Muzzy DVDs - any experiences?

[nesomja]

Has anyone used these and do you think they're any good for getting children speaking the language? Someone at a language school told me they were fantastic but then someone else said they were old fashioned and unwatchable - they're really expensive so I'd like to know who's right first!?

they are old fashioned but I like them. Mores the point I use them to teach English, the back up stuff is good too. I gives all the basics you need to start speaking.
Look on ebay and the like you might get a second hand pack. Dont they do a try before you buy deal as well?
What language are you looking for your chidlren to learn?

Oh, I am going to watch this with interest! I had no idea you could get them on Ebay (is there anything these days that you can't get on Ebay?!)

I'd be interested in the German course for 6 and 7 year old DSs. I'd imagine 2.6 year old is too young even for Muzzy?

No I don't think so, In holland where they speak every languages much better with the same amount of tuition in schools, the difference is they don't translate the telly. Just listening to the music of language is often a useful learning exercise.

The ones I have are DVDs and you can change the language as you want. There are 6 options for languages, German is 1. There is a DVD with small exercises to do and also computer games (which reading and writing would be required for). I think its like anything, its how you use it.

They are terrible and certainly not worth the money. We tried out the German one recently and the sound quality is bad and the story line quite boring/old fashioned. You're better off buying German dvds from amazon.de which have the (free) option of watching them in German or English.

I think they're overpriced, but a perfectly adequate course. It will not work miracles by effortlessly getting a second language into your child's head (as some of the marketing a while ago was getting close to suggesting), but will give some useful exposure to vocab and some grammar patterns.

And generally I feel better parking them in front of DVDslike this than I would about the 100th showing of Power Rangers.

He is learning Spanish (has Spanish nanny) and I want to do French too (me teaching him), we already have DVDs in both languages but I was wondering whether Muzzy is better -the woman I talked to from a language agency said that Muzzy was better than just normal DVDs for getting them to actually interact with it. He's only 2.2 so maybe too young for Muzzy? I have looked on ebay but it still seems to go for quite a lot - it's so expensive!

Muzzy is a "normal" language course pitched at children. There are no interactive parts on the DVDs (at least not on mine - stand ready to be corrected if anyone has a newer set).

If an experienced teacher says that in her experience children respond better to Muzzy than to other courses, then that is a good quality recommendation. But Muzzy doesn't really reach parts other courses can't reach; it's not a miracle worker.

they are a bit dated lol, but mine still enjoy them. we didn't use it as a course, though, just as an 'as and when' dvd. depends what you want it for.

if it's just for picking up basics and getting a headstart on some vocab, the usborne ones are great for littlies.

Tried the usborne but couldn't stand them! Plus he wouldn't watch them so bit of a waste of time and money...Not sure if she was a teacher or just the person doing the bookings actually - funnily enough she was sort of talking them out of a booking as I was ringing up to talk about about language groups for tinies.

la jolie ronde is great for french for tinies

3+ they said (jolie ronde) and I wanted to learn nursery rhymes etc before then. However have just ordered CDs from Amazon so may do it myself instead!

nesomja, I used to work at a language school teaching English to French kids, and was pretty unimpressed with Muzzy. The little ones enjoyed watching it as a treat at the end of a lesson, but unless it's been updated considerably, I wouldn't claim it was particularly interactive or more effective at teaching a language than any other method.

Someone on a previous thread about this also pointed out that cartoon characters may not be as useful as watching real people talking, where you can see their mouths and how they form different sounds properly.

Plus it's really expensive - definitely do a free trial first or get a second-hand set, in case you find you don't like it, or your DC just aren't interested.

My DC are picking up little bits of French from doing La Jolie Ronde - though not cheap, I would argue this is the most effective - and nicely illustrated word / story books, some of which have CDs with songs and stuff, and are much cheaper than Muzzy. They've also picked up a good few Spanish words via Dora the bl**dy Explorer , and have happily watched some Dora DVDs on the French language setting.

I got a Tellytubbies vid in French from a flea market in Limoges, and a "Bob le Bricoleur" from somewhere. Also various other French children's DVDs. Not sure how much the DCs picked up other than something of the rhythm of the language