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Educational: 4.3
Overall Design: 4.5
Ease of Use: 4.8
(4.0 = good, 4.5 = very
good, 5.0 = excellent)
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Program Description Commentary Who Is This Program For
Why We Selected This Program Computer Requirements
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Kidspeak French is an immersion based program (where all communication is in the language you are learning). It teaches both written and spoken French, using a variety of activities and games well suited to younger children, who are taking their first steps in the French language.
Your guide is a little French girl from Paris named Claudine who introduces you to the program and to the choice of activities. (See top right) At any time in the program, you can ask Claudine to repeat what she said or alternatively, you can click on a question mark to get a written description of the activity in English.
There are 4 main areas with 4 to 5 activities in each area. The areas that you can choose from are Alphabet, Numbers, Animals and BackPack (both vocabulary building), and Birthday (which includes activities about telling time, days and months of the year and also greetings).
The principle focus of the program is building basic vocabulary. The activities themselves are either puzzles or question and answer type activities that involve simple and enjoyable interactions with Claudine and her friends.
Kidspeak French uses a combination of a picture and the corresponding written word and spoken word, so that your child is learning simultaneously the meaning, pronunciation and the word in written form (word recognition supports the development of learning to read ).
The program has the capacity to teach over 700 words and each activity has 2 or 3 levels within it. The levels provide additional vocabulary learning and in the puzzle and basic math areas, provide greater level of challenge.
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" I loved listening to Claudine speak French. It was lots of fun to play." - Meryl, age 9
"There were lots of different things to do ... so I didn't get bored." - Ivan, age 7
" My daughter enjoyed playing the games and I was surprised when I asked her what words she had actually learned and remembered ." - Mother of Sally (8 years old) 14
Kidspeak French can be a very good way to find out if your child has an aptitude for learning a second language (particularly if you are considering an immersion program). If your child is starting to learn French at school, this can be an excellent way to supplement his or her learning at home.
This program is presented as appropriate for age 6 and up. The nature and style of the activities themselves suggest to us that the upper age level is 9 or 10 years of age. On the other hand, it can also be appropriate for a very bright 4 or 5 year old !
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We are strong believers in the immersion approach to learning a second language. We like Kidspeak French because it avoids the "drill and test" type of approach that kids find dull. The program focuses on providing fun and entertainment for young kids; the kids really enjoy themselves and the learning comes naturally.
The program's graphics and animation are simple and uncomplicated, perfect for kids in this age range. The key to the program is that it provides lots of interactivity for the user. The French character of Claudine and her "funny" accent was found both intriguing and engaging by our testers.
This is a very good introductory program to the basics of the French language.
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Pricing and Online Ordering
(or call toll free -1-800-250-9229 )
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Macintosh®, or Power PC., System 7.1 OS or later, 68040 or better, 2X CD-ROM Drive, standard 256 colour display (640 X 480).
Windows 95/98, 486 or better, 2X CD-ROM Drive, 8 MB RAM, 1MB SVGA card or better, display 256 colour display (640 X 480), Soundblaster or compatible sound card.
or to see other language programs
Mia Language Adventures - ages 6 -10
La chaise berçante - The Rocking Chair - ages 7 & up
Pronunciation Power - ages 10 & up
Learn to Speak French (or Spanish or English) - ages 12 & up
Tell Me More French (or Spanish or English) - ages 14 & up
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