>Another Giveaway: Learn Spanish Through Song!

Update:  We have a winner!  Using the random number generator on random.org, I found out that our winner was Shakira!  Congratulations, Shakira.  I’ll be in touch with you to get your contact information for Beth Butler.

Several years ago I was introduced to Boca Beth.   I was so excited about their products and ordered some right away.  In our household, we have three different Boca Beth CDs and two DVDs.  I use the DVDs on a fairly regular basis to help my children learn Spanish.  I firmly believe in “gentle” education for younger children, and Boca Beth is a very gentle way for young children to begin to learn another language.

You might be wondering why you would want a young child to learn Spanish when your child will most likely learn Spanish or another language later on anyway.  Well, although I can’t give you all the educational research stats off the top of my head, I remember learning in college that language acquisition is easier when one is young.  One thing that stood out to me specifically occurred in my linguistics class in college.  I can still remember my linguistics professor talking about Noam Chomsky’s theory of a  “Language Acquisition Device” in our brains and how it apparently starts to shut down around age thirteen.  INTERESTINGLY, that is the VERY time that most schools START to teach a second language.  Boca Beth to the rescue…

Music is also a powerful learning tool.  I don’t know about you, but even as an adult I can remember things I learned through song as a child.  It’s also a great technique for learning Bible memory verses.  Boca Beth sets everything to music, thus helping the listener or viewer to remember Spanish vocabulary more easily.   As if to prove my point, I caught my daughter singing one of the songs from a Boca Beth CD as I was preparing to write this blog post:  “Hola, hola, I say hi.  Adios. Adios. I say bye.”

So, Boca Beth integrates both of these educational strategies into their products:  second language learning for the young and teaching done through song.  This is a very effective way to learn.  Another tool used by Boca Beth is the adorable Boca Beth puppet. The same puppet is on the DVDs; thus, it provides a form of connection for children.

Here is a brief biography of Beth Butler, the founder of Boca Beth: 
Beth Butler is a bilingual educator of young children and strives to create better communication within our increasingly diverse society. She is the founder of the internationally acclaimed BOCA BETH language learning series which has garnered various parenting awards including but not limited to the following: 2008 Editors’ Choice Award/Family Review Center, Learning Magazine 2007 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family, Best Educational Product of the Year (2005 & 2006) –Parent to Parent/Adding Wisdom Award.

The BOCA BETH TV Program is now enjoyed via TV on The Education Channel in Tampa, Florida while her products have been listed on the US Department of Education’s linked site OELA (Office of English Language Acquisition) as a great resource for helping young children learn a second language.  Ms. Butler is actively involved with the White House Initiative for Education Excellence for Hispanics.
Ms. Butler lived in Chile and Mexico, then spent more than 15 years in preschool and elementary school classrooms.

You can read more about Beth here. For a great article on language learning and what to look for in a great language learning program, go here.

I’m really excited for YOU because Beth is offering a set of TWO CDs for one of my readers:   More Boca Beth and Sing Praise For the Children. All you need to do is leave a comment below, but the comment MUST say which product on the website you like the best: visit the products on the website by clicking on this link.

The giveaway will run from Monday, February 7th to Friday, February 11th at 5 PM.  I will chose a winner randomly Friday evening by using the random number generator at www.random.org.