Reviews (6)

Good Start!
I just got the cd a few days ago, and I've been studying the lessons for two days. This is FUN. Well worth the $9.
It's very challenging because the lessons are structured so that you can't guess what the answers are or what's coming next. In other words, the cd is teaching you to really LEARN. Now if I could just remember everything ... I'll be speaking spanish!!
So far, so good. This program is definately worth checking out. I'm very happy with it.

Beware: June-July 2003 reviews said to be forgeries
Look up this company's product "Language Now", where near-identical reviews from different accounts were all posted in June 2003; and see post-June comments.

Excellent
I Can Speak Spanish is the ideal program for beginner level Spanish speakers. For starters it leads you off with basic grammar and the alphabet which seems like a logical start to learning any language. Then it contains 15 seperate lessons that are all very good and have somewhat of a more personal classroom or course feel. One of the best features is the Before You Know It program which is like having electronic flashcards to practice with and it is really helpful. This is a good program and well worth the buy if you want to learn beginning Spanish.

Easy and Fast
This is a really good program for learning Spanish. It was very easy to follow and is set up in step by step lessons that kept me learning as fast or as slow as I wanted. There are various practice games and a really good flashcard game that is perfect for studying. Great buy for learning Spanish!!!

Good Stuff
This program is really good stuff. It has a lot to teach with 15 lessons and has a flashcard game that is a good program to study with. I was also really impressed with the voice recognition technology that allowed me to compare my pronunciation with that of a native Spanish speakers. This is a good way to learn Spanish and a good buy. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Instant maybe. Immersion questionable.
My dad got this for me to supplement a Latin textbook I have been studying for my high school language course. It is quick and easily understandable. You get plenty of words and phrases, which is perfect for a traveler. If you want to learn the language for the sake of knowing it, not travel, however, you'd better get a book to supplement this. It doesn't teach about pluralization, verb conjugation, or other oddities that the language holds, such as, in Latin, the ending -m which implies a direct object. The Latin CD also does not use the dashes over the vowels (ie. â,ç,î,ô,û). Overall, I am very happy with the product and with the price of $39.99 (USD), but I am also quite glad I have my textbook (ECCE ROMANI) to go with it.

Okay for the price
I was hoping this set would contain the first CD or at least part of the first CD in the two-CD Instant Immersion programs, which would have been a great deal, and would have truly given you a good start in all these languages. However, this set only has very basic material for each language, and in fact is more like having a basic CD vocabulary and phrasebook for each language rather than a real mini-course or introduction, which for me is only marginally useful.

The vocabulary sections are divided up into 8 sections: first words, colors, food, numbers, shopping, countries, time, body. The ninth section is for phrases, and one advantage is that they are pronounced individually for you, which you can do for the individual words, too. There are two categories of games, easy and hard, and the program tracks your progress.

If you like to collect lots of phrase books with basic vocabulary, this might be fine for you, as you can at least learn some words and phrases that might be useful, but for me the major shortcoming is there is nothing on the grammar. I would rather invest the money in the 2-CD version of the half dozen languages I'm interested in, and then pay the extra for the 5 and 8 CD advanced Instant Immersion software when I'm ready to progress to the next stage of learning.

Still, for a reasonable price you get 33 languages, including all the main European ones plus things like Swahili, Korean, Finnish, Hindi, Tibetan, Vietnamese, and so on. So if you like to play around with exotic languages this might be the set for you, but you'll need to supplement it with a real language learning course if you're serious about really going anywhere with your studies.

I need to mention one drawback to the CD's, however. I have reasonably fast, 16x read and 48x write speed CD, and the program still runs fairly slowly, although I have a half gig of RAM and a 2.6 GHz system. It's mostly noticeable when using the pronunciation capability, but it spends a lot of time just seeking when you're jumping between sections. It's tolerable on my CD player, but if you have an older, slower one, be advised it's going to be slow.

One solution would be to get Tenebril software's Virtual Drive Manager program which will copy it to your hard disk so you can run it from there. I've tested it on about a dozen programs and it works on most of them. So it's not a sure thing but the program isn't that expensive and it does work for many things. Tenebril can be found on the web, where I bought it. I don't know if their software is carried by most computer stores or not. ... Read more

Features

• CD-Rom with booklet to learn real French
• It uses conversations with French natives which are written down exactly as spoken.
• It uses colors to show what is and what is not pronounced in spoken French
• It's a step by step repetition of entire excerpts of conversations.
• Rules of the French spoken language are explained in a simple way.

Reviews (15)

I've tried them all and this one is IT!!!
With an impending vacation to Paris, I wanted to become familiar with the French language, having never studied it before. I've read and listened to nearly every major French language program out there, including Barron's, Berlitz, Michel Thomas, Living Language French, Teach Yourself French and Instant Immersion. Smart French is by far the best, both in value and in what it teaches. I couldn't understand why after studying these other methods, when I watched a French film, I could understand little to nothing of what was being said. After purchasing Smart French and working each of the interactive lessons, I finally get it. What is taught in the textbooks is not the way the French actually speak. They contract so much that the written French is quite different from the spoken French!

A child learns a language first by hearing it spoken and mimicking the sounds, then by attaching meaning to the words. This is what Smart French does. It teaches you to hear first, repeat the sounds that you hear and translate later. First you learn to hear, then speak and finally to understand. All the other methods teach basically the same way and method, while Smart French is very different. I wholeheartedly recommend Smart French!!!

Not a stand-alone product
This is an excellent tutorial in spoken French, but falls a little short in one or two regards. For example, it could *really* benefit from a vocabulary list. The French and English are placed side by side, but there are numerous occasions wherein the English translation fails to include entire words from the French, leaving the user to figure out what the French words mean from context, which words mean what, or running to a dictionary (which are notoriously short on idiomatic expressions). While language is certainly learned in this manner by children, it can be frustrating for the student of French who wants to learn quickly. A vocabulary list would solve this problem. Also, because the CD-ROM is set up in a non-linear fashion, while listening to the CDs one has to hear the same phrases repeated over and over ("we suggest you follow our approach" and "this is called liasion" come to mind), which becomes tiring. Having said that, I highly recommend this series for anyone who is studying/has studied French and wants to know how to *speak* French. I use it in conjunction with Learn in Your Car series (a terrific vocabulary builder), and a free resource online, "Chloe ou Les aventures d'une Parisienne." But if you are a beginner, you will certainly need something in addition to this series.

The SmartFrench CD=Remarkable Tool to Learn French
With the SmartFrench CD, I have finally found the tool I searched for, to help me practice speaking French the way native speakers do. Through a series of interesting interviews with charming and engaging speakers, one can choose the level of expertise from beginner to advanced to practice speaking and understanding. The various levels maintain the challenge for the student. The CD is easy to use. I appreciate that the steps in the process were outlined and all I needed to do was to follow them. However, one can also choose to skip steps and still benefit from the practice with the CD. I definitely recommend the CD for all students of French who want to understand and be understood. Thanks Christian!

Tried them all -- FINALLY something that works
With an impending vacation to Paris, I wanted to become familiar with the French language, having never studied it before. I've read and listened to nearly every major French language program out there, including Barron's, Berlitz, Michel Thomas, Living Language French, Teach Yourself French and Instant Immersion. Smart French is by far the best, both in value and in what it teaches. I couldn't understand why after studying these other methods, when I watched a French film, I could understand little to nothing of what was being said. After purchasing Smart French and working each of the interactive lessons, I finally get it. What is taught in the textbooks is not the way the French actually speak. They contract so much that the written French is quite different from the spoken French!

A child learns a language first by hearing it spoken and mimicking the sounds, then by attaching meaning to the words. This is what Smart French does. It teaches you to hear first, repeat the sounds that you hear and translate later. First you learn to hear, then speak and finally to understand. All the other methods teach basically the same way and method, while Smart French is very different. I wholeheartedly recommend Smart French!!!

Fantastic Product
Over the years I have tried many ways to learn French, including tapes, CDs and individual instruction, with limited success. SmartFrench has created a unique and effective way to learn which dramatically increases confidence and comprehension. Just a few lessons using the SmartFrench techniques made my last trip to France an entirely different experience! I would recommend SmartFrench to anyone who wants to understand and speak French. ... Read more

Features

• Full coverage of the U.S. and point-to-point address routing on the device
• Voice prompts guide you and get you there(Pocket PC version only)
• Millions of points of interest -Find any hotel, restaurant, bank, school on the map
• Database of over 100 million residential and business phone listings - easily imported into contact management and spreadsheets
• Load up topographic maps of any area you'll be visiting or exploring - and follow along on the map, as you travel

Reviews (4)

One star is certainly too generous for this product...
Is it just me or is having "long live Parisian Bread" as one of the first things taught to you in a foreign language a little ridiculous? If you want to be thrown into a language -- I guess that's what Topics Entertainment considers "immersion" -- and then randomly learn various words, expressions, etc., without any kind of basic French foundation -- like the alphabet, maybe? -- to build upon or some cumulative-based structure to work with in the process, then you definitely should buy this. Otherwise, forget it--it really is a waste of your money. (Goddamn Best Buy for it's no returns on opened software. Perhaps I'll have some luck on ebay.com HAHA!)

Very good.
I really like this software. The fact that it is based on immersion (you hear the language first, and then communicate) is a real advantage of this software. Immersion has been considered the best way to learn a language, that is why spending time in a country is the best way to learn a language. That is what happens with this software, but you don't have to travel to France! It is also very complete as it involves reading, speaking, listening,...
It is a great value as well as you receive a very complete package.

Zero stars should be an option for this product
This is the worst software product that I've ever owned, bar none!!! It has no systematic plan of instruction and it thrust the user into language tranlation situations right out of the chute, with out even the slightest preparation.

As a primer it is totally worthless. It doesn't begin with an overview of the alphbet, nor a review of basics of French grammar, nor does it deal with the elements of sentence structure. It jumps right into conversational translation without the least bit of preparation.

If you are a beginner, steer clear of this product. It's a waste of your time and your money. Never have I encountered a more frustrating software product. Were I the developer, I would not want my name associated with this product.

I'm returning it if that tells you anything.
I don't know why I gave it two stars. I guess I felt a little generous. I have been studying French for a little over 4 years and I wanted something really interactive. It's semi-interactive but most of it is just a jumbled mess. The exercies don't go together. There are no themes to choose from. It's hard to learn any new vocabulary when it is all jumbled together. I wouldn't call this instant immersion. I would call it instant confusion. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very well designed!
This software is very complete, with all the skills to learn German involved: speaking, writing, grammar, listening, comprehension...

The speaking capabilities is outstanding, as the software recognizes your voice and can correct your pronunciation mistakes.

Activities are very interactive and diverse, making it very engaging and fun.

I used it a lot, and still the length of the software is amazing.

Very well designed!

Super program!
I'm a Spanish and Chinese teacher who has decided to learn German. I received this set for Xmas, and I love it! The lessons are well presented with a variety of activities that help you work on all four aspects of language learning--reading, writing, listening, and speaking--with an emphasis on listening and speaking skills. It has a variety of activities to help you learn, and you can spend a lot of time on favorite activities--I love the crossword puzzles for vocabulary development. The input is generally comprehensible, and unlike other reviewers, I find that there is more than enough material to keep me busy for many many hours. The only shortcoming of the program is the somewhat inaccessible dictionary--I would suggest you buy your own German-English dictionary for convenience.

I plan to recommend the Spanish version of this program to my students who are having trouble in class.

Useless, and frequently 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! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn Spanish Now! 9.0 Deluxe takes you from beginner to confidentspeaker in no time. Listen and speak activities, grammar tools, and vocabularygames build a solid foundation, while real-life video content lets you interactwith native speakers. Learn Spanish Now! also adds online features that createan interesting and authentic atmosphere, making it fast, fun, and highlyeffective to learn Spanish.

Learn Spanish Now!'s four stimulating titles include: Fundamental Spanish,Survival Phrases for Spanish, Conversations in Spanish, and A Spanish Adventurewith Andrés. GrammarPro!, the software's comprehensive grammar tool, adds morethan 10,000 words, extensive tutorials, and grammar quizzes to your desktop.Installed, GrammarPro! integrates seamlessly with all four Learn Spanish Now!titles to provide detailed grammar analyses with just a click of your mouse.

Online features, fun interactive games, conversations, and phrases round outthis deluxe suite. Practice your pronunciation using the integrated speechfeatures, then record your voice and replay your conversation. Learn at your ownpace by deciding when you need translation. Microsoft Windows users also receiveGlobalWriter98, a word-processing tool that helps you write in more than 100languages, as well as a handy screen saver. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Useful in Learning Spanish
I work as a border guard at a USA-Mexico border stop and let me tell you that Spanish Now has helped my Spanish speaking skills a lot while helping to give me a valuable job skill. Before I picked this product up I spoke Spanish on a very limited begining level. Spanish Now enabled me to work on several aspects of my language learning. With the very good audio features my pronunciation and interpretation of Spanish improved greatly. The amount of vocabulary I was able to learn from Spanish Now was astonishing. The games made for good practice and review of the various lessons/knowledge obtained from the program. The conversation practice feature allowed me to develop my Spanish communication skills with life like practice. The overall performance of this program surprised me and I highly recomend it.

Worth the [Buy!!!]
I was skeptical at first, but once I got to using Spanish Now I was very impressed. I decided to buy this because I was taking a trip to South America(where a great deal of the population speaks Spanish) and needed to practice Spanish for the trip. I hadn't taken any Spanish classes since college so I was quite rusty but this program helped me a lot. I was able to dive right in and review vocabulary, practice conversations for various situations, work on my pronunciation, learn grammar, ect. I was very impressed with the great amount of depth offered making this program ideal for begineers or more advanced speakers. Spanish Now also makes great use of available technology by integrating video and audio together in various parts of the program which effectively adds some realism. My impression of this product is that it is well worth the buy leading me to give it the 5 star rating it deserves.

Worthless junk not even fit for the garbage.
The program "Learn Spanish Now" turned out to be total junk and a complete waste of money. The only lesson I learned was to not to buy computer software without trying it first. Don't waste your money on this senseless mess.

This Product is Garbage
I purchased Spanish Now! in hopes of finding a software that would review my Spanish skills so that I could be ready to enter Spanish IV in my Junior year. Not only is this product hard to use, but it didn't review any useful grammar or fundamental Spanish. After finding that none of the features were helpful in learning Spanish in the slightest, I threw it into the garbage. I would strongly advise you not to waste your money.

Beware forged reviews
Apparently this company's management had so little confidence in its product's quality that they felt it necessary to upload a batch of fake reviews in July 2003; one or two for each product variant. They did not anticipate that Amazon would display all reviews for all variants, making their fake review language transparently obvious - as others have also noted here. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

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

Features

• Tagalog language learning software
• Study vocabulary, phrases, culture, and more
• Recording tool lets you practice with native speakers
• Games and challenging quizzes make learning fun
• On-screen help available in more than 70 languages

Reviews (3)

You won't be able to talk back and forth with this.
If you are looking to buy this software in order to speak to someone back and forth, this is not the product for you. It will teach you phrases and questions, but you won't be able to understand any answers that a native speaker might give you because it doesn't teach you that. You will be able to identify objects in a house or building, but you won't know how to use them in a sentence or even in a fragmented sentence. This is also true for colors. If this is what you rely on to travel somewhere you might find yourself in the middle of a croud just saying azul(blue)......pula(red).... malalim na azul(dark blue)....Nasaan ang maipaparada ng kotse(where can I park the car?) and then even when you ask where can I park the car you won't know where to park it because you won't understand anything that people will tell you because it doesn't teach you that(people might think you're retarded haha). It only teaches you numbers up to 20, so you're out of luck if you ask magkano ito? (how much is this?) and the answer is 150 pisos. You'll just have to hand a merchant a wad of cash and hope he is honest and gives you your change. However, with all the bad things out of the way, this might make a good start for you to learn how to say the words correctly, even though the guy that talk doesn't pronounce the words correctly on there, just click on the girl(she says the correct pronunciations). After completing the CD, Which only took a bout a week and a day and scoring a perfect score on everything on the CD,I would say that this software is incomplete. The manufacturer could have done a better job. I give it a 1 out of 5.

Good software to learn the basics
This CD is "fast, fun & user friendly" just like the good people at Talk Now say. It plays on both Windows and Mac computers. I recommend it for what it is. A beginner's learning tool for the essential words and phases. A useful feature is you can learn using YOUR native language as you have choice of over 70 languages. I tried Chinese as I know it reasonably well and it worked just OK - I feel they designed it primarily for those with English as their 1st language. So if you American, Brit, Aussie, or Canadian this is a good beginner's guide for you.

It's best feature is it's pronounces the words in both male and female voices as many Tagalog courses do not pronounce the words for you :-( You will enjoy the games and tests to measure your progress and it allows you to print your own dictionary for handy reference. I just wish it covered even more of our Tagalog words. Just incase I forget them.hehehe

Talk Now! Tagalog by Eurotalk
Nice interactive cd for beginning Tagalog. Learn basics such as numbers, colors, directions as well as some simple dialogs. The sound is quite clear and allows you to hear the words pronounced alternately by a male and a female voice. There are also multiple choice quizes that test what you have learned. There is a text that can be printed as well to assist in the learning of Tagalog. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

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.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good for understanding, but not speaking.
I'll start by saying that I am a die-hard fan of the Pimsleur Language system, so take this review with a grain of salt, if you'd like. I will also say that I have always struggled with foreign languages until I discovered Pimsleur. Now, I am almost fluent in Brazilian Portuguese, and can communicate in several others (Russian, German and French)
Why did I bother with Rosetta Stone if Pimsleur is so great? Well, by itself, no program out there is complete, Pimsleur being no exception. I found that though my spoken skills were developed by Pimsleur as no other program could, my vocabulary was limited, and my listening skills still needed work. I found that Rosetta Stone is good at forcing you to listen and write well. In addition, it greatly enhances the limited vocabulary provided by Pimsleur.
I can't imagine for a minute though that one could develop good spoken language skills with Rosetta Stone by itself. I simply won't believe it, because it doesn't afford you the opportunity to speak in a conversational type setting. This is necessary practise for becoming fluent.
Summary? Use Pimsleur, supplement with Rosetta Stone. Happy learning!

The BEST
I've taken many language courses, mostly in Spanish and French. I used to quit once it got hard simply because I was bogged down with grammar. The Rosetta Stone for Portuguese Level I(I also bought Level 2), in this case, Brazilian Portuguese, is completely different than any language course I've tried in that YOU choose how and when you learn. The pictures are colorful.You have two men and a woman voice for variety. You get to choose between listening, reading, writing, speaking. The only thing that didn't work for me was the recording of my voice for comparison because the microphone I had wasn't compatable, but in the record mode, you can still play back the speakers either in slow or normal conversational speed and 'see' how the words 'sound'. Fairly good with languages anyway, my accent is gradually going 'native'so I don't need to record myself. Through trial and error I've discovered the 'listening' mode works best. That way when the next picture comes up I can think its description in Portugese rather than be dependent on reading the Portuguese decription.I adore the fast tutorial. You can test yourself. You're given a book that you can read your lessons if you don't feel like putting in the CD. The CD works without a glitch. The best thing about this course is that you CAN'T get bored even with the repetition because you decide how you want to do things. The clever thing about the colorful box is that the front opens up like a book which describes the course features. The Rosetta Stone IS the BEST for language instruction if classes and cassette tapes don't work. ... Read more

Features

• Door-to-door route planning for Western Europe
• Over 2,700,000 miles of road; 700,000+ points of interest
• Over 4,750,000 streets; 54,000,000+ house numbers
• GPS-compatible; up-to-date maps and traffic information
• Multi-lingual user interface including Spanish

Amazon.com Review

KidSpeak Spanish French German Italian Japanese Hebrew is a double CD-ROM featuring six comprehensive language programs. It is fun and easy to use and will help multilingual children practice a choice of different languages through a range of games, songs, and puzzles.

Each of the different language programs is an immersion program, so all the instructions are in the chosen language. For this reason, younger children who are not so confident with the basics of the language may need adult support. More confident children will quickly pick up what they are expected to do and will be able to work independently through the games. There is also a very useful help option which explains the choices of games in English.

Having chosen the language that they wish to work on, children can then play a range of games and listen to songs to consolidate the vocabulary that has been introduced. Most of the games can be played at three levels of difficulty. The games include activities such as identifying fruit, colouring fruit appropriately, pairs games with pictures and words, identifying animals, ordering pictures, setting given times on clocks, and putting objects into a backpack. A wide range of vocabulary is consolidated, such as numbers, the alphabet, animals, objects, times, colours, fruits and vegetables, the weather, transport and leisure activities. A set of online activities, which can be printed out, will also help to review what children have learned.

KidSpeak Spanish French German Italian Japanese Hebrew would be a very useful buy for children ages 5 to 12 who are multilingual or who are learning a range of languages at school. It is also ideal for a parent who wants to introduce their child to a new language. --Amanda York ... Read more

Reviews (7)

There must be a better bang for your buck.
I bought this software on the recommendation of some software review site, and I must say my 9 year old daughter and I were disappointed. The graphics are sometimes hard to make out on the screen. (The animation altogether isn't very appealing at all, but that's not why I bought it . . . )And my daughter kept repeating, "But I want to learn sentences!" It's just an okay introduction if you want to learn the names of fruits and vegetables.

I could not run the software on window XP
The software is too old to run on the window XP professional. I could not use it.

Awesome For Kids
KidSpeak 6-in-1 is an awesome product for kids to have fun with and learn several languages(Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Hebrew). The animation is very fun and my kids really love this. I love the fact that my child will talk to me in a different language and I'm sure other parents would agree. When it comes down to it, Transparent Language did an awesome job with this software and I couldn't be more satisfied with it.

Language Learning For Kids
KidSpeak 6-in-1 is my child's favorite thing to do on the computer. There are many fun games and activities to do in KidSpeak which teaches a child foreign language. The cartoon animation and the characters are very entertaining for my child who spends hours at a time playing this game. This is a good way to have a child exposed to foreign languages which are easier to learn at a younger age. Before you know it, your child will be talking to you in another language. KidSpeak 6-in-1 has 6 languages included with it (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Hebrew) meaning there is plenty for a child to learn and do in the program. I would recomend this program for all children because it is educational yet fun at the same time.

I have Windows ME
I haven't really been able to run this software, I think it's because I have ME. I have used it before on my sister-in-law's computer and thought it was a great way to grab a young child's interest in another language. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With more than 130 years of experience, Rand McNally knows whattravelers need and want in mapping and travel planning products.StreetFinder & TripMaker Deluxe offers routing, travel planning,organizational tools, and area attractions to users--all in aneasy-to-follow design with helpful guides and tutorials that make planning andfinding directions easy. This is the ultimate routing and travelplanning suite for the business traveler and vacationer. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Couldn't get this puppy off the ground
I wasn't able to install this software and my machine exceeded all the requirements. I am very frustrated and disappointed with this product. I chose this over MS's map software because it was Rand McNally, a respected map maker. Apparently software is not their forte. I now have to make a trek back to the store to return this product and buy the MS software. A waste of time, a huge aggravation, and a big disappointment.

What a waste of my hard earned money!
Microsoft Streets & Trips is much easier to use, more flexible in planning routes and does not require access to the internet to get turn-by-turn instructions. I'm very disappointed in this product.

Difficult to use
I have attempted to use this product many time for trips and it is at best difficult to use. It frequently locks up when calculating the route or accessing trip sense. The fact that it chooses ridiculous routes is not unusual for map software, but again attempts to tweak the route by using the "prefer segment" feature often doesn't work or locks up.
The PDA downloads are virtually worthless.
It is difficult to use Streetfinder also in that when in high zoom, many streets are not indicated by their state of federal route numbers.
My opinion is stay away from this product.

I'd pay hundreds for one that does it all well - where is it
I have been using this software for 3 years and will continue to use it. BUT, I find myself frequently finding ways in which the program could and should be improved. We travel with a pop-up camper for 70 days a year, logging in an average of 6000 mile /year. Plenty of "test" time.
Pros:
- Cheap. A limited version was free and I liked it enough to by the $30 Deluxe 2001. It is now packaged with the StreetFinder which I do not have.
- GPS function is a hoot. It is not always on the nut for coordination with the map, but it works well and it gives my wife something to do in lieu of correcting my driving.
- Mapping a basic route is very simple. Major roads and most secondary highways are right on the money.
- Using the program saved me at least once on every trip by correcting a missed turn to re-routing through detours.

Cons:
- Zoom. Maps are primative at low zoom levels and have many errors at high zoom levels, but generally provides "passable" information. It's easy to miss detail on the maps unless you remember to zoom in. It is slow in redrawing a zoomed or re-centered map.
- Missing information. As campers who prefer the more rustic locations we find that some of our preferred campgrounds are missing from the database. For example, there is one listing each for the White Mountains, The Green Mountains and the Alleghany Mountain National Forests. It does not list individual campgrounds of which there are many. Some state parks are missing too. There is little excuse for that as all the information is on the net.
- Commercial. There is lots of info on private campgrounds but not all. I suspect that there might have been listing fee involved and that takes presidence over accuracy. Unfortunate.
- Outdated. One campground changed their name in 1996 and it still was not listed properly in the 2001 edition. We drove past it 4 times before we believed the GPS and went in to check. Many other examples of that.
- Inaccuracies. It was kind of fun to see that we were traveling in the Bay of Fundy. Most of the Canadian and rural areas maps had poorer coorination with the GPS.

Recommendation: Extensive review of the reviews does not turn up a program that fulfills the promise of mapping and travel planning software. I'd pay hundreds for the program that does it all. Where is it?
In the meantime, this program provides a service and is more fun than frustrating. Where else can you spend $30 and keep your wife entertained for days on end?

Tripmaker is bugridden
TripMaker is so buggy that I would be reluctant to buy any Rand McNally product again. I bought it very cheaply at Costco -- I do not care about the money -- it is the lack of quality that bothers me.
There were several error messages during the install process, and the program hangs whenever I try to input a date. In addition, its routing and street level detail is primitive, to be kind. ... Read more

Features

• Import crucial data from a PC or handheld to your cellular phone, or vice versa
• Create, edit, share and transfer contact information on the go, or at home
• Also lets you use a celphone as a wireless modem, so you can check your email or go online anywhere
• Integrates easily with Outlook, Outlook Express, ACT! and many Palm software tools
• Compatible with over multiple Sanyo cell phone models

Features

• Convert PDA into portable road atlas of the 48 continental states
• Maps cover over 1/2-million miles of U.S. interstates and highways
• Displays print Road Atlas page and grid numbers for easy reference
• 5,000+ points of interest; city-to-city driving directions for 12,000 cities
• Supports both color and grayscale maps; built-in GPS tracking feature

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)

A good method for learning a new language
I found this method made this language very accessible to a native English speaker. It shows pictures, shows the word, and plays the sound of the word so that they can all become connected together in the mind - a method that brings the learner much closer to fluency. I was glad that the method didn't rely upon connecting the Korean word with the English one - a method that requires the learner to first recall the "English" word in order to access the memory for the Korean one.

Unlike one of the other reviewers, I was also glad that the interactive version allowed the listener to listen to the properly pronounced word instead of showing a "phonetic" spelling. The Korean language has many consonants for which there is no English equivalent, like a letter between k and g, a letter between l and r, and a letter between p and b, and those can be extremely difficult and even more confusing to describe than simply listening to the properly pronounced word and trying to mimic it. The native Engligh speaker who tries to substitute an English "equivalent" for one of the actual sounds will be learning to pronounce the word incorrectly! And a language learned improperly in the first place is much more difficult to correct than simply learning it correctly the first time.

My biggest gripe about this method is that it doesn't take advantage of the inherent logic in the Korean alphabet - which is phonetic itself! If there was only a single chapter on the characters and their pronunciations, then this program would be complete. As it stands, I would recommend that the student of Korean first study the alphabet before beginnning this program. The lack of focus on the Korean characters and their pronunciations is the reason that I give this program only 3 stars.

Not for complete beginners or intermediates
I was not very impressed with this program at all. I am a Korean linguist and I was hoping this would help to expand my knowledge, however, it is way too simple for someone with any prior formal language training. On the other hand, I noticed that it does not even teach the alphabet, a vital key to learning any language. The only reason it got two stars was because if someone could obtain training on the Korena alphabet, then this could be an excellent tool for beginners.

A good START!
I made a mistake when buying this product thinking it was going to teach me korean. Instead it's just an introduction to the world of "rosetta stone" with just two units in Korean and a single lesson (11 lessons seem to make a unit) in each of a ton of different languages that I don't care about. The learning mechanism seems very good. In different activity modes you either see pictures and have to pick out the correct text or vise versa. Some activities only include sound forcing you to improve listening skills, some only include text focusing on reading skills. With repetition you learn very fast and can record your progress.

The best thing (which is not included in the explorer) would be to have the complete lesson set of the language you want to learn and the language you already know. That way you could learn both by visual inspection and by translation. But with the explorer you can only learn from translation on the very first (and only) lesson which is included in english.

A Great Way to Learn the Language
I highly recomend this one. The program teaches you to read and write in a format that is both educational and even entertaining if you treat it like a game. My only complaint is that some of the spoken words sound very similar and it would be nice to have the phonetic spelling of the words there to look at just to help you recognize exactly what is going on. It's a minor gripe, but mine. If I could I'd only take a half point off for that. If your going to Korea and need to learn the language this is a must.

Basics are missing
The format of this program is that the learner selects right answer from four photos depicting the written sentences or what they hear. It places heavy focus on reading. Therefore it is not appropriate for beginners who don't have prior training in Korean. ... Read more

Product Description

U.S. Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots is ideal for fishing, recreational boating or camping. Featuring maps of thousands of the country's best fishing and boating destinations, it is divided into three easy-to-use geographic regions: East, Central and West. Anglers and pleasure boaters alike will appreciate the detail, selection, and easy-to-use format of these lake maps all at a very competitive priceGarmin has simplified the way anglers purchase and use these maps. Map detail and data may be viewed on a personal computer and then downloaded to select Garmin GPS products or purchased on pre-programmed data cards. All lakes in each region are unlocked making it easy to use. The CD-ROM version includes all U.S. Recreational Lakes and Fishing Hot Spots maps for each region, while the data card version offers regional Fishing Hot Spots maps only.In addition to Fishing Hot Spots lake detail, U.S. Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots v5 CD-ROM features thousands of recreational lakes, some with more information than others. In particular, Central and Eastern regions contain extra detail, including depth contours, for many lakes throughout nine states. ... Read more

Features

• Provides detailed shoreline information for most lakes in the Eastern U.S.
• Provides detailed lake maps that include depth contours, boat ramps, fuel mile markers, hazards, marinas, campgrounds
• Contains general Interstate, highway country roads and lake data for the Eastern U.S.
• Trip and waypoint management function transfers waypoints, routes and tracks between your Garmin GPS and your PC
• Suggests fishing areas and seasonal catching strategies

Features

• Phrase-by-phrase full document translation -- not simply word-by-word.
• Translate directly from Microsoft Word and Corel Word Perfect
• Easy to use, just open your file, and click on the translate button
• Automatically generates all Spanish accent marks and other characters
• Evaluates sentence structure, determines appropriate part of speech, tense, meaning, and word order, to provide a translation sensitive to both grammar and syntax.

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn French Now! 9.0 Deluxe takes you from beginner to confidentspeaker in no time. Listen and speak activities, grammar tools, and vocabularygames build a solid foundation, while real-life video content lets you interactwith native speakers. Learn French Now! also adds online features that create aninteresting and authentic atmosphere, making it fast, fun, and highly effectiveto learn French.

Learn French Now!'s four stimulating titles include: Fundamental French,Survival Phrases for French, Conversations in French, and A French SurpriseBirthday Party. GrammarPro!, the software's comprehensive grammar tool, addsmore than 10,000 words, extensive tutorials, and grammar quizzes to yourdesktop. Installed, GrammarPro! integrates seamlessly with all four Learn FrenchNow! titles to provide detailed grammar analyses with just a click of yourmouse.

Online features, fun interactive games, conversations, and phrases round outthis deluxe suite. Practice your pronunciation using the integrated speechfeatures, then record your voice and replay your conversation. Learn at your ownpace by deciding when you need translation. Microsoft Windows users also receiveGlobalWriter98, a word-processing tool that helps you write in more than 100languages, as well as a handy screen saver. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Excellent Software!
1)This is the most powerful and wonderful learning tool I have ever seen. You can click on the words to get better punctuation.

2) You can view what you are speaking. The pictures are good and speak directly from your word text.

3) You are able to read it in english and read and hear in french at once. And see it. Which allows easy memory of what you are saying.

4) Easy installation and offers great support and help guides.

5) You will learn quickly.

6) This is good for beginners because again it allows you to click on each word. It is even good for those who need to catch up on what they are speaking...

I believe it is a good price and worth your time and effort.

Very helpful.
1. You can click and hear almost all the French words in this software. And it shows the meaning of the word and a little bit of grammar at the same time too.

2. The pronounciation is very clear.

3. Adequate and very good convasation and listening sourse.

4. Lots of activities to keep you learning- and they are all interesting!

5. BUT not enough grammars..

If you are bigginer with no French grammars, this software can be a bit hard.
But overall, this software is the best language learning software I've ever used and I strongly recommend it.

Sorry I Ever Wasted My Money On This @%$#
I bought this title back in August when the reviews seemed overwhelmingly good. But it is obvious now that someone connected with this company was trying to boost the rating with false commentaries. This is truly the worst piece of software I have ever used. There is no rhyme or reason to the GUI, even the sound of the French speakers is muddled. I have the Rosetta Stone French Explorer that my husband and I enjoy using.We were surprised when we actually started the learn the language. But rather than spend the extra money for the Rosetta Stone complete software program I fell for this drivel. As my husband says, quite often you really do get what you pay for. This lousey piece of &^$# is heading for the Goodwill Store.

Beware many of the other reviews, written by company...
It's hard to imagine a more transparent attempt to inflate the user ratings for these products. Over half of the five-star rated reviews are copy-paste identical. Not coincidentally, there is one such review for each language product they make. I'm glad Amazon is bunching them together so you can see this clearly. Beware!

A friend lent me the French version and it's mediocre and unstructured.

Try this! Its good!
French Now by Transparent Language is excellent for language learning. It gave me everything I could need to learn and practice all aspects of French. It has an Alphabet Reference, Pronunciation practice features, Grammer tutorials, thousands and thousands of vocabulary words and phrases, and many games to help practice it all. My favorite feature is the Conversation practice which has you talking back into the computer with a microphone and then the computer will tell you if you answered correctly and how well your pronunciation is. In the end, I could not be happier with this software, it does everything its supposed to and more. ... Read more