Dino Lingo: Language For Children Review

I found about this company called Dino Lingo through another company called Influenster (more about Influenster later, since I'll be reviewing some products from them soon).  They are a service that offers language tools for kids.  I was originally drawn to them because of the cute factor of their branding.  And even though I'm no longer a child, I still have an interest in learning another language.  Everything I learned from high school Spanish is long gone, so I figured, why not check this out?  I'm basically at a child's learning level when it comes to foreign languages.



I "liked" Dino Lingo on Facebook and found out that they were holding contests to win a free set of flashcards.  They often do giveaways like this, so it's a great way to preview the program.  I was really excited to have won on my first entry!  I requested a set of Spanish cards, and received the package above.
The set is "animals," and came with two posters and the card set.  The green poster has actual photos of the animals with their names in Spanish, and the blue poster has cute drawings of the animals with their names below.  The card sets are also drawings/animations.



Dino Lingo utilizes the immersion technique in three main steps.  The first step is engagement: they capture the imaginations of children through their fun dinosaur cartoons.  The second step introduces children to the 200 commonest words in the language they are learning in order to build their confidence and not overwhelm them.  The third step has children playing games and interacting in the language, and they practice through play and repetition of what they have already learned.

What I think is great is that they use the immersion technique.  It isn't the way I was taught Spanish, which was cat = gato, dog = perro, etc.  There is no English reference point, just the visual aids that are entirely in the target language.  To get an idea for what I'm talking about, check out their introductory Spanish video here.  Starting kids on learning another language at a young age is, I think, the best way to ensure that they'll become fluent speakers.

Bottom Line: I can easily see this being an effective way for children to learn another language.  Their full program combines flash cards, games, videos--all sorts of ways for children to learn about new cultures and become bilingual.  I will be passing these cards along to my younger cousin; I hope she'll enjoy learning new Spanish words!

• Learn more about Dino Lingo at their website
• Connect with them on Facebookt (and enter to win a flash card set!)
• Follow them on Twitter

Check out some more photos of the package I received under the cut.

*Disclaimer: I was not monetarily compensated for this review.  I received the Dino Lingo flash card set for free by entering and winning a contest on their Facebook page.  The honest opinions here are entirely my own.



The package had a nice note on the front from Serdar, the Dino Lingo rep I spoke to after I won the giveaway.



Serdar's business card--I just love the adorable dinosaurs!  I'm sure kids will, too.  My brother was obsessed with dinosaurs when he was younger.


Close-up view of the green poster.


Close-up view of the blue poster.  I love the big eyes on the drawings!