BBC's Muzzy:Will Kids Like It? |
BBC's language program Muzzy is now intergenerational. Many of us (at least in the United States, and probably Canada) remember the commercial from circa 1992, in which the kids speak French, but the narrator asserts that, "These kids aren't French." Muzzy is available in a number of languages, including French, German, Spanish, and Chinese.
The program features a fuzzy green alien, the one named "Muzzy." The setting is a castle. The cast includes a king, a queen, a princess, the gardener, and the baddie Corvax. Bob, the castle gardener, has a crush on the princess. The problem is that the green-skinned baddie Corvax also has a crush on the princess. The story then follows a seemingly "weird science" route. Corvax uses his computer to make several princesses. Mayhem ensues. Eventually the good guys win. Of course the plot isn't really the focus here. Let's be honest: most children are not breaking down the plot structure of their cartoons. The unique thing about Muzzy is that kids can watch a cartoon in a different language. So how does it fare? Well, the short answer is, pretty good. Muzzy has been great news for a parent who is attempting to raise children with a conversational knowledge of a different language. The 2016 edition of Muzzy includes a major facelift from the original cartoon. The switch from a two-dimensional cartoon to three-dimensional is a big jump. While it's not a "Toy Story"-level presentation, the children enjoy it. Two-dimensional segments are interspersed within. The 2016 edition includes features that were not possible on the earlier VHS. For instance, the viewer can switch the audio between the target language and English, or set the subtitles on or off. Additional information includes vocabulary building activities, in which children will see and hear the names of multiple items.
The main philosophy behind Muzzy is an immersed learning. The kids will see and hear a new language in the same way that they interact with English. It isn't "taught" so much as "performed." This presentation allows the kids to see the language in action. It's not a "foreign language"; it's just how the characters talk. It's natural. It works because the kids enjoy it. Of particular importance is the ability to hear a language in a natural way. The vocabulary involves high frequency words ("like" ; "clothes" ; "trees" ; "eyes"). The sentences are useful ("I like grapes" ; "Corvax is in front of the box" ; "I have a stomach ache" ; "It's a quarter past five"), and the spoken language is clear. The words come at a digestable pace, but not at an artificially slow pace. Songs give a playful tone to the language. The music has a joyful, synthesized, retro feel. So what does this mean for comprehension? On the grand old CEFR scale, I would put Muzzy on the A2 level. While you won't be discussing the intricacies of tax policy in your target language after viewing Muzzy, it does break through into the daily conversation level of a language, and that ain't bad. It definitely goes way beyond the "counting to ten and where is the bathroom"-kind of language program. Plus it's fun, and that reinforces the learning. The program is extensive. It's not just a single movie. The DVD set includes six discs. Each disc has two episodes with accompanying vocabulary builder programs. The first three discs are level 1 and the second set of discs are level 2. So, in sum, I can vouch for Muzzy. It's television that you can feel good about, because you know that your child is being exposed to a fun, positive, cultivating activity. Children--and adults--will benefit from watching and hearing Muzzy. Yes, grownups: don't be ashamed to watch it with the kids. Updated July 2019 Back to the top of the page