Breaking the Barrier Spanish & French

What Reviewers Say

Reviewers describe Breaking the Barrier as a rigorous, grammar-centric program ideal for academic goals. Cathy Duffy Reviews says it is well designed for students who want to learn to read and write Spanish or French, and that the advanced level is often used to prepare for AP exams. Some trade-offs exist. Well-Trained Mind Forums members warn that the course moves quickly and may be difficult without a fluent teacher. Additionally, Cathy Duffy Reviews notes that students who want conversational fluency will need to find their own opportunities for conversational practice.

How It Works

Students typically spend 45 to 60 minutes a day working through a chapter in their workbook or interactive digital text, beginning with a reading passage and a set of vocabulary words. The child listens to audio recordings to practice pronunciation and then completes several written exercises focused on specific grammar rules, such as verb conjugations or adjective agreement. Parents act as facilitators by checking the student's written work against the answer key and engaging in 10 to 15 minutes of oral practice to build conversational confidence. The weekly routine usually concludes with a review section and a test, ensuring the student has mastered the material before the curriculum advances to more complex concepts.

Switching to This?

Breaking the Barrier offers placement help: parents tell the publisher what the student has studied and it recommends a starting point among the middle school Beginner A and B courses and Levels 1 to 3. The general community recommendation is to start with Level 1 even if a student has had some prior exposure, as the program’s pace is fast and its grammar focus is very intense. While families can start mid-year, the curriculum is strictly cumulative, so it is vital to begin at the start of a level rather than trying to jump into the middle of a book. Parents switching from an immersion-based or game-based program should be prepared for a transition to traditional academic study, featuring heavy writing and the memorization of formal grammar charts.

Curriculum Details

Price

$80 - $170

Spanish and French are priced the same. Online Access for one level costs $80 and lasts 12 months from activation, renewable for $40 a year. A Student Edition book costs $80, or $110 with Online Access. The Homeschool Package (book, Online Access, answer key, test program, vocabulary quizzes, Oasis reference and pacing guide) costs $170 for Level 1, 2 or 3 and $145 for the middle school Beginner A or B. The two-year middle school package costs $240 and the three-year Levels 1 to 3 package costs $399. Each additional student needs a Student Edition book with Online Access; the other package materials can be reused.

Grades

6 - 12

Available As

Digital Print Workbook Audio Video

Coverage

Single subject

Subjects

Foreign Language

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Pacing

Some flexibility

Parent Time

10-30 min/day

Student Independence

Fully independent

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Academic Level

Advanced

Worldview

Neutral

Videos

Reviews We Consulted

Updated: May 2026

How This Compares

Compared to Rosetta Stone, which uses a 'natural' immersion approach with no English translations, Breaking the Barrier provides clear explanations in English, ensuring students understand the 'why' behind complex grammar rules. When measured against Duolingo, Breaking the Barrier is a much more serious academic course, moving away from short games and toward the long-form writing and conjugation drills required for high school credit. Families often choose Breaking the Barrier over BJU Press because it offers a similarly high academic standard and rigorous workbook format without the specific religious content found in BJU materials. If you are comparing it to 'Getting Started with Spanish,' that program serves as a very gentle, slow-paced introduction, whereas Breaking the Barrier is a high-speed course that covers significantly more vocabulary in its first level. Finally, unlike TalkBox.mom, which focuses almost entirely on oral household conversation, Breaking the Barrier is designed for students who need to pass college placement exams or prioritize reading and writing fluency.

Getting Started