And honestly, if someone is determined and committed, everything needed to learn Spanish is available for [...]]]> Rocket Spanish is an interactive Spanish language course designed for quick results. Although that has always struck me as a bit of a sales gimmick, in that if the student doesn’t work hard and put in the effort, there is no such thing as a quick result (or any result for that matter), regardless of how good the material is.

And honestly, if someone is determined and committed, everything needed to learn Spanish is available for free on the internet.

But that being said, a good course can save a lot of time and effort just by consolidating the best information in one place.

I have seen many many programs and I have to say Rocket has put this together with considerably more thought and experience than most programs out there. It utilizes several different teaching methods, as we all respond better to different techniques. Audio content (with written transcripts), numerous written lessons, games, and lots of exercises to help work on weak areas.

It has been around for awhile and has earned a bit of a following, so as a result there is a members forum which can be a valuable resource if one chooses to use it.

In addition, email support is quite good as well.

All in all I would have to rate Rocket Spanish as the best value for money that I have seen so far. There are some courses that offer  more information and some have considerably higher production values, ie presented in high quality video format and higher quality graphics. But the costs are also triple and sometimes much much more – and the extra costs just are not justified. All the information you need to learn Spanish is here, presented in a logical sequence and at a very good price.

The rest is up to the student.

good quality -good value for money.

PowerspeakK12 was formerly “Power-Glide Language Courses” and was acquired by K12 inc.. As the name implies, this course is designed for children K to 12th grade. The increased popularity of Home [...]]]> In the interest of full disclosure, I must say I have not personally seen this course. But I did receive over 25 responses from people who have, and this review is based on a compilation of pros and cons sent to me from these users.

PowerspeakK12 was formerly “Power-Glide Language Courses” and was acquired by K12 inc.. As the name implies, this course is designed for children K to 12th grade. The increased popularity of Home Schooling has fueled an increase in the quality of these types of courses. And according to the mail I have received, this product does a very commendable job (at least in the niche of language teaching for children).

But this is not just for the home-schooled child, but also really for any young person interested in learning a foreign language. Apparently Powerspeak has partnered with many schools to provide language instruction to their students. (Supports either a teacher led delivery or independent study).

One of the key “pros” of this product is the many individual courses offered, based not only on the students proficiency level, but also his/her age. As the younger mind is generally more open to learning a new language, the instruction materials, methods and exercises are targeted according to what works best for that particular age group.

Includes age group relevant audio, video, graphics, written materials and music to teach on as many sensory levels as possible.

I will let you explore their website for more detailed info about what the course includes and how it is structured. But I will say the vast majority of people who responded to my survey had a very favorable rating of Powerspeak.

As mentioned, this is most effective for younger learners, so if you are past school age you will probably want to look elsewhere.

If you are looking for a quick course to prepare you for a holiday in 2 months, this isn’t for you either. It is not a “rapid learn” course and it doesn’t promise any shortcuts to enable one to become fluent in a short period of time. It is a genuine comprehensive course – accredited by the NAAS – and ideal for the young student working towards a comprehensive understanding of a 2nd language (also offers several other languages in addition to Spanish).

I wasn’t going to comment on NuLengua, as I didn’t really consider it a Spanish Language course, per se. I am sure they would disagree, as their instructors do have considerable teaching experience and they do have various lesson plans, strategies and methods.

But my view is that they are an invaluable [...]]]> I recently ran across NuLengua, and I have to say – about time!!! This is where the internet and Language learning perfectly compliment each other!

I wasn’t going to comment on NuLengua, as I didn’t really consider it a Spanish Language course, per se. I am sure they would disagree, as their instructors do have considerable teaching experience and they do have various lesson plans, strategies and methods.

But my view is that they are an invaluable additional resource to any other course or program you choose.

One of the biggest drawbacks to most self-study language programs is the inability to actually interact with native speakers. It is one thing to listen to audio recordings, do written exercises, study vocabulary and verb conjugation – which are all valuable and necessary – but it takes it to a totally different level when you can actually communicate with a native speaker.

NuLengua is a company based in Guatamala and they employ several language instructors whom you can sign up with for one-on-one lessons via skype. You can follow a structured lesson plan or (and this is where I think they would have been invaluable for me in my learning) you can just have conversation and a more unstructured style of practice and learning.

At around 9$ per 50 minute lesson, this is a FANTASTIC way to supplement your home study at a very affordable price. I can’t recommend this highly enough. When you reach a certain level in your studies and you have learned even a little vocabulary, this type of practice – actual conversation with a native speaker – is a tremendously helpful in learning a language. In fact I would go so far as to say you will never actually learn a foreign language until you interact with native speakers and use the language.

So please  give them a try when you feel you are ready. Actually do it before you feel you are ready. If you are like most learners of a foreign language (myself included), you never feel like you are ready to carry on a conversation. But it is only by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone that you will really make substantial progress.

So I would recommend at least opening an account with them (I think you may have to fund at least one lesson – but then you will have credit and can schedule a class at any time when you are ready).

(Disclaimer – I do earn a very small fee if you sign up with NuLengua, which goes toward site, bandwidth, research costs.  But I can honestly say I would not recommend this service with this much enthusiasm if I didn’t believe in it. If your serious about learning Spanish, please check them out).