Homeschool Review: Getting Started with French {Armfield AcademicPress} #hsreviews #homeschoolforeignlanguage #foreignlanguage #frenchcurriculum

In our state, two foreign language credits are required for graduation so I always look for interesting ways that address the individual learning styles of each of my children to fulfill that requirement.   I let them decide which languages they would like to study and which method of learning they would like to pursue.  The Princess chose French for her sophomore year and she requested that there be both written and audio components to her study.  It was perfect timing for us to receive Getting Started with French from Armfield Academic Press for review.  And even better than perfect timing?  Getting Started with French is perfect for my girl.  It offers everything she requested AND keeps her interested yet challenged.

Written to help homeschooled and self-taught students learn beginning French, Getting Started with French offers a one-thing-at-a-time approach to language that explains exactly what is to be learned as it is to be learned.  No French teacher/expert is required.  It is self-paced, self-explanatory, self-contained, and inexpensive.  YAY for all of that!  My girl appreciates the ability to work at her own pace and be able to repeat lessons as needed.  She told me just last night that this really is the best foreign language curriculum that she has ever used and was explaining how very much she enjoys learning and practicing the beautiful French language this way.  The 281-page softcover textbook has become her friend.  (And because it is non-consumable and can be used with multiple students, it is sure to be a friend to all homeschooling moms, as well.)  My girl enjoys working through the pages of the text and can't wait to listen to the pronunciation recordings that help her speak "properly" along the way.  (They are FREE and the link to download them is included in the text.)

So how does it work?  This Beginning French course is divided into 172 lessons.  Each lesson begins with a new word or words and/or new concepts like "how to express purpose" or "how to form plurals."  Students learn the word(s), their definitions, and how to properly use them in sentences and conversations.  Each lesson also offers special audio commentary (from the authors --- REAL language teachers) that offer detailed explanations of the material in case your student doesn't quite grasp what they've read.  Lessons are followed by short translation exercises (only 10 translations per lesson) that my daughter writes out in a separate French notebook.  {Her notebook is red to coordinate with the textbook cover and the French flag.  She gets that honest.  Do any of your kids do the same?}  The text is written to her in words that she understands.  It is conversational in tone and guides students to do their very best.

After completing the translation exercises, students are directed to check their answers with the Answer Key provided in the back of the book.  There are quite a few jewels tucked away in the back of the book.  First, there's a congratulatory page of General Advice that explain again that this book was designed to cover the very beginning stages of learning French.  Students are reminded that there is still quite a bit that they do not know and they are encouraged to keep studying and keep learning as they cultivate authentic growth and pronunciation.  I like that.  I like for my daughter to be gently pushed to further her education -- without me having to be the one to do the pushing.

Immediately following the Answer Key (for all 172 lessons), there is a Pronunciation Guide for vowels and consonants and a Glossary of the new words learned.  It really is a gem of a find back there and my girl makes use of it often.  She's already trying to decide which "Getting Started" language she wants to use for her second credit.  Choices are Getting Started with Latin, Getting Started with Spanish, and coming soon, Getting Started with Russian.  I think that one would be phenomenal since her great uncle actually lives in Russia.

I asked the Princess what else she would like for me to share with you about her studies with Getting Started with French and this is what she said:

I've actually learned from it.  I've tried several courses over the years, but they ended up being more fluff than language.  This one is real and I'm learning more every day.

Now I don't know about you, but I count that as pretty high praise.  When my students ENJOY what they are studying and LEARN as they go, that's a WIN for me.  That is what it's all about.  For more information about the Armfield Academic Press family of language studies, please make sure and visit the following Social Media page:

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You're going to find just what you need to "Get Started" with languages.  Let me know which one your family can't wait to learn.  I'm always interested to know what's going on in other homeschool families like ours.  

I was given the opportunity to review Getting Started with French from Armfield Academic Press as a member of the Homeschool ReviewCrew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool ReviewCrew thought of this (or just click on the banner below.)

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