Foreign Languages Archives - Eva Varga


May 4, 2020

Learning a language can be an experience that transforms your life. It provides a competitive edge in career choices and opportunities for personal enrichment through travel and building relationships with new friends.

In our homeschool, my children chose to learn Mandarin Chinese at an early age. It has since become a focus of our curriculum. Recently, my daughter prepared for the Chinese Language and Culture AP exam and now my son has taken on the challenge.

I received access to an eChineseLearning class in exchange for an honest review and I was compensated for my time writing the review. All opinions are my own.

One of the best ways to learn a foreign language is to work with a native speaker. A native speaker provides you with the opportunity to learn a variety of useful phrases, sentence structures, vocabulary, and the proper tones. The more you engage with native speakers, the more you learn.

This rule has been proven to be effective for many language learners. I am confident it is the reason my daughter was successful. Finding a native speaker is not always easy, however. Especially if you live in a rural area as we do.

I have picked up a few Chinese phrases over the years. I have always wanted to learn more though. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a short conversation with my kids in their target language?

Learning Mandarin with eChineseLearning

I was delighted to learn of the online lessons available through eChineseLearning. Perhaps now I could begin to learn what the kids are saying when I hear 妈妈 (māmā)?

My first lesson was with Bonnie. It was just like sitting down for a cup of tea in our favorite coffee shop. Meeting for the first time, our conversation focused on getting to know one another as she gently corrected my pronunciation and guided me to express myself.

I had explained in advance that my goal was conversation, it was less important for me to learn how to read the characters as I know I do not have the time to invest. I simply want to be able to chat.

E: 你好。(Nǐ hǎo.)

B: 你好。(Nǐ hǎo.) 你好吗? (Nǐ hǎo ma?)

E: 我很忙,我很好。(Wǒ hěn máng, wǒ hěn hǎo.)

Bonnie pointed out that the conjunction 但 (dàn) would be useful in this situation to join these two sentences together. I listened to her example and repeated,

E: 我很忙,但是我很好。(Wǒ hěn máng, dàn shì wǒ hěn hǎo.)

B: 你是美国⼈吗。(Nǐ shì měiguó rén ma?)

E: 对。(Duì.)

Positives of eChineseLearning

Our lesson continued for thirty minutes though a typical lesson is 50 minutes in total. We took turns using the vocabulary intermittently as either a statement or a question.

She did a great job of allowing the conversation to flow as naturally as possible considering I know very little. She was able to scaffold the lesson and made adjustments to the lesson according to my needs and level of understanding.

As a VIPKID teacher, I am familiar with online language learning. Just as my students have a workbook from which they can study between our online lessons, eChineseLearning provides textbooks. With guidance from the teacher, a study plan is crafted.

Students have the option book their lessons with a favorite or regular teacher but are also encouraged to work with a variety of teachers to develop their listening comprehension skills.

I was very impressed with the quality of the lesson and am excited to continue developing my Chinese language skills.

Negatives of eChineseLearning

While eChineseLearning is good in many ways, it has disadvantages too. All their lessons are conducted with a teacher on a one-on-one basis, so I have to say they are not cheap. It might not be suitable for you if you do not want to spend a lot of money on learning Chinese. However, if you are very serious about learning Chinese and have a strong specific goal, eChineseLearning is definitely worth a shot.

Stay Strong Campaign

eChineseLearning students and teachers send their wishes for people fighting the coronavirus around the world. I was touched when I watched this video – they want everyone to know that we are not alone.

Best wishes for people fighting the coronavirus around the world!

This is a great time to begin language lessons. Currently, eChineseLearning provides three campaign offers:

#1 Not Satisfied with a Lesson? Don’t Pay for It!

If you are not satisfied with a particular lesson and your request is reasonable, eChineseLearning will provide you with a free make-up lesson.

#2 1-Month Free Lessons to Give Away

If you purchase or upgrade a course package during the campaign period, you will get an extra month of lessons (two lessons per week) for FREE.

This offer is valid for new, current and former students.

#3 Refer a Student and Get Two Months Free Lessons and $100 Credit

If you refer a student to eChineseLearning during the campaign period, you will get extra month of FREE lessons on top of the existing rewards (1 month Free lessons plus US$100 credit), which means you get 2 months of FREE lessons and US$100 credit in total.

What are you waiting for? Come join me. ⾛吧! (Zǒu ba!) – Let’s go!



April 15, 20201

As we all adjust to this new normal, many of us are finding we have more time. More time to spend with our immediate family, tackle projects we have put off, and even pick up new skills. If you are like me, I have enjoyed the extra time at home so that I can focus on my language learning goals.

I received a copy of the book and cards in exchange for an honest review. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links through which I will earn a small commission. The reviews are done based on my own opinions of the quality of the products, not because of the commission I receive from your purchases.

Linguacious – One Language at a Time

I love finding new language learning materials and I was overjoyed to discover the diversity of languages offered by Linguacious. Their print materials – books, games, and posters – available in 57 languages presently!

Our dream is simple: to ensure that all kids in this world can learn to love languages and have fun learning them. We want to publish our products in as many languages as our lifetimes will allow and help kids to become proud of their linguistic heritage and to appreciate the linguistic heritage of others.

The Linguacious team

Bokmål – Our Heritage Language

Language learning has always been very important in our family. Since the kids were toddlers, we have incorporated languages into our curriculum. Though Mandarin has been the primary focus, we have also desired to learn Norsk Bokmål,  our ancestral language.

Our Scandinavian heritage has also been an important part of our homeschool. As members of Sons of Norway, we strive to incorporate many cultural skills and traditions into our home.

I recently had the opportunity to try out the Bokmål resources currently available from Linguacious. Though presently only one book and flashcard set is available for purchase, their goal is to publish their materials in as many languages as possible.

Little Polygot Books and Flashcards

I enjoyed sitting with the Little Polygot book, At Home / Hjemme, and studying the vocabulary on my own. The Around the Home flashcards included much more vocabulary however and were thereby more challenging for me.

Finding time to study and develop my Norwegian language skills is sometimes difficult. I plan to carry the cards with me when I head out for errands or long drives in the car so they are handy.

The flashcards can also be used to play numerous games to make language learning both fun and challenging. Kids can also play several printable games with the books.

What I love best about the materials published by Linguacious are the audio files. Every word featured in the books and on the cards is accompanied by a QR code that will play an audio recording of a native speaker upon scanning it with your phone. You simply download the free app and scan as you go. Simple!

The audio files are also available on their website and are presented in alphabetical order in English (same order as in book) on the left column, and the equivalent word in the target language is found on the right column.

I was impressed to learn that Concordia language villages has recently started using their Norwegian books and flash cards for their Norwegian immersion programs. 

Where to Buy Linguacious

Linguacious is giving away two copies of their Scandinavian language materials – Swedish, Finnish, or Norwegian. To enter the giveaway, you must have a shipping address in the USA, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, or Canada. Those in the USA can win either a flashcard deck or a book. Those outside of the USA can win only books. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To purchase directly, use code LINGUA202015 to get 15% off on their materials, until May 1, 202. The books and cards are also available on Amazon.

Follow them on on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for game ideas and updates on new products and languages added to their product listings.



July 5, 2016

We homeschool year round and our new school year has just begun. This year marks a huge transition in our home with one child entering junior high and another entering high school. Though we are not beginning new educational resources or curriculum until August, July provides us with an opportunity to reflect on what resources we have enjoyed, what courses we will be taking in the coming school year, and what resources we want to purchase.

We are excited for this new school year. With both kiddos increasingly independent in their studies, I trust we’ll be learning a wide variety of skills and material. Below are a few of our tried-and-true favorite educational resources and a couple we look forward to adding to our curriculum.

list of educational resources

Educational Resources for Teens

If your child is interested in Minecraft, architecture, languages, or you name it … you can transform your child’s interests into a fun lesson. Keep scrolling to check out what’s new and what’s popular.

What’s new?

3D Animation Course – My son is passionate about Minecraft and is intrigued by the 3D character animation concepts in this year-long online course where he learns to create animated short movies using his favorite Minecraft characters. How cool is that!?

Learn to code with minecraft

Buy Coding Game For Kids

Mixing with the Masters: A New Twist on the Old Masterpieces – My daughter and I just love Alisha’s style and are delighted to learn about the masters through her mixed media art workshop. Mixing with the Masters is the first of several volumes that will be released over the course of this year and the next.

Beginning Architecture Course – Frank Lloyd Wright never had it this good! This three-part series of Beginning Architecture online course is the perfect gift for young Lego and Minecraft enthusiasts like my son.

North Star Geography Online Class – We absolutely LOVE the geography curriculum by Tyler Hogan. Now North Star Geography is offered as an ebook and audiobook, automatic grading of each lesson’s quiz & mapwork, and a direct helpline with the author. Perfect for an on-the-go family like us!

Bright Ideas PressExplore Our World with North Star Geography

What’s popular?

Learn to Code with Minecraft – One of my son’s favorite things to do is to modify the Minecraft game with special mods. With this year-long online course, kids learn Java programming skills to code their own Minecraft mod from start to finish. They will delight in watching when their work results in a unique, shareable Minecraft mod that they built from scratch.

Life of Fred High School Math Books – Say good-bye to drill and kill exercises. We’ve been using Fred since middle school and my kids love the approach. Instead of nothing but dry exposition and endless drill exercises, they contain fun stories about Fred Gauss, a child prodigy math genius.

math books

Buy Life of Fred

Online Language Program  My daughter loves languages and has set out to add Italian to her repertoire. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to include foreign language into your next year curriculum. Choose from Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Russian or ESL English Videos, songs, and games help learners become bilingual or trilingual FAST!

Tegu Blocks – I don’t know about your kids but mine still enjoy playing with blocks from time to time, especially when they are watching their young nieces and nephews. Tegu Blocks are magnetic wooden blocks and are just the right size for on-the-go fun. If your teen is an entrepreneur who enjoys babysitting, Tegu Blocks are a fabulous addition to his “bag of tricks”.

Educents Tegu Blocks

Educents Tegu Blocks

The Ultimate Middle School Digital Resource – The Ultimate Middle School Package provides you with 24 comprehensive educational resources for Sixth through Eighth Grade in the areas of Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies! Includes both the Student and Teacher’s Edition!