Little Linguist includes a base with a recessed alcove where one of 15 colorful toy objects (such as cat, dog, or house) comfortably fits. The character is identified with a word or simple phrase, and an associated sound is activated with a press of a large red button. The toy ships with two cartridges – English and Spanish – which can be inserted into a slot to set the desired language for play and exploration. (French and Japanese cartridges are sold separately).

Explore mode is simple – your child places one of the 15 toy objects into the unit’s recessed base, and the toy tells him/her what it is. Kids can then push the big blue button to hear the word or phrase repeated, or the red button to hear its associated sound (such as the sound of a doorbell for a house, or a "meow" for a cat).

In Challenge mode, the toy asks your child for one of the objects. Depending on the responses of the child, Little Linguist automatically adjusts the complexity of the word/phrase. In order to activate this mode, the base should be empty, and a tap of a button will prompt the "request". If the response is correct, kids are treated to a musical reward and watch as the lights flash with congratulations. And, quite admirably, if the response is not what the toy had requested, the new object is simply named. There's no pressure to perform here!

It is this automatic adjustment of challenge level that sets this toy apart from most others, and it is really quite clever indeed. For example, the toy will not request an object unless it has already been "explored" in explore mode. As such, it makes it easy to introduce vocabulary words in smaller, digestible segments. Parents can then add new objects gradually. After a certain amount of practice with words, simple sentences are introduced. And, once kids have displayed a certain level of mastery of these simple sentences, they are moved to the highest level in which sentences that include adjectives (like "brown") are presented. As such, a child will advance from hearing "house" to "give me the house" or "yes, this is the house" up to "give me the brown and white house, please" and "thank you!"

The colorful, chunky little toy objects include mostly animals plus a handful of assorted familiar objects like plane and tree. Vocabulary words not only include the names of the objects themselves, but colors and common expressions as well -- such as "thank you", "hello", and "very good".

Little Linguist comes with a helpful booklet that includes ideas for language games to play with your child and information about the importance of language in a young child’s life.

Once your child has absorbed all of the toy’s language learning potential, you might want to try dividing the characters between yourself and your child and, with the toy in Challenge mode, see who gets to fill the toy’s request – essentially taking turns and adding a new element to play.

Despite the toy’s obvious strengths, there are some flaws worth noting here. The largest problem is Little Linguist’s occasional blunder. While older toddlers might laugh when a blue boat is identified as a yellow lion in their native language, this problem can confuse younger users, especially when the featured language is a foreign one. Another flaw may not be considered a flaw by some, but I think it would have been more straightforward if the different modes were activated with a flick of a switch. As it stands, in order to move into Challenge mode, the base must be empty and a button must be pressed each time you want the toy to challenge your child with a request. Many babies and toddlers, when left to play with the toy by themselves, will end up in Explore mode most of the time. Still, some might argue that challenge mode should be shared with an adult. Lastly, the price is rather steep, and a third or fourth language is not included – cartridges are sold separately at approximately $20 each.

All in all, if you can forgive the toy’s occasional errors when identifying the objects (a wiggle of the character in the base will correct it), this toy is quite attractive. Its "smart" features (made possible with a computer chip that tracks a child’s responses) are entirely clever. As well, the concept of introducing a child to the basic vocabulary of a second language through a fun and exciting toy is commendable, especially given the recent hoopla over recent research findings about the importance of foreign language exposure early in life. Here, kids learn language in an interactive way – and most of us know that the more senses are engaged, the more easily a child will absorb the learning concepts. The chunky characters are bright and colorful and can be stored in a handy mesh bag. Happily, the sound quality is excellent. Parents beleaguered by the clamor of noisy toys, however, will appreciate the high/low volume setting on the toy’s base.

Requires 4 'C' batteries.

You may be interested in the following review of another Neurosmith toy:
Music Blocks — Smart Toy Review