5 stars (unlike any other!) - This program is amazing. We have an apartment in France, and for five years have been attempting to learn the language. This is a fun and different approach with which we have made more progress in a month, than past years of memorization and boring drills.
5 stars (Fantastic Program) - I have been meaning to learn French for quite some time and have picked up some books and audio tapes but got quickly frustrated and discouraged. However, after ordering this software I am starting to think that I may actually be able to learn French.
As a little background I have never been good at languages and I was not very good at my foreign languages in school (could barely speak a word). I am an absolute beginner at French an was very nervous that my past performance in learning languages would prevent me from learning French. I was also a little nervous when I read some of the other reviews that said this might not be the best program for beginners, but I ordered it in the hopes that I could at least try something new.
I am extremely happy with my purchase. The proram walks you through French in a very intuitive manner, and though there aren't any explanations it starts you out so slowly that you are easily able to figure out the meanings of what you are seeing on the screen. There is something to be said for learning a language by recognition and repetition rather than learning the grammer rules first. I do use my grammer book occasionally (I bought it before this) but only to satisfy my curiosity about certain thins like feminine and masculine articles, and singular and plural nouns...
Honestly this is a fantastic program that teaches you how to speak and hear French with amazing success. You do learn the grammer rules, but you figure them out for yourself by comparing phrases and by building on earlier lessons. It really is similar to the way a child learns to talk (without ever having to know what a past participle is). Bottom line - fantastic proram and I would have no problems suggeting it to anyone. Even if they know nothing about French and have struggled with other languages.
3 stars (Rosetta Stone; Not best for everyone) - I'm aware that Rosetta Stone is highly regarded in pedagogic circles. However, I haven't had much success with the methods employed by both Rosetta Stone and "Tell Me More." Seeing pictures representing words spoken in French doesn't stick in my head. I prefer the much less expensive "Learn to Speak French," which includes grammar tutorials and allows me to drill over and over while reading the French word and, if I like, the English translation. Admittedly, I am a novice student. Perhaps once I have the basics of the French language, grammar and all, under my belt, then I'll move on to Rosetta Stone with more success. |
