Powerspeak

A product of Middlebury, one of the best language institutions in the world, Powerspeak is a structured, virtual classroom offering rigorous semester-long language classes. Despite falling short in community features, this is a terrific resource for homeschoolers or students whose schools don't teach their preferred foreign language.

The bottom line

Teachers and parents praise award-winning Powerspeak as an effective and enjoyable virtual language course for kids. Unlike many of its adult competitors which stress practical phrases, Powerspeak's rigid, holistic and more traditional approach -- including those dreaded grammar lessons -- is best suited for students who are homeschooled or whose schools don't offer foreign language classes like Latin or Mandarin. Mobile and community features would undoubtedly enhance the content, though many users say the software is not only solid and well-organized, but also fun for kids.

Setup

Classroom learning, via the web. As the only language-learning software accredited by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Powerspeak is a favorite of homeschooling parents and teachers, and is available in many libraries. Students may be able to receive credit for their studies using the software. Powerspeak's award-winning language courses (third grade through high school) can only be purchased through its website. The process is straightforward: there's a choice of elementary, intermediate or high school-level courses with varying levels that are described in detail on the website. There is also a detailed demo that you can browse before buying. Each semester course includes about 90 hours of instruction; classes are between 30 and 60 minutes each. There's also an option to pay for a teacher to grade your work. The online system is accessed with a login and password.

Interface

About as exciting as flashcards, but it gets the job done. Powerspeak's interface feels outdated and institutional -- which is not surprising given that it was established as a virtual classroom. While the design may not be cool, however, it is extraordinarily practical. A week's worth of lesson plans are clearly outlined and broken down by day, with links to instructions and exercises. Teachers or parents can also access the student's interface, set assignments and "lock" content like exercises or tests.

Features

Strong organizational tools, but a missing online community. Powerspeak combines traditional teaching methods with age-appropriate interactive activities, games and storytelling. A total of 31 courses are offered, ranging from beginner to advanced placement. Students practice reading, writing, speaking and listening using interactive, multimedia exercises with audio and music, as well as a speech recognition tool. A simulated adviser guides the lessons, but students whose parents or tutors aren't fluent in the native language should consider the pricier option, which includes a teacher to provide feedback on pronunciation and grade their work. (It's worth noting that one reviewer, a Mandarin-speaking mom who used the software to teach two of her kids Chinese, believes the course is "fun and effective" but that the teacher added little to the experience.)

Organizational tools like check boxes and highlighting make it easy to track progress, grades and assignments. Kids also love earning digital currency that they can use to spruce up their avatar. While Powerspeak is supposed to be a virtual "immersion" experience, it falls short by not embracing the best features the Internet and its competitors have to offer, like virtual community centers to practice vocabulary or play games with other students and video chats with native-speaking kids. These resources are especially engaging for tech-savvy kids.