How long does it take the average high school student to progress through the lessons?

Question

I am going to teach Spanish the year to home schooled students. I am wanting to use this website as their practice and lab. I want to know how long the lessons take to complete. We will have a whole year of Spanish. We will meet both semesters but only once a week so I want them to practice at home. I just want to make sure this website can keep them busy all year. Thanks

Answer 1

Here are transcripts to the Learn Spanish Videos. I believe they cover the first three levels. I will check with one of the administrators if there are plans for a fourth module.

Transcripts

Gracias! I need those and concur that the lessons become much harder in Spanish 2. - Aamos, Apr 1, 2010

Answer 2

Hi Tammy and welcome to the forum,

I think you have come to an excellent place for home schooled students, especially if you are planning on teaching them in addition to using the lessons here.

Each video lesson takes approximately ten minutes to view. This followed by the flashcards and corresponding games (Recognize, Listen, Recall). Depending on how long the student takes for the flashcard section, that could easily take another twenty to thirty minutes. There are sixty lessons total, so you can do thirty per semester.

I can not locate the information right now, but Paralee had mapped out a whole plan for using the videos. The goal was to spend an entire week on each video lesson. This would include watching the video one day, working on the Flashcard section a second day, re-watching the video and taking notes (creating their own transcript), etc.

In addition, you could have your students create their own flashcard sets and practice them. You could even create special sets for them using this feature and have them compete against each other. With the new "Phrasebook" section, you could have them research and add their own phrases for extra credit. There are so many things they can do here. You, as the teacher can come to the forum for ideas and suggestions. You can also direct your students to the many threads that we use each day to encourage learning. We have quite a few "daily" threads aimed at building vocabulary and increasing other skills. This is a very "family friendly" sight so you can safely send your students here.

I used to home school my daughters. I have also taught in a homeschool co-op for years. I would have loved to have something like this available for me and for my students. I know I am going on and on right now, but I am excited for all of the possibilities you have available to you here. Buena suerte

that's a good helpful response nicole :) ps I'm another home educator - galsally, Apr 1, 2010

Answer 3

Quentin said:

So how long the lessons take may depend on your students' level at listening and understanding Spoken Spanish.

This is true. You might want to just focus on the first thirty videos, doing fifteen per semester.

I did check, and there are transcripts for the first forty-five videos. Hopefully, the rest are in the works. I'm sure this is a very time consuming project!

Answer 4

I don't know if you have done all of the lessons yourself, but the spoken Spanish gets more and more intense as the lessons go on. Several students here have mentioned that they weren't getting the grammar taught in the later lessons due to their inability to understand the spoken Spanish explanation. (despite Paralee's American accent).

So how long the lessons take may depend on your students' level at listening and understanding Spoken Spanish. There has been some talk and several requests for transcripts of the lessons, but I have not heard of any being available.

That is true Quentin. The lessons will take progressively longer to complete. There are transcripts available. I am adding the link to this thread. - Nicole-B, Apr 1, 2010