Brilliant! Languages is a foreign language curriculum for kids
in elementary school.
Each level has three components: a textbook, a workbook, and an
audio CD. The curriculum has 96 units for 32 weeks of three
lessons per week. You can skip the review lesson each week and
only work two days a week on the language. Conversely, you can do
a lesson every single day and get more language study in every
year.
Brilliant! Languages focuses on delivering language studies
for elementary students that can be taught with or without
reading and writing practice.
 This
allows children who don’t read or write at all or who are not yet
proficient enough in reading and writing their first language to
begin to learn a foreign language without confusion. This program
also works very well with multiple-aged children. The older
children can use their workbooks but the younger kids can still be
in on the lesson so they are beginning their language study as
well. Because our curriculum is designed for teaching foreign
languages either with or without reading and writing, Brilliant!
Languages textbooks allow the teacher to teach the foreign
language without writing anything down and the activities do not
require writing or reading. This allows students who are learning
to read and write in English to cement their understanding of
their first language before introducing foreign language reading
rules. We recommend using only the textbook (and CD!) for grades 1
& 2. If the student is ready to work on reading and writing in
the foreign language, you can add the workbook in to cover reading
and writing as well. We recommend using the workbook for grades 3
and up but you know your student best. If they are ready earlier,
you can use the workbook at your discretion. The CD covers all the
pronunciation in the textbook spoken by a native speaker. We
recommend the CD unless the teacher is a native speaker or fluent
with excellent pronunciation.
Immersion is the undisputed best method for learning a
language but watching videos is not immersion.
Language immersion is living in a foreign language speaking
country or, minimally, sending your child to a school that teaches
in a foreign language. For those who do not have the luxury of
immersion, study is required. Many language video programs refer
to their method as “immersion” because it mimics immersion for the
brief length of the video and within the confines of a scripted
world. For a child to learn a language solely through videos, they
would have to spend an inordinate (and unhealthy) amount of time
in front of screens if it is possible at all. Videos are wonderful
for supplementing but apart from a true immersion experience (and
usually during a true immersion experience) some study is
required.
Repetition is the key to learning.
Brilliant Foreign Languages was developed to maximize
repetition and minimized your monetary expenditures while
getting the student started as early as possible. How do
we do it? Level 1 of any language is designed for 1st
Graders using just the textbook and audio CD. Level 2 is
designed for 2nd Graders using just the textbook and audio
CD. 3rd Graders go back to the Level 1 textbook but add
the workbook, since it is assumed that they can now write in
their native language. Finally, 4th Graders do the Level 2
textbook with the addition of the workbook. We do not
recommend the workbook for 1st or 2nd Graders as it may confuse
them while they learn spelling and penmanship in their native
language.
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