Amazon.com Product Description

Start speaking, reading, and writing Italian today. Whether your study is for business, travel, or school, Instant Immersion Italian Pro's teaching methods and technology combine to create a language experience that delivers results. This seven-CD set features four Tell Me More language learning CD-ROMs, an Italian vocabulary builder, Italian Plus with 22 interactive lessons, and an audio CD that lets you practice your conversational skills anytime, anywhere.

Tell Me More's four-CD-ROM suite offers beginning, intermediate, and advanced lessons, and forms the core of this comprehensive Italian language series. You'll be guided through lessons complete with video clips and animations on vocabulary, grammar, phonetics, conversations, conjugation, cultural traditions, and more. Interactive speech recognition even corrects pronunciation and intonation. And because everyone learns at his or her own pace, lessons can be personalized.

The Italian Vocabulary Builder combines visual and memory learning to maximize retention. Use the recording feature to practice vocabulary and compare your speech to that of a native speaker's. Italian Plus covers speaking, reading, writing, and listening, helping you grow more comfortable with Italian over its 22 interactive lessons. Explore tenses, culture, directions, and more. In no time, you'll be able to communicate effectively. An added audio CD rounds out the collection, so you can practice anywhere, even en route to your Italian-speaking destination. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

How sad.
I've been waiting months for my computer to be set up so I could get to work on learning Italian; something I've wanted to do forever. What a tremendous disapointment it was. They need to just skip over or toss out that "Beginner" fantasy. I've never been moved to review anything before, but this disapointment has got me typing. I just wish I had read the reviews before my impulse purchasing at the store.

If you are a beginner, move along, nothing to see here. Find something a little more beginner friendly. Or a LOT more.

What you people think PRO means?
I think people doing the reviews about this product can mislead the opinion of customers when it comes the time to make a decision and buy.

First this product name is ITALIAN PRO, obviously it's not for first time learning italian students, the software has an autorun program, that means that you set the disc in the drive and starts by itself, I don't see many computer knowledge in that. Believe my word I'm already studying the basic italian program, in fact the name is just ITALIAN that's why now I'm looking the PRO version.

Well I think the program is really good, there are audio complementary discs also, so with this you can round very well your learning, finally the discs can be used for english, spanish, english, and I think french speakers too. ARRIVEDERCI

Confusing torture
Hodgepodge of amateur animation with no beggining progression. When they say Instant Immersion, they mean listening to 400 words/min italian off-the-bat and asking you to make sense of it.
Mediocre products bundled from disparate authors in a Costco-style package.

Terrible beyond parole
Italian Pro should be entitled Italian amateur. It is gimmicky and useless whether you already know Italian and want to brush up on it or are new. It is all bells and whistles and no substance.

Terrible, confusing...
Had no idea what to do, and I am an experienced computer user. You don't know in what order to start the lessons... if I started at the beginning, then it is MUCH too difficult. I had no idea what anyone was saying and no way to find out. Simply a dreadful program! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn to speak Japanese through complete immersion. The Euro Method is an easy and simple way to learn to speak a second language. Based on the same techniques that allow a 4-year-old child to speak a language long before that same child can read or write, the Instant Immersion Japanese CDs teach users to speak Japanese quickly. The software provides interactive lessons that truly immerse users in the language. The two CD-ROMs enclosed are from EuroTalk, a European publisher of language-learning software. Talk Now! and World Talk will take users from beginning to intermediate levels using fun and easy-to-follow methods.

Talk Now! Japanese is designed for beginners who want to start learning a new language as soon as possible. Whether on a business or vacation trip, or even when meeting a foreign visitor, Talk Now! is the CD to use. By hearing and practicing authentic everyday speech, the user's natural ability for language will develop. The EuroTalk CDs are designed to be fun. The program uses quizzes, games, and stories to help reinforce the lessons learned.

The second CD-ROM, World Talk Japanese, is the next level up from Talk Now! and goes on to the next stage with new activities, added dictation, and a new recording section. Topics covered include the calendar, building sentences, asking directions, and using numbers. With the recording feature, users can hear and compare their voices with those of a variety of native speakers. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

one good, one bad
The first cd was the perfect beginning, easy, educational, and even entertaining(i love alliteration!), the second on was very poorly made, it does not teach a thing, It could've been great, but it was boring.

Instant Immersion Japanese 2 CD-Set
I really enjoyed the CD set. It was very inexpensive, a lot of fun, and easy to use. You don't have to install it onto your computer, which makes it really easy to use on other people's computers or portables. The games and activities make it really easy to learn and is a lot of fun so you actually enjoy studying or learning. One thin I didn't like was that the difference in level between the 2 CD's. The first one is a very beginners one and the second is a little advanced. They kind of skip a level. But after a while of studying, I was able to understand it.

Words cannot describe my hate for this product.
The first CD I kind of liked. That was when I was young and innocent. The entire program is a joke. The second CD teaches not a thing. I am disgusted, I hate Instant Immersion Products. Some how they always seem to mess something up. A word of advice DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!

Useless to any skill level
The first CD has the feel of a demo of a program more than anything. If all you want to learn is some basic vocabulary than this will serve it's purpose but that's it. There are some phrases(real useless stuff like "is it safe to swim here?") but it doesn't even teach you the individual words and it gives you no grammer at all. You leave the first CD being able to identify colors and a few body parts and then it throws you into the second CD which is etirely in japanese and seems intended for somone who can at least carry on full conversations in japanese. The second CD also has no lessons; it has quizes(none of which are related to the material on the first disc) but doesn't teach you anything that they're quizing you on. You're just sitting there confused as they ask you questions about things you haven't learned in japanese that you don't understand. And if the program wasn't bad enough on it's own, the description of the item says that the discs come in a jewel case which they don't.

Loved it! Fun!
The game-style format is great! I had loads of fun and before I knew it, I was learning a lot of vocabulary and answering simple to intermediate questions. It is very well-made and teaches you on a very instinctive level, something not always found in a formal classroom.
Most of my friends agreed with me, and they were learning Japanese, too , by just playing along (they didn't even mean to)! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Chinese is one of those languages that demands its students keep using it to maintain their skills; otherwise they forget fast. Learn Chinese Now! will help you combat your brain's sievelike tendencies and keep your Chinese--specifically spoken Mandarin Chinese--fresh.

Using a rigorous conversational approach, this program includes QuickTime video of dialogues between native speakers of Mandarin Chinese. To improve pronunciation, you'll use your computer's microphone to record your voice reading the dialogues and compare your pronunciation to native speakers'. Various other practice modules use communication-gap exercises, crossword puzzles, and guided conversations. You can even slow down the recorded audio and video to ease comprehension. As in all of their software Transparent Language gives each word, as well as each sentence, with its English translation. There is also a basic grammar-help index to look up unfamiliar concepts.

Two criticisms of the software: First, there is no realistic practice with Chinese characters, and at this level, Chinese students should be learning characters and stroke orders and practicing reading. (For this, start here.) Instead, the software uses only Pinyin transliterations (which mark tones, happily). Second, the transliteration style shows the thousands of compound words apart when they might better be written together, such as you lan versus the more logical youlan, "travel."

This software is ideal for students who have already had about one year of Chinese; you should have some familiarity with Chinese vocabulary and terms like "the particle de." Beginners should start with a more elementary system like Kidspeak. Learn Chinese Now! offers a fairly effective audio-visual way to maintain your conversational skills, however, and recording your own voice for playback and comparison is its single greatest strength. --Erik Macki ... Read more

Reviews (8)

not too practical
i am not impressed with this cd-rom as other ones that i have tried. Subjects chosen for the instruction are not useful. The voices used in the conversation are boring, unlively, and not play-acting enough to be more exciting. Publisher should choose actors or good readers for conversationalists in CD.
I don't recommend this CD.

Really great software
Okay, first of all I should say that I use version 7.0 on Windows 95. I have very few problems with it, and it never crashes. A lot of people are complaining about version 8.0 crashing. I wouldn't know about that.

The main thing is, I've been using this software to study Chinese for almost a year now, and I'm only halfway through the program! It is an excellent program that I highly recommend. My Chinese friends have shown surprise at how much I know, and have remarked repeatedly on how good my pronunciation is.

Working with the program will get good results, but it takes discipline. I study for about 45 minutes 3 times a week. Here is the study program that I recommend:

1. Listen, read, and speak through 2 of the main sections, or about 80 segments.
2. Play each of the 5 games 3 times. For "Plug and Play", play it 5 times instead. And just play "Vocabulous" 1 time.
3. Do this 3 times per week.

A lot of people doing reviews are complaining about the lack of Chinese character teaching with this software. I think this is ridiculous. Chinese characters are very complicated. Even Chinese children learn to speak Chinese before they learn to read it. To introduce characters while trying to learn basic Chinese would be overwhelming. Instead, the program uses the internationally-used Pinyin system. This system is logical and easy to use. Nowadays a lot of Chinese people learn it too. So don't think that by not memorizing a bunch of characters you are not getting "authentic" Chinese. There will be time to study that later after you learn the language.

There are two things about the software that could use some improvement. First of all, the "videos" are not really videos. They are pictures that they show on the screen. They usually have very little to do with the language.

Second, the program does not teach tongue position for pronunciation. This is critical, and I would not have learned it unless I had studied a college textbook from Princeton University that covers it. The difference between the q, x, ch, z, zh, t, r, and c sounds are very important and are not particularly covered in this course.

In spite of its shortcomings, I do highly recommend this software. It is easy to use. It uses native speakers. The sound is clear. The Pinyin is easy to understand. And with a little self-discipline, the program can work wonders.

Very, very poorly designed and extremely buggy
I bought this software because I was desperate to find a any Chinese learning software, so I bought this one an also the Rosetta Chinese learning software.
Chinese now is the worst software I ever used, the user interface is very poorly designed and it crashes all the time.
The software offer you meaningless translations and the speech recognition part is completely unusable recording less than one second of speech, you never have time to finish a word before it's done recording.
My only advice is do not buy this software!, Only the package looks nice. You're much better off with a book and a tape

Best available for Mandarin Chinese
First of all, it DOES work under Windows 2000 and I've never experienced a single crash. Second, there is a strategy to the exercises. The repitition and tools for marking words you don't know are good. Just listen to the dialogs until you become comfortable with what is being said.

I've found it extremely helpful. It's no substitute for an instructor, but is a strong supplement.

Overall, it's the best Mandarin Chinese tool available. I recommend it.

Don't Bother
Don't bother with this software. It is a really pathetic package. First of all, it crashes all the time. Obviously, this package isn't supported since there is no patch for the crash on their website. But secondly, there is no uniform strategy to their teaching methods. Basically, this is just an engine that speaks chinese along side pinyin text. And a few games are thrown in to the mix. The speech analyzer which another reviewer commented on is useless. I can say entirely different words than I am supposed to and it still indicates I am speaking correctly.

Really, I'm surprised that this package is even on the market. You won't learn Mandarin with it. So it's a waste of time. ... Read more

Features

• Comprehensive interactive language learning; ideal for beginners
• Easy and hard quizzes, plus a challenging memory game
• Compare yourself with native speakers; monitor progress
• Topics include phrases, food, shopping, telling time, and more
• On-screen help available in over 75 languages; printable dictionary

Reviews (1)

Good but could be better
The program is very useful & easy to use. It is only suppose to be a quick overview & not a complete course. What they give you is good; however, I kept coming up with words I wish they had included. It's divided into specialized groups...First words, numbers, food, shopping, time, colors, countries, body. I didn't need countries or body at all. I'm not going to have a conversation with someone & recite all the countries I can say in Brazilian, same goes with parts of my body. Maybe a few body parts could have been included in other sections...but besides "take my hand", "I'm touched in the head", or "my ear aches" (you get the idea) I'm not going to be discussing details with anyone. As a first time traveler there I felt I wanted to know many words & phrases that weren't included. Restaurant, What's your name?, My name is..., address, ocean, mountain. Fish was included but beef, pork, and chicken weren't. Numbers only went to 20. I think 30-100 at least would have been useful. I still would recommend this as an easy, helpful beginning. It needs to be supplemented with other information to be better. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Who says the book is always better? The American Sign Language Dictionary is a terrific example of how much better some things are in multimedia. Author Martin L.A. Sternberg has also published the esteemed but not-as-fun print version of this reference title. We're sticking with the CD.

The software features four modules: a QuickTime video dictionary, fingerspelling, an overview of American Sign Language, and a well-designed self-testing area. The dictionary is both a learning and reference tool for 2,600 words, with intuitive video rewind and replay controls. Search for the specific words you need, or just browse alphabetically. After studying up, take a test to see how you're doing--this is the software's real asset. And for language geeks, the overview gives more grammar information as well as Internet links. This is likely the only module children will probably enjoy less than adults.

Overall, this is an excellent resource for anyone trying to learn or maintain ASL skills, with equal applicability in classrooms and at home. One caveat: like any foreign language, ASL has its own grammar, slang, and even regional dialects that no CD-ROM resource can exhaustively cover, so use the software as a basis for getting out and interacting with the ASL community. --Erik Macki ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Good reference, not so sure about a tutor though.
This program works great as a reference, but don't look to it as a Mavis Beacon-esque tutor to teach you Sign Language from the start, or have I just not found that section? The program is a little confusing to navigate. But after about 10 mins of exploring I think I found everything there is to do on the disk.

A lot of people are complaining about software issues with this CD-ROM. In order to see the video and everything properly (I'm running Win98) I had to Uninstall my current Quicktime (5.0 I think) ENTIRELY in Add/Remove Programs and THEN install the program and ITS version of QT (2.0). Then it worked and I was free to re-install 5.0. The two vers. of quicktime are not conflicting and are performing their own duties on their own (2.0 for ASL CD and 5.0 for movie watching, Netscape, etc) without any problems.

Perfect except I have a question?
This software works great, I've never ever had a problem and I think its weird how so many have. The best part I beleive, besides the explainations and the videos, is how it memorizes every sign I look up, so I can then test myself later. This option comes in really handy. The question I have for whoever might be able to answer this is, Does the ability to download new signs every month work? As of right now, I would say that the software is old enough that it does not work, But maybe I am wrong, please let me know. Thanks.. I think someone or some company should come out with a new software just like this one, with more of todays technology, but they must have the option of memorizing every signed looked up for further testing, for I feel that is a really important quality in this product, and I use it over other dictionary softwares I own.

American Sign Language on CD Rom
ASL onCD Rom has great videos of each sign which can be repeated as often as you need and at your own pace. The explanations are also written but do not always match the video. In order to see the sign you must type in the word. You are not able to type in a description of a sign and find out what it means. This is an important missing part. The fingerspelling section is good for beginners but not for those who need practice in speed.

don't make the mistake I did
I bought this from amazon.com. Once I received it I installed it on my mac powerbook 3400c running os 9. It ran horribly, the quicktime images overan half of the screen window of the program so it was impossible to use on my mac. Because it also has a windows version of itself on the cd I then installed it on my husband's pc. It ran much better on his pc (which upset me even more since it is supposed to be able to run on a mac), however the screen was still very small, the quicktime images choppy and the viewing area incredibly small. After trying to see if I could tweak it on both the pc and mac I have had dismal success with it. Knowing what I know now I would not have bought it. The software that runs this program from the cd is achingly old as well.

Is it me or the software...
Might just be me, but I find the software to be "dead" on my computer. I can access the dictionary, but the video does not come up at all. Perhaps my system is too new (Windows 98). I really want to learn to sign, but find this product to be tedious (and out of date??). ... Read more

Features

• Comprehensive interactive language learning; ideal for beginners
• Easy and hard quizzes, plus a challenging memory game
• Compare yourself with native speakers; monitor progress
• Topics include phrases, food, shopping, telling time, and more
• On-screen help available in over 75 languages; printable dictionary

Reviews (2)

definitely for beginners
Learn Catalan is a fun activity and a good learning experience for those with no spanish base; however, i have taken about 5 years of Spanish and found the CD to be fairly basic, and while catalan differs in many ways, many of the things they teach are not as useful as i would hope. There are a lot of items and phrases neccessary to be a tourist. I definitely have benefitted from this CD because i can hear the way the language is pronounced and become more absorbed in it. Overall, great for beginners, and only slightly helpful for someone with spanish knowledge.

Good, solid, but extremely basic intro to Catalan...
AV materials for Catalan are very difficult to find. But Catalan is certainly worth investigating, and this makes for a highly pleasant intro. Now if only Eurotalk would come up with a second CD. ... Read more

Features

• A visual and interactive tool endorsed for professional, home, and classroom use
• Learning Hypersign 4.0
• Learning Fingerspelling and Numbers
• 101 Basic Signs
• American Sign Language Dictionary

Reviews (1)

CAUTION!!!
Please don't make the same mistake I made. This program and "The American Sign Languaje Dictionary on CD-Rom" are exactly the same program.

If you are running XP, you will have problems installing Hypersign. Eventhough, the program says to be XP compatible, I did run into some problems installing Hypersign.

The other 3 programs are ok. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

World Talk is the perfect language-learning follow-up to EuroTalk'spopular Talk Now! series. In addition to new activities, the creators have addeddictation, worksheets, and a brand-new recording section. Topics are designedfor the intermediate learner and include reviewing the calendar, buildingsentences, asking directions, and translating weather terms and numbers. Theinteractive TV quiz is another useful learning tool, pitting learners againstthe resident champion or one-on-one against a friend. ... Read more

Features

• Designed for intermediate-level language learners
• Helps learners speak and understand a new language by hearing and practicing authentic every-day speech
• Learning topics include calendar, sentence building, asking directions, the weather, and numbers
• Monitor your progress with dictation, worksheets, and a recording feature
• Features an interactive TV Quiz

Reviews (1)

Very good immersion for intermediate Norwegian students
World Talk Norwegian is a very good program for students who want to practice listening to and speaking Norwegian! I haven't even tried all the features yet (recording your voice to practice pronunciation, for example), but it's a great program--I love it! I highly recommend this program for anyone who wants to increase or maintain their proficiency in Norwegian. ... Read more

Features

• Master French by learning in a setting that's friendly, flexible and fun
• Watch cultural movies and see how people speak the language to each other -- then join in & be part of the conversation
• Speech Recognition and Simulation technologies help develop the skills needed to communicate withnative French speakers
• Fun games and activities improve grammar and build a full French vocabulary
• Progress reports track how well you're doing and show you the areas where you need more work

Amazon.com Product Description

Now you can learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency. It's the natural way to learn.

The Rosetta Stone Explorer contains 22 lessons for beginning learners with nearly 900 real-life images and phrases spoken by native speakers. It develops all key language skills--listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing--while its systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. Includes previews, exercises, and tests for every lesson, with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (7)

not good for Mac OS X users
Decent program. It's a nice change from doing paradigms in Wheelock. The only beef I had with it was that it doesn't work in Mac Classic OS 9. I have to restart the machine in OS 9 instead.

It is just a demo......
A previous reviewer, Murray Jacobs, warned the reader that this is just a demo. He's right, but I had to scan completely through Fairfield Language Technologies to find the real one,.... Seems like false advertising to me. There are a lot cheaper courses available that are very good. Try Traupman's "Conversational Latin....", both book and tape, or the "Learn Latin Now!" CD. ...

Excellent.
This program teaches the user things that Latin books lack. For example, you learn the names of shapes, or colors, numbers, articles of clothing; things that you would actually converse about in English, not something like Monachus in monasterio habitat (the monk lives in the monastery). An overall excellent and different look at this beautiful language.

This is nothing more than a demo
Boy did it make me angry that this is really not much more than a demo. If you want the real deal, it is a couple hundred dollars; this is a crippled version of the real deal. I suppose that is not so bad if it was stated somewhere, heck not even the box it came in mentions it is a demo. That is why this is so inexpensive, it is 1/4 of the real thing.

A true scorcher, makes learning a breeze!!!!
Very easy to use, you'll be on your way to speaking Latin faster than you can realise!!!
I think that the ommission of translation from Latin to English is a positive point, it forces you to think hard and read a good dictionary a lot, which is how you should learn a language! ... Read more

Product Description

This program teaches the beginner:general information about the Arabic culture how to read and write classical Arabic basic grammatical concepts of the Arabic language dialogue for the Egyptian dialect The intermediate to advanced student will be challenged as well and will enjoy conversing in the Egyptian dialect in the dialogue section of the program. "IBM/PC only". The Interactive CD-ROM that Makes Learning Egyptian Arabic Like... You are in Cairo The System Requirements for AME are: Minimum: 486-100 (Windows only), 16 MB RAM VGA graphics card capable of 800 x 600, 4X CD-ROM Recommended: Pentium 100 or faster (Win95/98/NT4.0/2000/ME/XP) 32 MB RAM or more recommended for Win98/NT4.0/2000/ME/XP 16-bit, CD-ROM Formal or Classical Arabic, THROUGH ANIMATED PRESENTATIONS AND DRILLS, YOUR PRIVATE TUTOR TEACHES YOU: 1. Symbols and Additional Letters 2. Listening Comprehension 3. Diphthongs 4. Comparisons 5. Reading Arabic.Reading ArabicTHROUGH ANIMATED PRESENTATIONS AND DRILLS, YOUR PRIVATE TUTOR TEACHES YOU: 1. Symbols and Additional Letters 2. Listening Comprehension 3. Diphthongs 4. Comparisons 5. Reading Arabic ... Read more

Features

• general information about the Arabic culture
• how to read and write classical Arabic
• basic grammatical concepts of the Arabic language. Additionally, dialogue for the Egyptian dialect .

Reviews (1)

Arabic Made Easy is Easy
This CD is good for the beginning Arabic student because of the good sound quality for the diction, the challenging exercises, the precise annotation of the symbols (great graphics!) and there are some fun games as well.
There are two drawbacks: 1. The "repeat" and "previous" commands take the exercises back to the very beginning of the section as opposed to the previous symbol. And 2. You cannot print out the information in the help section such as the alphabet.
However, to put a positive spin on the "repeat" and "previous" commands, since you are taken back to the beginning of the exercise, you get a good review of the symbols, vocabulary, etc. you were currently working with.
Also, since you cannot print out the alphabet or whatever is needed from the help menu, you have to copy the information down by hand. Writing the information down by rote is an infinitely better learning tool for memorization, especially for a foreign language, than staring at a computer screen. Then you have a hard copy of the exercise for study away from the computer screen.
This CD is a good information guide for the street life in the Middle East for those of us who will most likely never get to visit the area. I am enjoying it immensely. ... Read more

Features

• Comprehensive interactive language learning; ideal for beginners
• Easy and hard quizzes, plus a challenging memory game
• Compare yourself with native speakers; monitor progress
• Topics include phrases, food, shopping, telling time, and more
• On-screen help available in over 75 languages; printable dictionary

Amazon.com Product Description

Instant Immersion Language Lab includes eight full language-learning CD-ROMs in one package. The Talk Now! series is designed for beginners who want to start learning a new language as soon as possible. By hearing and practicing authentic everydayspeech, your natural language ability will develop. The World Talk programs take you to the next stage, offering added dictation, new activities, and a recording section. Topics covered include "the calendar," building sentences, asking directions, and using numbers. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Amazingly easy to learn French course
I never thought that Fench would be as easy as it is. Really amazing French course for novel people into that language. First step in learning. Great multimedia development, in order to improve pronuntiation. If this is your choice for your first French classes, you are right, this is the best choice.

Good up until the 3rd CD
I've been working with the IM German now for some time (it's part of the 4 CD set). I had fun and learned at a faster pace with the first CD. The 2nd CD was quite a jump. I think you have to do a little studying on the outside before 'mastering' this CD. However! I tried out the Dictionary CD, and it is HORRIBLE!!! I've been studying German long enough now that the speaker isn't even pronouncing the words right. It sounds like someone reading the words for the first time. Be careful this CD can throw you off. If someone has a explanation for this let me know!

Couldn't even get past installation
Installation of the German TalkNow module would hang with no explanation on Windows 98SE. I "Opened" the CD next and tried to launch instal32.exe and instal16.exe manually instead of from autorun. Both hanged. When I attempted to autorun the CD again it produced an error message "Astra32 - System Error -5, 12, 0". The only printed documentation consists of a poorly xeroxed page inside the box with installation instructions for Windows 3.1, 95/98, and a Mac.

This product definitely did not impress me.

The best and the cheapst!
This program lets you learn 4 languages for $30! If I wanted to d tha at learnalanguage.com, I would have to pay up to $600. Ths is awesome!

'Talk Now' and 'World Talk' deliver as stated
If you want a program to teach you how to speak the basics in a fast, fun, simple way, this would be a good one. If you want a program that will teach you as if you were taught in school, including grammar, writing, and verb conjugation(I did, she saw, we went, etc.), you will probably be disappointed. This program gives you two CD-ROM's per language, one for basics, one for intermediate level learning. The first CD, "Talk Now" gives you excercises in foods, colors, phrases, body parts, numbers, time, shopping, and countries. Under each heading, you play two word games, record yourself speaking and compare it to native speakers(your computer needs a microphone to do this), print vocabulary flash cards, and play a "Memory"-style game with the words you learned. They work on the premise that people remember things better if they've learned in fun situations. Though a bit cheesy at times, it _is_ fun, and you _will_ build your basic vocabulary. The second CD jumps more to full sentences, listening skills, identification, and writing dictation, all still in game-like form. It's a bit of a leap in knowlege, and can be a bit frustrating, but it's a good start for 'learning by listening', much as you would if you were struggling in the actual country, only without making a fool of yourself. At this level, if you have never been exposed to the language, the help/? icon becomes your best friend. Still little in grammar and verb forms, though. To get the most out of it, I would also recommend purchasing a pocket dictionary of the language(s), and maybe even one of those "500 [the language] Verbs" books, so you can actually have a better understanding of your vocabulary and how to form sentences. Overall, these programs are fun & effective as a means of learning to speak, by yourself (or with a friend), on your own time. ... Read more

Features

• Revolutionary software technology powered by state-of-the-art speech recognition engine
• Contains over 2,825 of the most commonly used phrases per language
• Generates voice translation of your English speech simultaneously
• Bidirectional dictionaries deliver 400,000+ word translations and expressions per language
• Voice-to-voice and text-to-voice translation technology

Reviews (1)

Disappointed
Advertised to voice translate on Palm OS system as well as pocket PC but the voice to voice translation only works on the pocket PC (too bad I own the palm!) Otherwise, all you get is a talking dictionary (not impressed). I wanted a voice-operated translator, I got a dictionary. ... Read more

Features

• Spell check Spanish!
• Add accented characters without special keyboards
• Catches missing accent marks - Customizable spell check dictionary
• Expanded 500,000 + word spell check dictionary
• FREE 500 pre written Spanish letters for all ocassions enclosed on CD

Reviews (1)

Escribién Max
This software is easy to install and use. It's a must have for anyone, students and professionals, who write in Spanish.

I easily add Spanish characters right from my keyboard, and I can edit or format documents in Spanish or English.

I highly recommend Escribién! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Now you can learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency. It's the natural way to learn.

The Rosetta Stone Explorer contains 22 lessons for beginning learners with nearly 900 real-life images and phrases spoken by native speakers. It develops all key language skills--listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing--while its systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. Includes previews, exercises, and tests for every lesson, with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Language Explorer: A Limited Sample of a Good Product
As a foreigner living in Thailand, I have seen a good many resources for learning the Thai language. Some are good, some are bad and a few rare gems shine out from the crowd. The Rosetta Stone method falls into the "good" category and I've found it useful in expanding my vocabulary and working on my Thai grammar. It's a solid method of repetition and continual quizzing that builds your understanding of the language quickly.

The "Language Explorer" product is the first two lessons from the larger 92-lesson "Thai Level I" product also available here on Amazon. It is not a complete Thai language course. It is designed for the learner who wants to experiment with the Rosetta Stone method without dropping over a hundred dollars on the full program.

This program covers the following two lessons: 1-01 Introductory Nouns and Prepositions, and 1-02 Verbs: Present Indicative Tense. As you might gather from the titles, this is the beginning of a serious course covering vocabulary and usage. Because it is so limited, the "Language Explorer" product is not going to be helpful to tourists or anyone seeking to learn quick Thai phrases.

If you're serious about learning Thai and want a helpful computer-based tutor, the Rosetta Stone will fit the bill. However, you might want to pass on this "Language Explorer" product and move right to the full "Level I" product instead. If you need a demo of what the product can do, you can find one at the Rosetta Stone Web site and save your money from the purchase of this product.

I give this product 1 star, not because the method used or quality of the Rosetta Stone product, but because the "Language Explorer" version is a glorified demo and is of limited usage to a student of the Thai language. The full "Level I" product gets a much higher rating.

Better off to hit your thumb with a hammer.
What a worthless product. Been to Thailand a few times and I am slowly learning the language. I thought I would improve my skills on the home front. Well.....I guess I have a new coaster.
The lessons start with four pictures, where you hear the Thai translation. It starts with boy, girl. dog ,cat. By lesson 10 you end up with boy petting cat. Or girl under table.
Overall you end up learning 40 words, 35 of them useless. You don't even learn "Hello" or "Thank you" just random words. So unless you have a passion to say "girl inside airplane" in Thai, I would recommend you save your money and learn Thai from a "Tuk-Tuk" driver when you arrive in Bangkok.

I was learning Thai easily and quickly, almost immediately!
Definetly worth it! Now I realize just how ineffective a lot of the other books, cassette tape sets and CD-ROMs are that I've tried. With the "Rosetta Stone Thai Explorer", the first day--within the first 15 minutes--I was recognizing basic Thai phrases well enough that I received a 96% correct score, when tested!

One of the way it teaches you is by displaying 4 pictures that are highlighted one at a time, with a Thai phrase that is spoken as each item is highlighted. This is repeated a few times, then the pictures are scrambled up, the announcer speaks one of the phrases and--somehow, you just remember--really without even trying!

Pretty ingenious way to learn--and painless too! ... Read more

Features

• Each dictionary article includes a headword, pronunciation and part of speech description
• Also covers inflected forms, example phrases and sentences
• Stylish interface offers multiple color schemes
• New compression algorithms means more data stored in a smaller space, for a more effective portable dictionary