Could I get reviews of the Breaking the Barrier program?

[Melissa B]

What is your opinion of the Breaking the Barrier program (Spanish or French)?

Did you use the CDs?

Thanks!

[periwinkle]

I liked the systematic way it taught the grammar (Spanish), but there was not enough practice in the workbook for middle ds, who generally needs review built into his courses. Perhaps I should have supplemented with Dorothy Richmond's books; instead, we dropped the program after a few lessons. We did use the cd's and found them helpful. I think this may be a good program for an academic, linear-thinking student.

[Moira in MA]

I'll second Deb's opinion about its systematic approach.

But. I think it is a program that really needs a tutor who is competent in the language. We tried it here for Spanish I & II (2 dds) but there just wasn't enough repetition to allow either to really 'get' the concepts being taught. A tutor or teacher would be able to remedy that.

HTH
~Moira

[MicheleinMN]

Dd, a terrific Latin student and highly motivated, did fine with Spanish Level 1. Ds, a not-so-motivated to learn a foreign language student, did not do well with it at all.

Dd did use the cd with the self-learner program.

HTH,
Michele

[Laurel-in-CA]

I would second that. We tried it at home and without a tutor there just wasn't enough practice for dd (who had a year of latin under her belt). We dropped it after trying all year and finishing 1/2 the book. She'll be taking spanish at the cc this spring or next year.

[coopers5]

and doing quite well. Yes, we do use the CDs right where the book tells the student to do so.
My daughter does do really well on her own with it and I have added little quizzes here and there besides the tests that you can buy with the set. Because I think they need to be quizzed early on with each new set of vocab and new or irregular type concepts.
We've done fine with it, but if I were fluent in Spanish, rather than just somewhat "below average" personally, of course it would be that much better for her. We just don't have a lot of options where we are, to be honest.
I do think that next year - for Sp. III, which we do want to do, I am planning to seek out a tutor, though, if only just for the purpose of having her speak the language more often.
My daughter is getting the concepts, though, and making A's on the tests and "gets" the structure of things. But for a third level, I really would want more speaking - but I think that is true with any curriculum; it's best to have a fluent speaker in these foreign languages, if you can manage it.
HTH!