About a month ago, I received two very educational and timely products from Oxford – “Take Off In Spanish” and “First Spanish Words”. Having recently scored horribly in my last Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) in my target language, Spanish, it couldn’t have come at a better time. But, does it work?

I’ll start first with the Take Off In series. Oxford has really created a very well organized, compact design for this series. The entire language package comes in a small box about the size of a medium day planner. The Take Off In series is an integrated course ideal for learning a new language or brushing up on your existing language skills. It’s easy, fun, and–most importantly–effective!

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I opened the box containing a comprehensive and easy-to-use course book and four hours of audio content available on both CD and convenient MP3 downloads. These came in handy as I loaded my lessons into my MP3 player and doubled my morning workout with my Spanish Language study in the hopes of keeping my $400 specialty pay each month. Everything I needed easily fit into my 2Gb MP3 player (generic MP3 player mind you – none of that iPod or Zune haughty stuff). Mine also included a travel dictionary and phrasebook, free online activities and an extra practice CD, but not all languages come with some of these features. Currently, this series offers the following languages: Italian, German, Russian, Japanese kits as well as Latin American Spanish, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Greek kits.

For those of us military and travel types, there is Oxford’s First Words series. When I asked which of my kids wanted to learn a new language, Chris was the only one to volunteer. Oxford’s First Words series makes language learning a family endeavor. These adorable picture books are an ideal first introduction to a foreign language with over 400 words and their English translation. None of that boring text book or dictionary word for word learning here.

First Words is a lot fun for all of us. Heck, I even learned a few words through the series geared more towards younger minds. Maybe that’s why I liked it!! The pages are colorful and engaging. I would compare it to a sort of fun, educational “Where’s Waldo” or “I Spy” of language. I asked Chris what he liked about the book and whether he learned anything from it.

“I liked the pictures,” he told me. “And it had a lot of words that I wanted to know, like ‘toys’ and stuff.” (to see a sample page, click HERE)

Unfortunately, the kit didn’t come with a self-motivation tool and he soon lost interest and went back to his Legos (one word he sadly didn’t find in the book), occasionally picking it back up in a moment of boredom. However, Hannah, my 7-year old, was also caught flipping through the pages a few times for long periods of time. Keep in mind, my kids live in Alabama and aren’t required to know a language yet, which may have something to do with it. Currently, First Words is available in German, Spanish, and French. In the spring of 2009, First Words will also be available in Italian, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, and Polish.

If you’re getting stationed in a foreign land or your family just travels a lot, both of these books are must haves. I continue to listen to the Take Off In series as a refresher to what I already know, picking up additional words and phrases each time. The course material is presented in a clear, concise and orderly fashion. One thing to consider is that this series will give you a general understanding of Spanish and is not geared towards any specific foreign language dialect.

If you have Soldiers that you support that are stationed overseas, this would be a perfect gift for a birthday or Christmas (or just because!). I highly recommend this series for them and students trying to really learn a language in school. The travel dictionary and phrasebook is invaluable to those trying to learn junior or high school level languages. If you get them through the links above, a portion of the sales comes to ASP, which get put back into Soldier support projects.