Maddalyn is a spunky, pretty 13-year-old whose smile lights up her face as she talks about her plans for high school. After eight years of homeschooling, she’s jumping into her local public French immersion school. It’s a five-minute walk from her home and her best friend already attends classes there. The only catch: Maddalyn didn’t know any French until this summer. To help prepare for her new school, she spent the summer doing French classes through InWorld School, a unique online school that offers beginner-friendly digital language courses in Spanish, Korean, French, and English.
I received compensation for this post; all opinions expressed remain my own. Maddalyn received complimentary access to InWorld School for the purposes of this review.
A Grade 8 Student Reviews InWorld School
Maddalyn says she managed to finish more than half the French course over the summer and “I actually feel really confident now” about starting French immersion. She picked up a lot and can “actually understand half the stuff they say” in the videos.
Maddalyn spent about half an hour a day learning French. She really liked being able to learn online at her own pace, with the flexibility to fit her lessons around her other summer activities (including riding her bike a lot and spending a week away at a girls camp). Although “it was a lot to take in, not knowing any French,” her dedication to learning and the enjoyment she found in it were obvious.
While the content is delivered online, InWorld School tries to provide lessons in a variety of ways to aid language learning. She explains, “You had to print a summary of the lesson, a sheet you could read, and that was really helpful. I really like the book stuff, that was really helpful for me. It wasn’t entirely online, it was mixed.” The lessons focus on listening and speaking, focusing on pronunciation and real conversations: “I really liked how they did online, with saying it out loud and recording yourself.”
InWorld School also made the learning fun through various online games. Maddalyn says “some were really challenging and some were really fun.” The games gave her a chance to apply and practice her French words, and fun always makes it easier to memorize new things.
More about InWorld School
InWorld School offers self-paced online classes to help beginner learners jump into French, Korean, Spanish or English. The guided speaking practice and structured lessons help learners pick up the language quickly and easily. Teachers are all native speakers who offer bite-sized lessons which students can replay as often as they need to. Each lesson is followed by a quiz, and then students can try out what they’ve learned themselves with the “listen and speak” tool. Students can also join live lessons with up to 5 peers to learn in real-time.
Learning a second language offers so many benefits to students, from simply providing them with cultural insights into another country to expanding job opportunities after they graduate. Students who learn a second language may also increase their memorization skills and understand grammar better. Knowing a second language can be helpful when traveling or even when meeting new people in their own neighbourhood, particularly in large, multi-cultural cities.
The most effective way to learn a language is through consistent interaction in the native country. While full immersion isn’t always feasible, online learning provides an instant connection to the language. ~ InWorld School
Learning a second language as a homeschool student is often difficult because there are fewer opportunities to practice speaking with others. Parents who don’t speak a second language themselves will find it more difficult to facilitate learning a second language. Apps and online programs can overcome these obstacles by offering opportunities to learn from other teachers and to practice speaking regularly. Homeschoolers may want to consider learning a second language as a family and practicing together at home.
InWorld School notes their program “is an excellent extracurricular activity for homeschool students. It helps them expand their horizons, build language skills, and connect with peers globally. Please note, this is not an accredited program and should be considered supplemental.” It’s an excellent way for students to prepare for high school language lessons, as Maddalyn does, or to introduce a new language to younger kids.
Start Leaning a New Language Today
Are you or your child ready to jump into learning a second language? Drop by the InWorld School website to learn more or to sign up for a free lesson. If you find it amazing and prefer a simple one-time payment, use the discount code Save20Now for $20 off the 6-month plan.
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