Spanish-speaking DUers, I need your advice. [View All]

[liberalhistorian]

I took Spanish both in high school and college. I was never good at all with languages, but I had to take one. I still remember a good deal of what I learned, although the grammar is what I have the toughest time with, which is true, for me, of all languages.

My son, on the other hand, (he's 12) is very good at languages. He's especially interested in Spanish because there are several students in his school whose families are Mexican immigrants and he's very interested in talking to them and learning about them. There is also a large and growing Mexican and Hispanic population where I live (Painesville, Ohio, near Cleveland), due to the presence of several nurseries that employ them; the immigrants who've done well have even started Mexican supply stores and restaurants here.

We've decided that we want to study Spanish and learn it together. But we want to do it on our own, not in a classroom. I've long since discovered that the best way for me to learn things that are especially difficult for me (I got out of having to finish the language requirement in college due to my learning disability and the fact that it took me three tries to pass the first class, since once it got heavily into grammar I was totally lost), is to do it on my own time without any pressure of graded work and tests. Studying it with my son will help a great deal, also, since he'll be able to help me and we can do it together. And there are certainly enough places around here to actually practice speaking it.

I know that there are many books, tapes, and programs out there designed for individual study of languages. The Borders Books in my are alone have a whole section devoted just to language books, tapes, and programs, and combinations thereof. So my question for those of you in the know is what program would be best for my son and I? What would work best for both of us learning it together? I'd appreciate any feedback, thanks!