Here in Canada the status quo second language of choice for elementary school instruction is French. With two official languages, French seems to be the natural choice for Canadians, but with only Quebec, France and a few other small countries utilizing it as a first language it seems wise to study a more widely used modern tongue. After picking up a few words and phrases from Dora the Explorer my daughter was confidently exclaiming, “I know Spanish!” It was most certainly time to bring in some further instruction. With Spanish spoken widely in South America, Central America, Spain and by minority groups in North America it seemed an excellent language to pursue.

The DVD version of Rock ‘N Learn - Spanish Volumes I & II contains the 26 lessons found in their original audio CD/book combinations Spanish Volume I and Spanish Volume II presented in a highly visual DVD format. While not presenting a full course in Spanish, the disc teaches Spanish vocabulary and basic phrases through song, rhythmic speech, colourful visuals and cheerful performers. The content is similar to the phrases and vocabulary typically learned in a first year foreign language course including: greetings, numbers, alphabet, colours, school vocabulary, calendar, seasons, useful questions, directions etc.

Native English speakers to the side of the screen against a colourful background say a word or phrase in English, which appears in print on the screen beside them. After a pause in which the student can fill in the answer in Spanish, a native Spanish speaker supplies the Spanish answer. For the more complex phrases video clips are shown, or computer graphics are supplied along with the English and Spanish text being spoken.

At 55 minutes in length, the disc is best viewed in short sessions. Picking a lesson or two to view several times in a row seems to work best for retention and maintaining interest levels. Attempting to view all of the lessons at once becomes somewhat droning towards the end. Because the lessons proceed at a fairly rapid pace, it takes a few viewings to become familiar enough with the terms to join in the fun. The excellent menu navigational tools offer a pictorial preview of each lesson in the scene selection feature, making it easy to focus in on specific groups of vocabulary words.

Some of the sentences are very complex, and aren’t necessarily intended to be memorized in Spanish, but rather provide a translation of an English explanation on the DVD itself. Others do not seem to be commonly used, but rather provide reinforcement and some exposure to Spanish sentence structure. Parents of children with visual sensitivities or attention difficulties may want to pass on this disc, as the background colours behind the performers often include, swirling psychedelic patterns. These aren’t too offensive when monochromatic (only blue for example), but when they include blue, yellow, pink etc. and the computer graphic character is wearing red, it can be quite overwhelming visually. These over the top, continually present, backdrops are my main pet peeve with the disc, the other being female performers dressed more provocatively than one would expect in a children’s educational DVD.

That being said, the songs and even rhythmic speaking to background music has proven to be highly infectious in our home. Before bed I often find myself singing some of the songs with my children, and they run through my head continually. There’s obviously some learning going on here. Spanish Volumes I & II is a fun and easy way to reinforce first-year Spanish lessons or pick up some simple vocabulary before taking a trip.

Lessons Included:

1. The Greeting Song
2. Let’s Count
3. Numbers Practice
4. The Colors
5. Practice Using Colors
6. What Am I?
7. Parts of the Body
8. The Body Practice
9. Time to Eat
10. Meal Time Practice
11. Time for School
12. School Practice
13. The Spanish Alphabet
14. Where Are You From?
15. My Family
16. Family Practice
17. Counting to 100
18. More Counting
19. The Calendar
20. The Calendar Practice
21. The Seasons
22. Favorite Activities
23. What Time Is It?
24. Question Words
25. Directions
26. Map Practice

A video sample from this DVD can be found on the Rock ‘N Learn website.

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