Just like the benefits to learning Spanish as a child are endless, so too are the options for getting there! The Internet is teeming with quick fixes and secret hacks promising that bilingualism is just a few short steps away for your young student, though it’s hard to know where to even begin. With so many options out there, the team here at TruFluency Kids Online Spanish Immersion wants to help your family make the best decision possible.
In our side-by-side analysis between Rosetta Stone and TFK, we broke down each program by a series of parameters including structure, context, and pricing. With this approach, you have all the answers in one place enabling a quick and easy comparison.
Similar to Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur is another big hitter in the game of language-learning software. With the business’s seeds planted nearly half a century ago by Dr. Paul Pimsleur and its presence rising ever since, you may be considering this option as a contender in the search for Spanish lessons for your kid.
Let’s see how the specs stack up!
TruFluency Kids
Structure
Sentences vs. Words
Context
Age Limits
Teacher Consistency
Native Speakers
Scheduling
Pricing
Pimsleur
Structure
Sentences vs. Words
Context
Age Limits
Teacher Consistency
Native Speakers
Scheduling
Pricing
Structure
Pimsleur
As with most courses nowadays, all of Pimsleur’s material is concentrated online. Their auditory, conversation-style approach relies on a method coined Graduated Interval Recall in which the student is exposed to words in increasingly distant time intervals.
For the premium version of the most popular languages, including Spanish, there are 30 lessons in each of the 5 intervals. With an app, you’ll gain access to the main audio lessons and some supplemental activities as well.
TruFluency Kids Spanish Immersion Online
TruFluency Kids also operates online, offering convenient and personalized live tutoring sessions categorized by skill level. A native speaker will be leading your child’s lesson every time. Our teachers come prepared with videos, songs, picture stories/comics, and games to ensure your child is not only entertained but involved, encouraging them to speak for at least half of the class.
Plus, we offer the exclusive opportunity for our young Spanish learners to access two websites chock-full of supplemental tools for an entire year (an impressive $400 value).
Full Sentences vs. Single Words
Pimsleur
The central component of Pimsleur lessons are pre-recorded conversations, meaning there’s a decent amount of exposure to complete sentences once you graduate from the first few lessons. Think of it like a podcast that cues the student when to speak and what responses to give. Your kid won’t experience actual immersion, but this method is better than staring at a vocab list.
TruFluency Kids Spanish Immersion Online
TFK teachers pride themselves on opting out of using flashcards and single-word instruction, instead employing guided conversation, visual storytelling, and activities using everyday phrases like “I’m ready!”. Our goal is to make learning both impactful and relevant so that your child reaches their specific language goals at a pace that is right for them.
Age Limits
Pimsleur
Deducting from the marketing materials and the course contents, Pimsleur is best for middle-aged learners. While not exactly suitable for young kids, your teen learners may be able to benefit.
With a little searching, we also discovered Little Pim, an online language-learning software with which a monthly or annual subscription includes all 12 of their offered languages. This offshoot service is crafted specifically for “babies, toddlers, and pre-k” and only includes 5-minute videos, which doesn’t encourage the sort of immersion techniques that TruFluency Kids employs.
TruFluency Kids Spanish Immersion Online
Course materials are designed specifically for kids ages 4-17. Based on their age and skill level, students will be placed into classes allowing for either one-on-one or small group instruction to make the most progress. Levels include beginners, intermediate/dual language, and advanced/native speakers.
Scheduling
Pimsleur
Because Pimsleur lessons are accessible through an app, kids may log on whenever they deem fit. The content is even downloadable, meaning no Internet connection needed. For families on a go, this is a good fit.
Hands-off approaches to scheduling are beneficial for many parents. Though without agreeing upon a proper routine, any Spanish progress may fall to the wayside. Consistency is a key factor for promoting accountability in children, leading to a heightened sense of responsibility and agency on their path to bilingualism.
TruFluency Kids Spanish Immersion Online
No matter where your busy family finds themselves, we bet there will always be a TFK class that works for you. We offer a range of classes between 9:00 am to 9:00 pm CDT which differ in length with your child’s attention span in mind.
To take the hassle out of scheduling, we offer sessions that span four weeks long. You can choose as little as one day per week, or as many as three. Flexibility is always a priority of ours, so mix and match as needed. If you need to miss a class, you can jump into another class. Or if you only want 2 out of the 3 days of a course, you can only buy those 2 days.
Pricing
Pimsleur
Pimsleur operates on a monthly subscription service. The standard rate for each language is $19.95 per month after you try out the 7 day free trial.
TruFluency Kids Spanish Immersion Online
Our rates are broadly accessible, ranging from $12 per drop-in to $228 for 12 sessions over 4 weeks. These prices account for frequency, preparation, and a whole trove of songs, worksheets, and games that remain accessible even when the class ends. $400 worth of online activities come with every course.
Check out our Class Schedule and steer your kid towards the road to success today.
