Spanish 4 You Blog

What Spanish-4-You feels about Rosetta Stone for language learning

Since I have so much experience teaching Spanish to both kids and adults through my language teaching business, Spanish-4-You, many people ask me what I think of Rosetta Stone for learning Spanish. I always tell them that I think it is great as a supplement but not as a substitute for face-to face teaching. I came across this great article which summarizes what I feel.
The article states that even though Rosetta Stone was considered a possible means of bringing back some foreign language learning to many elementary schools, an investigation of how the program is being used in some school districts has proved that it can't deliver on the promise of providing a meaningful foundation of foreign language knowledge as its primary source for foreign language education. 

Complete Article


Please share your comments here about your experience with Rosetta Stone

Why the Spanish-4-You system is successful

 I am passionate about teaching Spanish. It is more than a job...it is who I am as a person and as a professional. After finishing my MA in Education from UCLA in 1993, I was a high-school teacher for almost 10 years. I then decided to quit so that I could concentrate on developing a Spanish program from scratch, which includes manuals, original drawings, music CD’s and a testing program based on the rigorous ACTFL guidelines. I started Spanish-4-You in Los Angeles, CA in 2003 and we have been in business successfully for 7 years.

I am proud of the fact that my students learn in record time. This is due to a combination of factors which includes the use of the immersion method where not a word of English is spoken, the TPR (Total Physical Response) approach where students are exposed from day one to practical commands and last but not least, the genuine enthusiasm and caring attitude when delivering my lessons. I don’t just “lecture”. I engage students in a non-threatening environment where they know the goal is not perfection but communication. 

Spanish-4-You will release lessons for the very first time

Great News!!

 Spanish-4-You is very popular in Los Angeles, CA. We specialize in making adults and children conversational in record time with our Spanish-only immersion program which includes manuals, many poster-size original color drawings and color-coded vocabulary flashcards. For a long time, people from all over the States have asked to have access to our wonderful Spanish lessons. I have always hesitated in making them public because it has taken me years to develop and was concerned about copyright issues. After thinking about it long and hard, I have decided to allow people who can't afford our regular services or people from other cities who would like to benefit from our great teaching to download the lessons for a very reasonable rate. My webmaster and I are giving the final touches to the lessons. There will be four categories: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Coloring lessons for Kids. Starting in January, a percentage of sales will be donated to a Children's non-profit organization...I am thinking of World Vision (where I currently sponsor two Mexican girls) but I am not sure yet. I will let everyone know in my upcoming December newsletter.

Learn to Speak Spanish to Keep Your Brain Sharp

Photo from Elly Walton.

Can learning to speak Spanish keep your brain sharp? The human brain is a very complex organ and its capabilities are unbelievable. Unfortunately, mental skills decline with age. After age 30, the brain starts losing tissue and that might cause a decline in memory.

If you want to keep your brain sharp, you should eat right, exercise regularly, sleep well and also learn something new, like a foreign language. Even if you think you can't become fluent, just do it. Your brain will create new connections between neurons. It is like installing new software in your head. After all, your brain is a computer, isn't it?

Learning any language is great, but why not study a practical one like Spanish? Take some Spanish classes and you can kill two birds with one stone...you keep your brain sharp and you also learn a language that can definitely enhance your career and expand your horizons.