Search - Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volume 1 on DVD

Just Awful

R. Wil. | California | 07/22/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I'm always looking for new ways to keep my kids (ages 5 and 7) interested in learning Spanish. Based on the glowing reviews for this DVD, I was hoping for a lot more.

First, the Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco says it is intended for children ages 2-10. It will definitely NOT hold the attention of kids above the age of 2. The main characters are hand puppets in the shape of horse and chicken (Frank and Paco). All the visual elements look amateur and children nowadays will not be impressed.

If by some strange chance it does hold your child's attention, whether anything will be learned is doubtful. Most educators recommend immersion or near-immersion as the most effective technique for teaching children a foreign language. The main language in this DVD is English (around 80%). The Spanish is taught as standalone words or phrases that are repeated after the English. They are not put in use so we don't learn how these words are used in actual conversation. Furthermore, the Spanish is not always clear because 1) sound quality is not good and 2) words are repeated by a group of children and/or young child who pronounces the word in an awkward fashion.

The format is extremely repetitive and tiresome. It goes like this: the annoying narrator (a horse hand puppet with a Texas twang) introduces the word in English, and then the chicken hand puppet says the word in Spanish. A woman pops up and asks in English "How do you say (word) in Spanish" and is answered by children's voices. This continues for the entire length of the video.

Finally, there's a song at the end of the DVD which reviews the words. It's probably one of the most obnoxious songs I've heard in a while (think old western tune with poor rhyming). In summary, this DVD is just awful. There are much better products in the market."

It was okay.

K. Bryant | 08/01/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"For this type of dvd (translation as opposed to immersion), I think they did a good job. It was nice to hear native Spanish speakers which I think is very important for children to be exposed to when learning a new language.

I liked the Rapid Review option at the end. It's a good way to go over the vocabulary without going through the entire dvd. Also, the grammar explanations will be quite helpful to monolingual parents who want to introduce Spanish to their children. That was impressive to me.

On the other hand, I still think there was too much English in my opinion. Also, I think it would've have been nice if Paco the rooster had been more lively. He talked in a monotone voice.

My 5 year old son said he enjoyed it, but hasn't asked to see it again. My eight year old was less than enthusiastic about it."

Five Stars

Lauren K. Magee | Los Angeles, CA USA | 05/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My kids love this. They have watched it many times and have learned all the Spanish words already. Great product."

Fun & Educational Video

Abigail Valley | Sugar Land, TX | 05/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love "Frank and Paco" video because it targets to the beginning of a child's vocabulary. It is engaging for little ones and for adults too.
I like the grammatical information that the DVD provides (easy to select from the menu).
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