Reviews (3)

not for serious study!
I bought this program not expecting much because of the low price and my expectations were correct. This program seems to be designed for a person who wants to learn a few Arabic terms that would be useful a couple weeks before traveling to an Arab country. It is definitely not a serious student of the language especially because it does not even use the Arabic script! It just transliterates Arabic words into Roman script.

This is the one
Arabic is a pretty tough row to hoe for anyone whose previous languages are romantic. I've tried a couple of these CD-ROMs and this is by far the best. This is the one to get.

Can't Wait
While I haven't used this course yet I have used the Spanish immersion course offered by Topics Entertainment (Talk Now! etc.) and the course is great. It's a lot of fun to play the games and is very educational at the same time. It's helpful to both beginners and those who already have a working knowledge of the language. While I already have a strong background in Arabic, I am excited to have this CD set to augment my other materials...for review and language maintenance. It's definitely a must have and the price is certainly right. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn to speak Mandarin Chinese 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 Mandarin Chinese CDs teach users to speak Mandarin Chinese 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! Mandarin Chinese 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 Mandarin Chinese, 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 (13)

An outstanding bargain, but get a dictionary too
This would be a very good price for just the first of the two CDs. Both CDs allow you to listen to words and phrases from a variety of categories of everyday vocabulary such as time, numbers, colors, and food, and both offer quiz games to test your knowledge. I am still working my way through the first so the second is still beyond me, and I'm concerned that I might not be able to understand the second even after mastering the first. Fortunately there is built in help in English.

The first CD allows you to listen to two different voices (one fast and natural, the other slow and careful) pronounce a starting collection of words and phrases, record yourself speaking them so you can compare, and test your knowledge with simple quizzes of 4 levels of difficulty. In about a month I have learned enough Chinese to impress my Taiwan-born fiancee and now she wants to borrow it!

Caveats: You probably won't have enough vocabulary for comfortable conversation by the end of the first CD. But Chinese is hardly a simple language to learn and you will be amazed at how quickly you benefit from the course. Also, the first CD has some inconsistencies; the two voices actually say different things for some of the words. I used a Chinese-English dictionary to decide which was correct. If you are going to learn the language a good dictionary is a valuable companion reference.

Okay for speech, but doesn't help with Chinese characters
This software is okay for learning to say a few basic words and phrases. The variety of activities makes it more interesting than a phrasebook. But it won't help you if you want to learn Chinese characters, which are the more interesting and important part of the language. If you want to learn to read Chinese, you'll need a good textbook and maybe a Chinese reading & dictionary software product like Clavis Sinica.

keep shopping
re the first cd, talk now: The girl enunciates well but speaks with a tiawanese accent. In one case, (the ankle) the girl gives the wrong (tiawanese?) word for the body part rather than the mandarin word. The guy slurs his word endings a bit. The cd only has a handful of words, perhaps what you would expect to learn in the first week of a standard college class. The cd makers neglected to pay an artist to draw the pictures that correspond to the sentences so good luck there as well. I think they had a not particularly gifted first grader do the scribbles.
The second cd, world talk, does NOT pick up where the first one left you but jumps ahead by an unbridged leap. There is no real help provided. you find yourself learning which picture matches with which sentence without ever learning what they are actually saying. Futhermore, the second cd is boring and not at all engaging. surely there is better stuff out there.

Amazon has their reviews mixed up.
The Amazon review is for Talk Now! Mandarin by EuroTalk....but the product is Mandarin Chinese by Topics Entertainment. Ignore the Amazon review.

If want to learn 5 words...
I was a complete beginner, and wanted to learn Mandarin. I said LEARN, not acquire four or five phrases or words. I mistakenly bought this cheap software (like said in other review, get what you pay for) to begin my learning process. The CD's proved to be better frisbees than tutorials and are gathering dust on my computer desk. If you really wish to learn a language DO NOT buy this software. Translations are sketchy, explanations non-existant, and pronunciations deceptive. You don't know what words of a phrase mean what, that tones are vitally important to Chinese, and they don't even bother with pinyin. I recommend other means of learning language than this piece of software... ... Read more

Features

• Learn body and hand positioning for grammar and fingerspelling
• Video lessons and explanations of ASL phrase syntax improve beginners' foundation in ASL
• Hands-on ASL dictionary packed with over 6,000 words - plus synonyms and written sign movement descriptions for each entry
• ASL Phrase Guide offers real-life communication -- over 600 phrases are introduced, with video demonstrations of each entry
• Complete reference guide provides overview of the scope & history of America's third most common language

Features

• Italian Before You Know It Deluxe Edition includes fun and effective activities that really build your Italian listening, reading, writing, and speaking capabilities.
• Enhance your speaking ability with Pronunciation Practice.
• Test your Italian knowledge with the multiple choice activities.
• Build your writing and spelling skills with Dictation Practice.

Amazon.com Product Description

Now you can learn seven languages (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese) 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 PowerPac contains 22 lessons with nearly 900 real-life images and phrases spoken by native speakers for each language. The program develops all key language skills--listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are previews, exercises, and tests for every lesson, with automated tutorials throughout the program. Graphical speech recognition displays your voiceprint and compares it with the native speaker to help improve your pronunciation. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A great way to try the best language learning software
This is by far the best language learning software out there for the DIY language learner.It uses total immersion without any English (this is a good thing).I own the full length courses for both Russian and German 1 and 2, and while it was no small investment, it was definitely worth it.The Rosetta Stone software is like the Pimsleur tapes in that it's the best of its kind and you get what you pay for.I bought this program to try it and passed it on to a friend when I bought my full courses.

The "powerpac" is a good investment if at least two of the languages out of the seven on the disc are ones you want to learn.If not, you're better off choosing the specific explorer program for your selected language as single language explorer programs are half the price.

Again, this is great software but you won't acheive any level of fluency with the abbreviated programs.But since the larger programs are extremely expensive,it's a good way to see if you like the system before you take the big plunge and spend the bucks on the full courses.

NOT for serious language learning
Excellent, easy-to-use interface creates a fun environment for an introduction to seven languages.But do not expect to reach any level of fluency because there just isn't enough material for any one language.

I would buy this package simply to see if Rosetta Stone style of learning (use of pictures while hearing the words for the object in the picture) would be appropriate for you.You can't go wrong if your expectations are low.

Say 'The boy is under the ball' in seven languages!
An earlier reviewer claimed that Japanese was not included, which is incorrect.There are in fact, three versions of Japanese available.While the Explorer series are essentially hooks to get you to buy into the far pricier full versions of the software, you still got a lot of language for your dollar.Don't expect to learn a whole language on this CD.Don't even expect to have any degree of fluency.However, as an intorduction to a language, PowerPac can't be beat.The interface is intuitive, engaging and frankly, a lot of fun.A variety of activities work your brain in different ways, helping retension.There is also a 'voice analyzer' feature that compares your voice to a native speakers, but it's far too frustrating to use effectively.Other than that blemish, you have a great facile language learning powerhouse.

Spectacular Value - Easy Language Learning
The Rosetta Stone, with Spanish, French, German, English, Dutch, Russian and Chinese basic language instruction, all on one CD, is a lot of learning in one small package.Putting all the languages together inspires a very intuitive interface.Learning, grouped by categories such as food, numbers, actions, etc., is at your own pace.You can practice to your heart's content.Besides a stand alone tool, it's a great supplement for regular language instruction.As you can tell, I find it quite helpful.But make sure you have your own dictionary for reference when using the program.

nicely structured, very user friendly
My CD-Rom does include the japanese lessons. I find this product extremely accessible and very nicely structured. The lessons progress in easily understandable segments. For me, it is an ideal way to start learning a newlanguage, as you always have a reference between pictures, the written, andthe spoken words. My only criticism is that I would prefer some grammaticalexplanations, especially for chinese and japanese. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Forged reviews
The five-star reviews of this product are forged. For more examples of this, look up their other product "Language Now" - you will see near-identical reviews of various versions of that product, uploaded from throwaway accounts, all in June 2003.

Not good Japanese -English transration
I am a Japanese]English bilingual. I was searching for Japanse-Engilsh translation software for my friend to use. I tried only used Japanese-English, English-Japanese transration part of the software. I was hoping that this would do 70% of the transration correctry but I found that it did less than 10% of the transration. I could not make use out of this software.

Good Translation Software
I have tried numerous translation software products and have found that Easy Translator 4 is the best one out there. This is great for getting translations of email, web pages, Microsoft Word documents, text documents, and any other text that can be entered into a computer. Accuracy in ALL translation software is not 100% but I was able to comprehend all translations done by this software to a very high degree of understanding. Easy Translator 4 gets a five-star rating because it is the best translation software out there.

Extremely Useful
This language translation program is so useful. The translations are not perfectly exact but close enough that you can tell what is being said without much error at all. Any text you read on a computer or can type into one can be translated between seven languages ( English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese). I really found this useful for going to web pages written in another language, emails to foreign colleagues and just with translation in general. Overall, this program is great and I would highly recomend it for anyone who needs translation software.

Reliable and Impressive
Easy Translator Deluxe 4 is a very reliable and impressive language translation software. This software has the capability to translate any text on your computer from/to seven different languages (Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Japanese). The uses for such a product are endless in today's world and its capabilities truely impressive. I really recomend using this program if you need translation software. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Fairly good
I'm still lucky that Italians seem to speak english and like doing so.

The CD did help me understand more and if I had been a good student I think It would have been quite successful.

Good not so good
I really liked the interactive part of the cd. Makes you actually learn the words via recognition. I have not been able to find any other software that teaches this way. The draw back with this title is how few words are available... I have been searching for upgrades additional cds of words but... so far they dont exist.... great way to learn limited by what is available.

Very Basic and not intuitive
My wife and I visit Italy often and thought it was time to at least attempt to learn the language. We ordered several books and programs to learn Italian and found the Instant Immersion program to be the worst of the lot. I would not recommend it for anyone that is seriously interested in learning Italian

Instant Immersions Italian
Instant Immersion Italian is the best cd that I have found for learning Italian. It is fun and easy. I actually wanted to sit down and learn after just learning numbers and playing the games. It helped me to learn the language on my own and you can't buy that feeling anywhere! This program is a fast and fun way to learn Italian...or any other language too. Classes are boring and they cost too much but this cd is fun and makes you want to learn. I highly recomend this cd and all the other Instant Immersion language cd's. (I'm also learning Japanese. Stick to Italian, trust me.)

Too basic...
Childish guessing games..no meat to this learning experience...do not recommend if you are anxious to learn the language...need more substance. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Start speaking, reading, and writing German today. Whether your study is for business, travel, or school, Instant Immersion German 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, a German vocabulary builder, German 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 German 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 German 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. German Plus covers speaking, reading, writing, and listening, helping you grow more comfortable with German 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 German-speaking destination. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Useless, and generally pathetic.
For starters, all the content offered would have easily fit on a single CD-ROM, so their offering so many disks reminds of bogus language courses from the past which had 30 or so cassettes or videocassetes, each with about 10 minutes or so of playback. Each area of the course is essentially worthless. To just describe one disk, the vocabulary disk has about 2,000 or so words almost randomly chosen. Very few of the essential words of the language appear, and instead hundreds of terms deal with country names and things you don't need to know your first days, such as cufflinks and redcurrant.

It is true that pictures and videos help remember words, but the images are thoroughly depressing and pathetic on many ocassions. For example, the woman in the "kiss" term looks like she is doing so forcibly, and in general any picture or video (one in about 30 definitions has a 2 or 3 second video) in which people of any age appear seem to either have a great dislike for the photographer, or for life in general. It is rather disturbing to see such suffering when one is trying to learn a new language.

The other disks are even more worthless, and everything has a depressing quality to it. Needless to say, I sent it back, and will instead try another product. I recommend staying far away from this one!

Absolutely terrible
Despite the attractive packaging, the Instant Immersion series from Europe is absolutely the worst language teaching program I've seen. I picked up several titles at a local store, tempted by the "free" price after rebates. Upon installing German, which I hadn't touched in over a decade, I decided to return all the titles. Most of the 7 CDs are totally useless. The user interface is laughably reminiscent of programs in the Windows 95 days, and you get 256-color, 640x480 video! The audio also slows down often, even on my P4 2.0Ghz PC. Even though you can find it for free, it just ain't worth your time.

Not well laid out
I bought both the German and Spanish Pro software packages. I opened the German first and found it very confusing and poorly laid out. There is no clear lesson plan and there are no steps provided for LEARNING the language. They might as well just drop you in the middle of Munich and expect you to start learning German that way. Needless to say I didn't open the Spanish Pro software and returned it... Unless you already speak German and want to brush up (even then pick something else) you might want to think twice...

confusing and incomplete
i have no experience with German and although I was prepared to be "immersed" in the language, I found these cd lessons very confusing and disjointed. The video sequence flies through several "scenes", all of them disconnected so that it is difficult to glean some understanding through some sort of "context". Some of the lessons in the grammar section which were supposed to be animated were not; there wasn't even audio in some of the grammar lessons so I couldn't hear various conjugations etc...Graphics are not easy to understand either. All in all a bad buy, definitely...I'm going to return this and try something else.

For serious language learners
I really enjoy working with German Pro. It is created and stimulating for the serious minded German student. The "Tell Me More" CD's have many different features which are challenging, but not overwhelming. The only minus to this program, that I have is with the "Dictation" feature. The female speaker raddles off the sentence at top speed, which I can't understand even when the answer is written out on the screen. The male speaker generally speaks slower and is easier to understand. I definitely recommend this program and would be interested in purchasing more advance German products by this company in the near future. In fact I have purchased the Spanish Pro and look forward to using it soon. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

This unconventional language-learning series offers games and quizzes that make the learning process fun, relaxing, and, as such, more successful. Ideal for beginners, Talk Now! Arabic includes such topics as vocabulary, phrases, culture, and more. A handy print and picture dictionary produces entries with both text and pictorial references. This interactive software title also features a recording tool, so you can compare your pronunciation to that of native speakers (microphone required). Quizzes and a challenging memory game let you test your newly acquired skills. You can also track your scores and print awards to celebrate. Best of all, you can change Talk Now! Arabic's onscreen help and menus to the language of your choice. With more than 70 languages from which to choose, this software makes learning Arabic accessible to everyone. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great piece of Sw
This one is really great, illustrates words ,clear pronunciation. Enriches vocabulary. The only draw back is that it does not have phrases. Has also games. I bought the Arabic, Russian, and I am planning to buy the French and Italian. WOW .. Learning languages has never been easier. I got mine from Software outlet for 9.99. Comes only the CD.. why do I need a retail package for?

learnin
hello

at first i must to say that i m very glad to find this place
my language is persion and know arabic and english language little but i want to study and learn most.

english language learning is important than arabic for me
if it possible i want to translate from english to arabic language .

This product is not helpful.
This product does not help at all. Sure it does help you learn a couple of words, but why spend money on something you can find on the internet?

Eurotalk's Fun program for Folks who know basic Arabic
If you have at least a beginner's knowledge of spoken Arabic,this delightful language program is for you.
Spin the wheel and choose your game-in Arabic,of course!!
Fast-moving and addictive,you move from one game to the next,increasing your vocabulary and understanding of the language.
This program does not focus on the Arabic alphabet ;if you find the Arabic letters intimidating at all-this will work for you.

Good for beginners
This is a very simple and easy to use Arabic learning software with a lot of graphics and sounds. I would recommend for beginner students of Arabic. It would give you a basic vocabulary in no 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 (2)

Save Your Money!
If you're interested in actually LEARNING Farsi (Persian), this software program is NOT the resource to turn to. While Eurotalk deserves five stars for their incredibly user-friendly lesson interface, this program consists of nothing more than quick snippet lines for business travellers who need enough to survive 2-3 days on an overseas trip (i.e. "Where is the hotel?" "Can you direct me to a phone?" etc. etc). The only redeeming feature of this program is that a user can actually hear Farsi being spoken (and thus get an idea as to lingual sounds). See ya...

Talk Now! Farsi
The program is great and very helpful. It has a printable dictionary for each section as well as a portion of each section where you use a microphone to speak the words being taught to help you say everything properly! I love the program itself, the only downfall is that you'll really like it and when you want to move to intermediate and advanced you find that the publisher doesn't have Farsi for either of those!! I think it's pretty sad that they start you off and then don't have Farsi in intermediate or advanced but at thelst the beginner's program is great! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Instant Immersion English Pro is a comprehensive seven-CD suite ofprograms and utilities designed to teach the fundamentals of the Englishlanguage. Ideal for English newcomers who want to grasp the basics andEnglish-speaking children who need to improve their skills, English Proinstructs by immediately immersing its students in common conversational andwritten English. It's important to note that this is not a structured course asmuch as a wide-ranging and often entertaining supplement to standard learningprocesses. Questionably organized and not without its flaws, English Pro shouldnevertheless make a valuable companion to those who find classes andinstructional books somewhat dry.

The central component of the package is the four-CD Tell Me More collection.Consisting of a single installation disc and three increasingly challenging"lesson" CDs, Tell Me More is a multimedia extravaganza of video snippets, stillphotographs, interactive dialogue, written and verbal exercises, and edutainmentgames. Intended only for those who speak Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch,German, and English, the program offers everything from strict text-basedphonetics and conjugation instruction to lighthearted games of hangman andfill in the blanks, wherein incorrect answers generate a chorus of boos andproper responses prompt wild applause. Unfortunately, Tell Me More does notalways understand the spoken word as well as it should, and therefore may awardaverage or failing scores for perfectly enunciated passages. Furthermore, theprogram's many interfaces are not particularly easy to navigate.

Such is not the case with English Vocabulary Builder, a single-CD applicationstructured for total rookies and especially appealing to children. With itsuncomplicated flash card format, warm and fuzzy illustrations, enthusiasticverbal delivery, and customized printable certificates, this is a greatbeginner's tool and a lot of fun to boot.

Two other CDs complete the collection. The first, English Plus, works in similarfashion to Tell Me More but is substantially less interesting and versatile. Thematerial seems sensible and the instructors do enunciate clearly, yet itsmouse-heavy navigation is dated and its sense of repetition when compared toTell Me More is quite obvious. The seventh and final disc, Road to Citizenship,is not a full-blown language tutor but a primer for those who want to becomecitizens of the U.S. Updated in 2001, Road to Citizenship helps determineeligibility, offers numerous governmental contacts, and even teaches users howto read and speak some of the most common naturalization interview questions.

Instant Immersion English Pro delivers a wealth of material for a budget price.Despite its foibles, there's still very much to like in this instructional yetentertaining language tutor. --Gordon Goble ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Total Junk
This product is total junk. I bought this not too long ago and realized what a big mistake that was. This software has a funny interface that is not at all user friendly. Hard to get around things, totally non-intutive. Waste of money.

Other reviewers were right!
When I bought home the 7 CD pack, I opened it immediately. I just wanted to know how the vocabulary builder helps an average english speaking adult, like myself.

I tried the CD 5, a vocabulary builder. I realized it was for real rookies (read: grade 1 kids). The flash cards had cards for such mundane words like: eating, drinking, supermarket, trees etc... hope you are getting the drift. At about 200 words/flash cards maximum - taught through 9 different entry points, the content doesn't justify 600+MB of space it occupied on the CD (Remember Microsoft Encarta originally came in 1 CD). Amazing is that how they wasted valuable space to store .wav files for nearly 3 dozen languages to teach from! As noted by other reviewers, this is a hotchpotch collection. If this is what I sampled, I am not even wasting my time opening other CDs.

You are better off reading books.

this program is clumsy
I brought this program for my relaitves who came from India and I found it very clumsy and difficult to navigate and use. The applications on the different CDs are not cohesive and I find the whole process of using the applications difficult to use 1) I can't click on the different options too well 2) It teaches only very basic sentences 3) Does not teach any grammar. I was better off teaching my relatives by myself.

Don't buy this program!
This program is terribly unfriendly to the first time user. I speak perfect English and it gave me fits. I pity the fool who doesn't speak English and tries to use this. It requires the patience of Job. Actually this is not at all a unified program, but several separate programs offered as a unit. When you try to install it, it wants to change your computer. I had to uninstall everything after making the mistake of letting the program adjust the computer's resolution. It forced me to reinstall Windows before I could get it to work at all. Disk 1 is for instalation only, to work disks 2, 3, and 4. Don't think you learned anything when you finish #4. Numbers 5, 6 and 7 are completely different and you have to start from scratch with each one, if you haven't thrown the whole thing out by then. If the producers of this product had any sense, they would have built some uniformity into the program to make it easy to install and use, put good labels on the icons to describe each action, and made it flow with easy to follow progression instead of the chaos they provided. Bad, worse and terrible describe this program. And you can tell them I said so.

Plus See; Minus Touch
I am not a native speaker of English living in the US since a couple of months, and I am still learning English. My teachers say I am smart enough to learn English very quickly, and I could teach my native language to Americans. Well, I believe these CDs are what I want, but I cannot afford to buy them now, because I spent some money on buying a book on language from amazon.com (the best web site for such stuff) yesterday. I can just see the CDs on your web site and dream of having them in my hands some day. I wonder when this dream is gonna be come true. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

This English-French talking dictionary is designed for anyone who needs to use English or French, from the beginning student to the language professional. The dictionary comes with a set of tools for speedy look-up of any words, checking their meaning and pronunciation, and verifying translations of any text on the computer. The variety of settings and levels makes the software simple and straightforward to use.

The Shooting Gallery exercise helps the user learn new words more quickly. The program offers different levels of difficulty and different word ranges to suit the language level, including the 500/1,000/1,500/2,000/2,500/3,000 most commonly used words. The crossword puzzles included in the software are never repeated, and are also offered in various levels of difficulty.

The AudioPad module is designed to teach correct pronunciation. With the help of AudioPad, the learner can listen to the original speech of a professional native speaker and also record and listen to his or her own speech. In addition, each sound fragment is graphically displayed, which makes practicing more vivid and helps the user to imitate all nuances of the pronunciation with greater precision. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Collins English/French Talking Dictionary
This dictionary is everything I hoped it would be. First, it is the standard Collins dictionary in electronic format. It includes parts of speech and multiple definitions for the word. Liberal use of color in the definitions make it easy to distinguish usage description versus French words versus English words. As in most bilingual dictionaries, only a few of the verb conjugations, mostly past participles, are listed. Therefore, these French language words cannot be found.

The audio quality of the native speaker's pronunciation is very good and includes singular and plural pronunciations. The audio files take about 500 Mb and are normally left on the CD-ROM. It can take from one to five to access them. The IPA phonetics is the first entry for the word. The audio is also very helpful for learning to pronounce IPA sounds.

The user interface is easy enough to learn with the teaching demo. Highlighting a word and dropping it on the "Trap" icon instantly opens the dictionary to the correct word. Right clicking on the word copies it to a word list for later review. I love this feature. The crossword and shooting games also key off of this list.

This is a great product and a great learning tool. The latest update can be downloaded from Intense Learning Office's web site, so one does not have to worry about buying the latest version.

Useful Tool
For a person who is taking a French 101 course, this dictionary is a valuable tool. One of its greatest features is the fact that it "talks," allowing you to familiarize yourself with the French language. The big downside is that the interface itself is not very aesthetically pleasing: a drab gray background (the same color as your browser's "framework") with arial font. At the top of the program window are two tabs, one that reads "French-English," the other "English-French." Not surprisingly, this allows for reverse look-up, itself rather useful.

The word at the top of the list--whether selected by typing or by scrolling--is always bolded in red, the parts of speech in yellow, various phrases in dark blue, pronunciations in green, purple for associated French words, and the list of words (except the one selected) in royal blue. Right clicking on any word--whether in the definition or elsewhere--acts as a hyperlink, taking you to its definition. Right clicking on the speaker icon calls up "Audio Pad": a small window opens that allows you to record your own voice next to the one provided by the dictionary to perfect your pronunciations.

To get a sample of the quality of definitions before you buy, you can access the Collins French-English dictionary online at ....., identical to the software in terms of content. The online version does not, however, offer the audio pronunciations, though it is more aesthetically pleasing, a nice white background with real hyperlinks and most letters in black for high contrast readability, unlike the drab gray program that looks like something developed between DOS and Windows 3.0.

Whatever a person may think of its appearance, purchasing this software is invaluable primarily because of its many sound files (taking the relative quality of its definitions as a given). I would recommend it to the struggling student, though it might not be the best tool to use as a "stand-alone" to learn the language: it should be supplemented by other learning resources. (At the very least, one should also make use of Laura K. Lawless's French website at ...... it has a number of lessons and audio files to aid anyone from beginner to expert, though if you don't have pop-up blocking software, you might want to download the free Google toolbar first ......as About.com sites are notorious for their annoying ads.) As an aside, the Collin's French-English Talking Dictionary also comes with a "shooting gallery" and a crossword puzzle feature, both of which will help one learn even if they are not quite on a par with the appeal 3D animation and stunning effects hold for those entranced by the gaming industry. :)

In conclusion, it may not be the best software ever developed, but for the price it is reliable and useful and the content itself is of quality. The main thing is that it is just a bit ugly. Whatever the case, it could very well mean the difference between that A or B in the class: if I were you and I were wavering between buying or not, I would go ahead and take the plunge. Even if it isn't everything you thought it might be, it certainly isn't going to hurt you any and in the end it just might help. Go ahead. Jump in. :)

Essential for the student of French
I bought this book for use with my self-study aids, and I can't tell you how invaluable it is. For one thing, it is so handy to have on my computer while I'm surfing through French websites and come across a word I don't know. It's greatest value to me, however, has been the pronunciation. I had opted to study using a college textbook (used, no audio CDs) and workbooks rather than purely audio sets like Pimsleur et al., and my only exposure to hearing French speakers was software, a few DVDs, internet radio, and this. This is by far the most helpful aspect of this software. Now, I often get compliments on my french accent, and I owe most of it to this program. One warning: this program is not a translator. If you don't speak any French, this program is not going to help you navigate through foreign websites or newspapers, particularly if you don't know which words are verbs and which aren't.

It's worth noting that you will not find all of the verbs' many variations on this program (you will find "manger" of course, but not (tu) manges (indicatif), (je) mangais (l'imparfait) etc. As a student, or fluent speaker of French, it is up to you to recognize what verb is being used...then you must look up the verb in its infinitive form (-er, -re, -ir, etc.) It does have entries (and mercifully) pronunciations for some common or unusual variants that could otherwise stump the self-studier, like (j) "aille," (present subjunctive for aller) or (il) "faille." Again, the biggest help is the pronunciation.

In sum, if you are in need of a handy computer dictionary that is faster to access and use than a book, you might want to think about this program. If you are studying the language by yourself, I can't imagine how you'd live without it. ... Read more

Features

• Learn to speak, read, and write French with natural confidence
• 2 full years worth of robust, convenient, and engaging curriculum
• Over 50 lessons, hundreds of exercises, and refreshing games and puzzles
• Easy record and playback capabilities; upgraded speech recognition engine
• Includes audio lessons on CD and a 184-page reference book

Reviews (1)

Very Good
This software is awesome for learning French! First you start off learning the alphabet and learning vowels, etc., then you move onto Basic Phrases, Beginner I, Beginner II, and then Intermediate (Comprehensive Courses). A reference book comes with the package along with 5 CDs. It has frozen one time in the pass, and sometimes the speech recognition can be frustrating. However, great software product overall. ... 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 (1)

A whole new way to learn spanish!
This program takes spanish language learning software to a whole new level. Advanced spanish is an appropriate title for this program since It literally immerses you in the language with an actual spanish soap opera episode. You can practice in a number of ways, as well as take quizzes. Some of the activities include a visually based vocabulary program. In this area of the software the program shows you a still from the movie with an object circled and you name the word in spanish. Others include listening for the missing word in a conversation- harder than it sounds. You can watch the movie with and without spanish subtitles so you can follow along with the script or try to watch it without. Some minor- very minor- technical glitches not really affecting the operation of the program or use of it prevent me from giving this a full 5 stars. But a really great, well rounded buy! ... Read more