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Software/Website Title: Multilingual Center Free Spanish Lessons

Website URL: http://multilingualcenter.com/free_spanish_lessons_02.htm

Grade/Age Level: Grades 8-adult

Language & Content:

What is the intended purpose of the software or website?
The purpose is to sell instructor-led Spanish courses provided online and via phone. This website provides sample lessons that include useful vocabulary, verb tenses, and grammatical explanations.

What is the content of the software or website and how is it presented?

The website provides written lessons on the alphabet, common verbs, definite and indefinite articles, healthcare vocabulary, grammatical explanations such as the uses of por and para, and multiple-choice quizzes on the above topics. There are also several lessons on similar topics that have an audio component of a native speaker reading the printed text.

What external documents does the software or website include? Are they effective?

There are no external documents. The only part of the site that requires any student input is the quizzes, which self correct online when the answers are submitted.

In what ways is the software or website interesting to the target audience?

The website is interesting for students who want to learn correct pronunciation by repeating after a native speaker. The site allows for unlimited repetition of the material. After the initial presentation of the content, there are a lot of examples that demonstrate the structures, and English translations or drawings are provided alongside the Spanish text. The quizzes also would help students know what sections they need to study more. Also, some of the grammatical content is on subjects that are difficult for English speakers to understand and remember, such as the uses of the verb “estar.”

For what language goal(s) is this software or website useful/effective?

This is useful for learning correct Spanish pronunciation and for learning the present tenses of common Spanish verbs. It also provides some basic vocabulary, especially related to health care and cars. Since it is a sampler, the content is not comprehensive, but it would be useful as a supplement to other materials and to review basic vocabulary and grammatical structures.

Does this program or website offer practice? Assessment? Feedback?

The only practice is in the form of repetition in the short audio grammatical presentations. Assessment is via the 8 short multiple-choice quizzes, which provide immediate feedback.

Is this software or website easy to use?

This is easy to use. The links take you directly to the content.

What are the strengths of this software or website?

The strengths are that the audio files provide plenty of time for repetition, English translations are provided with the content, and all the functions are easy to use. Also, the grammatical points are clearly presented and help to clarify some confusion on usage of the structures presented.

How can this software or website be improved?

This site has little content, and it is presented in a grammar-translation fashion. It would be interesting to have some cultural resources, interactive lessons, and more content, but the main purpose of the site is to sell the classes, so it gives a good idea of how those classes are taught.

# posted by Janine @ 10:49 PM