report any inappropriate emails or IMs.
When you are online working on the lessons, IMs will pop up as people look for others to practice with. You can always refuse an IM. You don't have to add any friends, and you don't have to accept any friendship offers from anyone else. I took the plunge, and everyone has been fine so far. But I don't want to recommend the site without letting you know...
The lessons themselves were great. I was so amazed that this stuff is FREE! One user said that the setup is similar to Rosetta Stone, in which you have pictures, and hear a native speaker saying phrases related to the scenes. I read somewhere on the site that it will eventually become a fee-based site. Get in and give it a go while it is still free! This site will be especially useful to parents who wish to teach Spanish to their kids, but need to get up to speed themselves.
