Muzzy - language learning for children, any good?

telly-addict

Has anyone bought or seen the BBC 'Muzzy' language sets? They cost £150 new and there are a couple currently on Ebay for £50-60 with a day or so to go.

I was wondering if they were very user-friendly? I have just found out that modern languages aren't part of the National Curriculum until KS2 which, IMO is far too late! Even in the 1970s I started to learn French at 9, and my daughter is learning some at pre-school.

I did notice that they do a 30 day free trial, but I would welcome people's experiences and comments! Thanks.

Scrooge's_younger_brother

We originally bought the tapes on the 30-day trial, recorded them and sent the originals back. An unexpected consequence was that we were subsequently offered an 'upgrade', so we are now the proud owners of Muzzy I and II on DVD.

To be honest, the sound quality on both VHS and DVD is a bit disappointing. Having said that, I've bought many Spanish books, CDs, videos and DVDs for my children, and they still prefer Muzzy.

Is it perfect? No.

Can I think of anything better? No.

If it gets them interested in languages, I would say that it's money well spent.

telly-addict

When did you introduce your children to Muzzy? At the moment my daughter ( 4 1/2) is picking up Spanish as she watches Dora the Explorer and it is fun for her. I would like this 'learning through fun' to continue rather that it being a chore.

ka7e

My children loved the French Muzzy videos when they were young, but forgot everything they had learned by the time they did French in secondary school! Some children definately have an "ear" for languages (often combined with musical talent) and Muzzy appeals with it's very singsong (and singalong!) approach.

pavlovs_dog

one idea you may wish to investigate if you would like to get your children into languages...

as a linguist myself, i can put my hand on my heart and say that the best ways of learning a language (whatever your age, but especially when young) are through play, and media (tv/film/music etc). the reason why it is one of the best ways of learning is because it is incidental (you dont realise you are doing it) and hence it doesnt feel like a chore.

if your children watch cbeebies etc, you already have the tools of success almost at your fingertips - bright, colourful characters that they are familiar with, and fond of. the beauty in things like this (teletubbies, etc, and the simpsons too) is that they are sold around the world...either recording from scratch or dubbed, into hundreds of other languages. thousands of resources that will make learning fun are easily available...just check out the foreign sites of amazon or ebay for example. (eg, for german version add .de instead of .co.uk ). a few videos or dvds, books, or games, and you will be well away.

support your child...learn the basics of the language yourself too. when interacting with them, encourage them to make use of both english and whatever other language they are learning (eg...and whats the word for book in french? do you know? ooh theres a good/clever girl/boy). lots of praise is required to encourage them.

also, if at all possible, visit that country on holiday so they can realise it is a 'real' language spoken by 'real' people, not a secret code spoken only by dora the explorer!!!

also, many communities have clubs/societies for foreign expats. i know in my home town the french society ran a toddlers club, for the french kids to interact with each other and keep up the french, and for the welsh kids to learn a bit of french. could be worth looking into...

finally...i have grown up in a bilingual country. although english is dominant, and my mother tongue, i have learnt welsh to such a high standard that i am now bilingual. my kids will be raised as welsh 1st language speakers, because having a second language opens so many doors.

to put things into perspective a bit...in wales we dont really have any grammar schools remaining like they do in england. most secondary schools are fully comprehensive..some good, some bad, but all comprehensives all the same. the welsh equivilant of sending your child to grammar school is putting them into welsh medium education, even if that childs parents do not speak welsh themselves. it is generally seen as a higher standard of education. which, when you consider that by the age of 7, these kids will be fluent in two languages and at no detriment to their development in other areas of the curriculum, its easy to see why. and there have been figures out recently to show that these children do much better at modern foriegn languages (at gcse level for example) than their monoglot english counterparts...they are better equiped at laguages because they have more experience of them.

i'll shut up now cos this post is getting a bit long, but if i can be of any help/inspiration to anyone, feel free to post back or pm me

Savvy_Sue

pavlovs_dog wrote:

if your children watch cbeebies etc, you already have the tools of success almost at your fingertips - bright, colourful characters that they are familiar with, and fond of. the beauty in things like this (teletubbies, etc, and the simpsons too) is that they are sold around the world...either recording from scratch or dubbed, into hundreds of other languages. thousands of resources that will make learning fun are easily available...just check out the foreign sites of amazon or ebay for example. (eg, for german version add .de instead of .co.uk ). a few videos or dvds, books, or games, and you will be well away.

I have English friends with young children living in France. Their French friends are convinced that Pingu speaks English, although the narrator, of course, speaks French!