The unit I reviewed, "African Safari," has 15 cute and catchy songs, including J'ai couru dans la jungle (I ran in the jungle [and saw eight animals]), Les singes font, "Ouh ouh ah" (The monkeys go, "Ooh ooh aah" [plus seven other animals and their sounds]), and Dix éléphants (Ten elephants [set to the tune of "Ten little Indians"]). Most of the songs have two versions: the first in alternating French and English, and the second just in French. A few of the songs do not follow the theme, but instead cover very basic French concepts like the alphabet, greetings, and clothing. The activity book includes lyrics in French and English for each song, line drawings for students to color in, and a few simple games. The "African Safari" teaching materials include props like felt scenes, laminated pictures, and toy animals.
The Music Lingua starter kit* comes with one themed unit, and new units are published every three months or so: Life on the Farm, Life in the Ocean, etc. Teachers are encouraged to purchase at least three, in order to have material for fall, winter, and spring sessions. Of course, if teaching the same children for more than a year, they'll need additional units. *The starter kit is a required purchase; it also includes the Music Lingua teaching license, training program on DVD, and assorted reusable props.
The Bottom Line
For teachers who want to start working with groups of children or to enhance their existing language classes, Music Lingua offers interesting, varied, and high quality materials. It also seems ideal to me for parents who just want to teach their own children; unfortunately, the cost of the materials and especially the license** make this prohibitive. The company is eager to help teachers of groups, but there is no discount or particular support for parents who want to teach just one.**At the time of this review (May 2012), the licensing program / starter kit is $495, teaching materials for each unit are $200, and student packets are $30 per student and per unit.
To learn more about Music Lingua, find classes in your area, or look into teacher training and licensing, visit the Music Lingua website.
