5 comments about SmartFrench Audio CDs Intermediate/Advanced.

1. I have learned French, but when the time came to speak it with my French friends or colleagues, I was lost. These Cds were the solution. As their title says, they are for Intermediate and Advanced. For Beginner students, try 'SmartFrench - Introduction to French, vol.1' and 'vol.2'. The method used is the most sound I have found so far. In French, you read a certain way and you speak another way. It's like a huge secret that is revealed in these Cds. I recommend them absolutely if you want to learn french well.



2. My investment in SmartFrench was the best money I've spent in a long time. I'd had some French experience in my growing up years while living overseas, and some high school and college French. But though I had a basic understanding and comprehension of the language, I didn't feel comfortable enough to actually open my mouth and attempt an actual conversation! About three months ago I purchased the Intermediate/Advanced cds from SmartFrench. The best way to describe the effect that my exposure to these cds has had, is to say that my mouth feels comfortable (and even rather delightful) with French rolling about in it now! After all the listening and repetition (the cds have been my constant driving companions), I'm no longer feeling tentative about pronunciation, or even the rhythm of the language. It's as though I've learned some dance steps and am now free to, albeit somewhat tentatively, move about the dance floor!
   It's also very enlightening to listen to the French interviews and learn to understand what is being said by the non-teacher-types!
   In addition to the new freedom I feel with the language, SmartFrench has clarified a lot of what categorizes a non-French speaker as just that - and has given practical advice on how to sound more French and less obviously foreign.
   French feels approachable and adventuresome to me again, and I'm excited that I discovered these wonderful cds.



3. I learned virtually nothing from this audio tape. It is a waste of money.



4. I tried a lot of material before, but all I was looking for was good tight nicely designed, organized and natural dialogs, with different degree of complexity and good vocabulary. Up to date course. This information isn't just thrown at you, but is being guided through, by the author who created this courses. You feel more like you are in the classrom and he is tutoring you, this is so valuable when you are trying to learn it fast with our our speedy needs. The name speaks for itself. Smart person's choice definitely!
   Thanks a lot Christian!



5. If you already had some French previously, and like to brush up on speaking/listening skills, this is an excellent addition. The program uses snapshots (with common daily vocabulary) of real life interviews with French people to tune up your listening as well as speaking skills. The lessons starts with going slowly, reading the written text, and ends with the normal speed of French people speaking. Practice in your car for a couple of weeks, and you'll be amazed how much your pronunciation improves.
   
   The accompany text is just the translation of the interviews. At this level, you should have a solid background of French vocabulary and grammar, and probably don't need a detail text on the translation, except for looking up a word here and there. We're really happy that we found this excellent tool. Have fun!

5 comments about Learning Spanish Like Crazy: Spoken Spanish, Vol. 1 (2 volume set).

1. I've tried several "Teach Yourself Spanish" programs (like Barron's), but this one is my hands-down favorite. Since it's entirely audio, I just pop the CDs in and listen during my drive to/from work. While the other programs I've tried are by no means poor, this set definitely is for the person who wants to be conversational. The instructors are interesting, and the pace is quick enough to keep you interested, but not so quick to get you lost. I highly recommend it!



2. The LSLC CDs have been a great supplement to using Rosetta Stone's Spanish Program for learning Spanish. The pacing of the audio can be a little slow at times, but for someone who's learning Spanish for the first time it works quite well. I wouldn't recommend this as the sole Spanish program for a first time speaker, but it works well as a supplement.
   
   As a bonus, the company who produced it regularly sends out bonus audios and videos with additional lessons. Though the CDs only contain 30 lessons in volume one, we've received almost 30 bonus lessons accessible on the web.



3. Learning Spanish Like Crazy uses a grammatical approach to learning Spanish. Each lesson teaches you how to conjugate the different verb forms. You learn other Spanish words in the process of each lesson. I found that this method takes a bit longer to be able to converse but I have a much better understanding of how Spanish works than if I used another method. I also like that there is a lot of information in each lesson. I found I have to listen more often to understand the lesson at first but that makes it worthwhile when reviewing and repeating the lesson is not as boring. Because of so much information, I like to think I got my money's worth when I purchased this course.
   
   I like it that this course focuses on Latin American Spanish and they use native Spanish speakers. Pimsleur's lost me when they wanted you to use "Castellano" instead of "Espanol" when saying what language you were speaking. That might be more correct if you are going to Spain but it isn't used here in the US or Latin America.
   
   Having an audio learning format is very useful. I find it very beneficial to be able to listen and learn Spanish. I have a hard time sitting down and trying to study something anymore so this method is great when doing something else. I also purchased the FSI Programmatic Spanish as a package on LSLC's website. I have not used the FSI Programmatic Spanish because you have to listen to audio while reading a book and that hasn't proved useful in my lifestyle.
   
   I also liked the transcripts that they provide. I was not always able to understand how to pronounce a word they used so being able to see what they were saying helped. (How do you say "rojo"? Rojo, brojo, drojo? Rojo=red.) In the process, I was able to see how Spanish speakers are able to roll the "r"s. The benefit of using several Spanish speakers is that it allows you to hear people with different accents.
   
   This course also teaches you how to use "informal" Spanish. This is more useful when talking to friends. They do cover the formal Spanish so you get a balanced learning experience but that isn't the main focus.
   
   A forum is provided so you can get help and support if you desire. I also appreciate the weekly emails. They aren't afraid to promote other Spanish products if they have found them useful. I was introduced to Rocket Spanish this way. (Rocket Spanish uses "common words & phrases" and I think it is quicker to get you talking to Spanish speakers. Both programs complement each other because of their different approaches. Rocket Spanish has less information in each lesson so if you are overwhelmed with LSLC then try that product. They also use a book and a flashcard type game that help you learn.)
   
   I have found that the different courses (Learning Spanish Like Crazy, Rocket Spanish and Pimsleur) all have their strong points and weaknesses. It depends on what you are looking for in learning Spanish. As a beginning Spanish student, I have found the most benefit from alternating between Learning Spanish Like Crazy and Rocket Spanish. Overall, I have found LSLC highly beneficial and I would purchase the product again.



4. In terms of content, I'd rate this product a 4. It does a good job of covering all the key grammatical points. Between LSLC 1 and 2 (total of about 35 cds), it covers about the same amount of material as LIYCS (11 cd's) and more material than BTWS 1. Key difference is that w/ the greater number of hours, it'll go into greater details through drills than LIYCS or BTWS and it seems more interactive helping u to remember stuff more. That said, for every hour of lessons, it covers much less vocab than the other two products. I've finished studying LIYCS and BTWS and this course is better. However, it provides no background on grammar so once it starts conjugating verbs, u don't really know why it was conjugated and stuff so can be confusing for total novice. The transcripts don't have any info on grammar either, unlike the other two products. The online grammar page is pretty thin and incomplete.
   
   Though can get a great deal on publisher's site with LSLC 1 and 2 plus 5 hrs of bonus lessons and FSI 3 and 4 for about $170, the product that u'll download is kinda crippled. They'll bait u w/ mp3 samples that are 192 kbps. When you actually order, the files for LSLC1 and 2 and bonuses range from 96 kbps at 22 kHz for entire LSLC 2, to some 112 kbps and a few 128 kbps at 22 kHz for LSLC 1. People here on amazon say the audio quality sounds great. To me, audio quality in BTWS and LIYCS sounded much clearer than LSLC. LSLC sounds like clear AM radio...with that hollow hissing sound when u turn up the volume...kinda hard to explain. BTWS and LIYCSsound like professionally recorded CD's. The free FSI 3 and 4 are 128 kbps at 44 kHz. The bonus video lessons downloads look like the 1.5x2" boxes u'd see w/ video quality worse than youtube. PDF of dialogs are about 10-12 pages per lesson, making them around 350-400 pages in total. They could have easily single spaced the pdf of transcripts to save us some paper from printing.
   
   Price wise, this product too expensive. It'd be more fair if both LSLC 1 and 2 w/ cd's were $200 total. Also, the website does itself a disservice w/ all that propoganda which makes it look like an informercial. For all the people whose pictures appears raving about it, it would seem as if their online forum would be vibrant and active. In reality, it's pretty empty with a few posters here and there. The reviews on amazing are waaay too glowing for this product, making me doubt their authenticity. However, the Free FSI 3 and 4 make LSLC worth it.
   
   5/24 addendum:
   In terms of equivalence:
   
   For FSI Spanish series, there is the Programmatic series and the Basic series.
   
   -FSI programmatic 1 and 2 by LSLC is a distinct course.
   -FSI basic (barrons and platiquemos) are a distinct course. Platiquemous divides the Basic in half so there's a total of 8 lessons from the original 4 lessons. Barrons has the first two lessons, which equals platiquemous' first 4 lessons.
   
   FSI Programmatic 1 + 2 = FSI Basic 1+2+3+4
   
   LSLC's bonus FSI 3 and 4 download are different from FSI programmatic...and don't follow their programattic 1 and 2 series..
   
   In terms of order of courses with increasing difficulty:
   Barron's FSI Basic 1 = plaquetimos 1/2 --> Barron's FSI 2 = plaquetimos 3/4 --> plaquetimos 5/6 = LSLC's FSI 3--> plaquetimos 7/8 = LSLC's FSI 4
   
   Because barron's only provides the first basic 1 and 2, that's why some posters have mentioned that u'd need to get the programattic II from LSLC to get the free FSI 3 and 4, or you could by plaquetimos.
   
   LSLC Spoken Spanish 1 and 2 are distinct from FSI but use same approach to teaching. LSLC's SS 2 covers up to subjunctive, which is in FSI 3. I haven't personally seen the programattic series.



5. I use these CDs in my car. Therefore, I'm not always paying close strict attention. But somehow the "sound" of these lessons is so much like regular speaking Spanish, I find I understand more of the Mexican telenovelas I've become addicted to without even really studying. I've never been able to pick up a language through traditional classes, but this method (LSLC and telenovelas) is proving more effective, and painless!

5 comments about Drive Time: Italian (CD): Learn Italian While You Drive (LL(R) All-Audio Courses).

1. i decided to purchase an audio lesson in italian...so I bought Drive Time. The first c.d. is fantastico. It's easy to follow along and you can get a good grasp of it even though its focused on small phrases. CD2, goes into warp speed and continually gets faster with every c.d. I don't know what happened between cd1 and the rest but i wouldn't reccommend it for beginners. If you know spanish,...great. I'm sure the pace is okay. But if you don't know spanish or any italian, fohget-a-bout-it. There isn't enough time to even repeat some of the words yourself. I find myself hitting pause every phrase/word so i can repeat it at a decent pace. If you decide to purchase it, good luck.
   ciao ciao.



2. I have been studying Barron's Italian Verb Book. these CDs were helpful with pronunciation as well as challenging me to come up eith both the meaning and answers to questions in Italian. BUT you need to pause the CD to think about what is being said as well as needing the time to answer in Italian. The pause they have on the CD is OK but only if you have gone through it a couple of times. I so wish they had gone further with the tenses. They stop where I really want to get going. So I listen now more for pronunciation than to learn. I wish they would come out with Cds that cover the rest of the tenses. If someone knows of more advanced CDs please put it in a review.



3. First cd is great - but then it starts moving too fast for a beginner.



4. I have purchased other teach your self courses in Italian and this is the best one I've heard. It starts out slow and even though some people say it speeds up and gets too fast, it still keeps a slow pace with the Italian. If you think this CD is too fast, try taking a trip to Italy and talking to one of the locals. The English speaking people in this course are very soft spoken with easily tolerable voices and the Italian speakers speak very clearly. I went through the first two CD's in just a couple of days and have been on the third one for about two weeks. I already can put together basic sentences and can interpret most spoken Italian. My biggest suggestion to anyone buying this course is to also get an English/Italian dictionary so you can see how the words are spelt and properly pronounced.



5. Recently got this to learn some italian. I dont know how much it will help as im only on disc two,but its FULL of info and the book that comes with it is a great guide to learning too. I think this is going to be great(once I learn it) Cd one and two has been wonderful.

5 comments about Conversational German: Learn to Speak and Understand German with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur).

1. Fairly solid grounding in beginning German; strong on pronunciation but short on vocabulary. And possessed of some very strange interchanges. You ask Frau Meyer if she wants some wine. She does. Then you ask her if she also wants a beer, as apparently she's either an alcoholic or you're trying to get her looped. So while you learn a little bit of German very well, it doesn't quite build enough vocabulary to have a conversation much beyond "I know a little German but I don't speak it well." And you'll sound like you're kidding when you say it with such good pronunciation, rendering the phrase almost useless.



2. I bought this box set for my boyfriend who is serving at a German army base. He says it has been helpful and he sleeps with the cds playing in his ears. Luckily, most Germans speak English but they appreciate your effort to speak German.



3. I have been amazed that I have been able to learn the language so fast. I truly think this is an excellent program.



4. Would not recommend this for beginners
   As there are no books
   I took 2 years in high school
   and two years in College
   so, I know the grammatical side
   and how to spell



5. The product is a wonderful value and saved our vacation. Please note that this is an introductory course and is not comprehensive by any means. We were told that most everyone in Germany spoke English but found many uncomfortable to do so. This product gave me enough German to convey my wants and desires. The lessons are easy to follow and teach by hearing and speaking. I was able to review all the material in two weeks and got many compliments on how well I sopke the language. This product would be helped greatly by some written material for back up. Overall, I am very satisfied with my purchase and heartily recommend it to any beginner.

5 comments about Conversational Spanish: Learn to Speak and Understand Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's).

1. 8 CDs no Books. 1/2 hour each lesson. I used it in my car to and from work. Each lesson is a track so you can't stop in the middle of the lesson.



2. Exactly what I was looking for! I drive to work, roughly 45 minutes each way, and always wanted this time not to be wasted. The length of lessons fits right-in with some 5 minutes to spare in case of an interrupting phone call. The course assume absolutely no off-time studying and no usage of printed material whatsoever. Additionally, being alone in a car, I am the most comfortable about pronouncing sentences aloud, compared to being in a real class (this I remember from my years at University) or at home with my family around (as of now, this would be the only other option).
   
   The pauses after English prompts are just right. On rare occasions when I get destructed and miss a moment to try my Spanish guess, there is always time to repeat the Spanish after the recorded voice before the next English prompt comes in. New words and expressions are naturally mixed in with repeated ones from previous lessons, making ideal byte sizes of new material in every next lesson while keeping you from forgetting what's learned before.
   
   There are 16 lessons in total. Of course, you can not stuck it all in your head in 16 sessions. If I feel that I miss more than 10% of prompts, I jump couple of lessons back. I had to jump to 4 after the first series of 1 to 6, then back to 6 after getting to 8 for the first time and so on. I went over number 12 today and feel confident about moving on to 13.
   
   I was reading the reviews before choosing this course, and one of those complained about this being Latin American Spanish rather than European Spanish. For me this is an advantage: my goal is to be able to communicate with locals and personal during our vacations to places like Mexico or Dominican Republic. I was surprised with how perfectly the program fits the goal. Dialogs concentrate on general courtesy, saying basic things about yourself, finding your way around, social eating and drinking, buying thins, timing, counting... It feels like the material was compiled with somebody exactly like me in mind: the phrase "One beer, please" is introduced as early as Lesson 5, if I remember correctly. I am looking forward to impressing my wife and kids during our next trip.



3. While the Pimsleur method remains solid, this series accentuates the product's weaknesses. It's very, very basic, so if you know any Spanish you'll be frustrated. It also encourages you to call Spanish by its Castillian name, but avoids Castillian pronunciations (so what's the point? And won't most American customers be going to Mexico, where they don't speak with a Castillian accent?) Moreover, it has the usual assortment of bizarro conversations and statements (I have a lot of pesos at the hotel), including endless practice of saying "I am a Mexican, Ecuadorian" etc. 1. I'm never going to say this. 2. I get the general idea after a few repetitions. The strong suit of Pimsleur is that you learn what you learn very well, with excellent pronunciation. The weak suit is that you don't build a lot of useful vocabulary. I can now say, with near perfect pronunciation, "I speak a little (Mandarin, German, Spanish), but I don't speak it well." But I can't have much of a conversation in any of these languages beyond that.



4. This is very helpful for the student who wants to learn Spanish, and especially helpful for those with pronunciation problems.



5. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RMELR6MRUXC1G If you are a visual learner you may not enjoy Pimsleur as much as I did. A visual learner may want to try Rosetta Stone V3: Spanish (Latin America), Level 1, 2 & 3. I have found a course here at Amazon.com that is actually better than Rosetta Stone Spanish for the visual learner: "Visual Link Spanish - Level I" - You can find it here at Amazon by doing a search for "Visual Link Spanish - Level I" under the category of software.
   
   Visual Link Spanish is better at helping you learn how to form your own sentences using images. Kids will also probably prefer Visual Link Spanish over other visual methods of learning Spanish including Rosetta Stone Spanish.
   
   Unfortunately, Visual Link Spanish only has one level so it will not take you to an advanced level of Spanish. I am still finding that Learning Spanish Like Crazy: Spoken Spanish, Vol. 1 (2 volume set) is the best course for anyone who wants to reach a true level of fluency in Spanish and it also the best for anyone who wants to speak the same Spanish that speakers from Latin America use in typical everyday situations (i.e. conversational Spanish).
   
   Despite the fact that the entire Pimsleur series is still rather basic, I still feel that Pimsleur is the best for learning the kind of Spanish that you would use in formal situations, particularly in Spain.

5 comments about The Spontaneous Healing of Belief: Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits (4 CD Set).

1. His best book yet! Filled with layers of information going beyond The Divine Matrix and beyond The God Code. I Can't put this book down!



2. clear presentation, easy to listen too. even if you have heard or read Gregg Braden before, this is a good discussion of the Laws of our Universe: how they work and how we interact with them.
   you will want to listen to this many times and share with your friends.



3. The Spontaneous Healing of Belief: Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits (4 CD Set)
   Your reading this because the teacher has presented himself to you. You asked and the next step is up to you. I have found that the idea has come to my mind and then the information is presented to me. This is confirmation of it's truth and the next step in my learning. As I advance my ideas change and become more refined. We are evolving physicaly and mentally but the choice is yours. Open your mind up to the possibilities and see what can happen.



4. Gregg has a great ability to remind me of how and why i need these reminders in order to re-mind me and refresh me. THANKS BRO



5. good information, especially if you are fighting an illness or issue in your life. logical and scientific reasons to look into healing yourself for those who are looking for"proof".

5 comments about Learn in Your Car French Complete (Learn in Your Car).

1. I bought Pimsleur first, then I went to another store and saw the 'Learn in Your Car' program. Since the latter promised more lessons than the former, I returned Pimsleur and bought LIYC. I was disappointed.
   
   Like another reviewer said, this is like having someone read a French dictionary to you. They throw an English word out there and follow it with the French translation....and that's it. I cannot see myself becoming proficient in another language by using this program. I would only recommend buying this if you need a quick reference on how to pronounce a word. I returned this program and bought back the Pimsleur discs. I am very happy with this decision.
   
   Although LIYC has more "lessons" than Pimsleur, you have to think in terms of quality over quantity. Pimsleur actually provides instruction, they break down terms for better understanding. They also sneak in material from previous lessons to ensure reinforcement. I'm a slow learner but I'm catching on pretty quick using Pimsleur. They're definitely the better brand.



2. This is just another one of those dumb, boring, and lazy memorization courses that doesn't have a clue about teaching a language.
   
   The first lesson is basics, which only teaches things like, I, you, her, him, and we. Not much else. From there they figure you are now fluent in French so lesson 2 goes into transportation words and phrases. The next 14 lessons do the same thing, picking a topic and just rattling off a bunch of phrases, once in English then twice in French, before going to the next phrase.
   
   In some of the later lessons of Level 2 they do go into some more basic things but these should have been covered way at the beginning. You will be so frustrated within the first few lessons of Level 1 that you will never make it this far. If you do, there is no reason for them to go into these basics as their method is simply to memorize phrases.
   
   Another bad thing they do is use wrong translations. In some of the lessons they want you to say "Excuse me" which in French is "Excusez-moi". However, they keep translating it in French to "s'il vous plaît" which means "please". Two totally different words. It is hard to do a course when you have to keep wondering what words they are teaching you are wrong and which are correct.
   
   I have to agree with the other reviewers who said this is nothing but someone reading out of a dictionary with no teaching, memory aids, pronunciation help, conversation, or grammar.
   
   The only thing this course will do is make you hate learning a language.
   
   If you want a good basic introduction into French, try "French in No Time".



3. This is a bargain way to learn french...it's also very relaxing. Just insert the cd into your car stereo and follow along. I have a one hour commute each way to school, and this is so much better than listening to the same old stuff on the radio!! I highly recommend.



4. I have bought several books and CDs to learn and practice my French. I found this collection to be the worst. There is NO conversation. Words are repeated (TWICE) so that you have to memorize them. Simple phrases don't even start until Lesson 26. I found it impossible to listen to this in my car, since I couldn't stop or rewind quickly enough to hear the words again to repeat them. This was a waste of $$.



5. This is a good package. With these cds you can have good 60 minute lesson every day. You won't become fluent using these materials alone, but they are good suppliments (especially when used after the Pimsleur course). Formal study and actual practice are always essential. Listen to the cds between classes in your free time and you will notice the benefits.

5 comments about SmartFrench Audio CDs Beginner Level.

1. I recently moved to France for a short-term job, and unfortunately I studied Japanese in high school and Spanish in college. No French. So I had about 6 weeks to cram before moving to France; Smart French was luckily just one of the items I purchased.
   The primary problem I have in learning French is that words on the page and the slow speaking of most French CDs do not help you understand people on the street, or in the next office, or anywhere. Spoken French is fluid, many letters are left out, and many words are linked. This is where SmartFrench is helpful.
   If you are starting from scratch on French, like I was, I highly recommend getting a good beginning French book, a good set of beginning French CDs, and studying for a few weeks before listening to SmartFrench. Then, once you know some words and sentence structures, start listening to SmartFrench so you know what things will sound like when you hear them in real life!
   The CDs are well-produced, and move at a pace that does help you to quickly follow the 'real-life' situations. It stops in places to explain why things sound the way they do, and points out general rules. You can use the enclosed booklet or not to follow along or read the translations, I have found benefits to doing it both ways. SmartFrench gives you a very honest view of what it will be like to hear french spoken on a day to day basis, and for that alone it is worth getting--otherwise you will think you know a lot of vocabulary, and feel incredibly lost when you must follow someone's directions or answer their questions.
   Bottom line, I recommend this as a supplement to other methods of learning French. Do not use it as your first step in the process of learning French, but don't neglect to use it early in the process either. Once you have a little bit of knowledge, it will help you know better how to read to yourself and what to listen for in conversations.



2. My investment in SmartFrench was the best money I've spent in a long time. I'd had some French experience in my growing up years while living overseas, and some high school and college French. But though I had a basic understanding and comprehension of the language, I didn't feel comfortable enough to actually open my mouth and attempt an actual conversation! About three months ago I purchased the Intermediate/Advanced cds from SmartFrench. The best way to describe the effect that my exposure to these cds has had, is to say that my mouth feels comfortable (and even rather delightful) with French rolling about in it now! After all the listening and repetition (the cds have been my constant driving companions), I'm no longer feeling tentative about pronunciation, or even the rhythm of the language. It's as though I've learned some dance steps and am now free to, albeit somewhat tentatively, move about the dance floor!
   It's also very enlightening to listen to the French interviews and learn to understand what is being said by the non-teacher-types!
   In addition to the new freedom I feel with the language, SmartFrench has clarified a lot of what categorizes a non-French speaker as just that - and has given practical advice on how to sound more French and less obviously foreign.
   French feels approachable and adventuresome to me again, and I'm excited that I discovered these wonderful cds.



3. I tried a lot of material before, but all I was looking for was good tight nicely designed, organized and natural dialogs, with different degree of complexity and good vocabulary. Up to date course. This information isn't just thrown at you, but is being guided through, by the author who created this courses. You feel more like you are in the classrom and he is tutoring you, this is so valuable when you are trying to learn it fast with our our speedy needs. The name speaks for itself. Smart person's choice definitely!
   Thanks a lot Christian!
   SmartFrench Audio CDs Beginner Level
   SmartFrench Audio CDs Intermediate/Advanced
   SmartFrench: Learn French from Real French People



4. The method is great. Listening, then speaking, but for someone like myself with absolutely no French (ie a beginner)the content was inappropriate. I am planning a trip to France later this year. I still don't know any basic vocabulary, how to introduce myself. How to ask for directions, the bank, everyday stuff like that.
   
   On a positive note, I thought , hey, this is what I need for Spanish. I did very well in high school Spanish but have never been comfortable trying to speak. This method actually gets you speaking right away. So with a solid vocabulary in Spanish and a knowledge of grammer, I expect Smart Spanish to get me speaking.



5. This is an excellent program for learning to speak French the way it's supposed to be spoken. I used to speak as a child in school, but haven't spoken the language for many years. As my kid is learning French, I'm trying to help. School classes teaches the hard stuff, like grammar, etc., and not exactly how to speak/listen to the language. We tried a few other programs and were fairly disappointed until we got SmartFrench. This is an excellent program where you learn to speak, and as importantly, listen to real conversations, at different speeds. There are also text to refer to, as well as the vocabulary list for the CD materials.
   
   One thing to understand though, that this program (Beginner level) does assume some basic knowledge of the language, and therefore not exactly for the absolute beginners. For the absolute beginners who never had any experience with the language, the also excellent SmartFrench - Introduction to French 1 & 2 CDs, also by Christian Aubert are more appropriate to start with.
   
   Finally, this is not a program that teaches you to conjugate verbs and such. There are many books and others for French grammar. This program excels at the one objective, training your listening and speaking skills so that you can speak French like the French do. It's a perfect program if you've had some French in the past and want to brush up on speaking/listening.
   
   Have fun!

5 comments about Basic Italian: Learn to Speak and Understand Italian with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur).

1. I found it quite useful, however it provides the very basic vocabulary and then you have to purchase an extremely expensive course to continue learning.



2. My husband and I have, in the last few years taken two trips to Europe and though we were only staying for a couple weeks wanted to learn a bit of the language in order to make an effort to at least be able to say the polite phrases and to understand the basics. I was not looking for a comprehensive program, nor was I looking to continue on to a more challenging program.
   
   This set was recommended by my sister who has a degree in Language and has learned and speaks several languages fluently. She advised me that Pimsleur was one of the best programs on the market for what I was looking for, and she was right.
   
   I have found that any effort that I have made to speak the language (no matter how horribly mangled-it appears that it is all about the sincere effort) has been met with appreciation and has often resulted in a more friendly and pleasurably stay. I'm NOT fluent, nor am I a quick study. I used polite/useful phrases from the series frequently in my travels such as: Hello, How are you, excuse me, do you speak English? I do not speak Italian, Where is the bathroom, the list goes on. Any attempts seem to be appreciated, and for me it is worth the time for me to learn a little to be able to get around a little easier. Also, it is fun. I can take the cd's in my car and work on them on my commute. Perfect!
   
   This will not teach you all the Italian you want to know if you are looking to speak fluently, but for a traveler, I thought it was perfect and it was both useful and fun.
   
   I would highly recommend this product for those traveling to Italy that would just like to know a bit of Italian. You can always build onto it later if you wish to, but for the traveler it is a very nice program.
   
   My one wish for these sets would be a booklet that gave a basic run-down on the chapters. With an audio only format sometimes I did not catch the word immediately and found myself looking up a few words on-line in order to understand how they were spelled so I knew if I was pronouncing them correctly. I'm a visual person, what can I say? Other than that I felt this was a highly effective program and would definitely look at other items in this series for our next adventure.



3. I am working my way through the CD's in my car and so far they are just what I needed. I may end up purchasing the next inthe series after I finish these.



4. This CD set is a great way to receive a simple exposure to the musicality (?) of the Italian language. The Italian language has a flow to it, like music. It is to Spanish what an Irish brogue is to English, if that helps. This CD set will not make you an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But it will get your ears and tongue accustomed to Italian, which is a good thing. I bought it and used it to get my feet wet in Italian and have since gone on to speak the language with mild fluency. It's great for the morning commute, in the car, listening to Italian. It goes at a good pace and tests your short-term memory along the way. There is no background music or sound effects, either.



5. I thought this was a great program. It focused on practical things first like saying "I don't understand" and "I speak English" and finished up with "I'll have dinner/drinks with you at nine o'clock". I liked the format, often the narrator asked you in English to say things and then you had a chance to do it in Italian before the speaker gave you the response so you weren't just using repetition.
   
   As other reviewers have noted, it would be nice to have a booklet with the words for review... I spent two lessons not sure I was hearing a certain verb correctly. I have had a lot of Spanish lessons so found a lot of similarities between Italian and Spanish and the format of their sentences and conjugation of verbs so perhaps the CDs were good for me because I wasn't exactly starting from scratch.
   
   I have since purchased the Italian I course to further work on my Italian. It should be noted that the 5 CDs (i.e. first 10 lessons) in the Basic Italian are also the first 5 CDs out of the 16 CDs in the Italian I. So if you think you'd like to learn past the "I'll go out to dinner with you", you might want to just buy Italian I and skip the Basic Italian.

5 comments about Learn in Your Car Spanish Complete Language Course (Learn in Your Car).

1. Between the initial lessons covered so far (Level 1) and Level 2 lessons (tape 2) there are several editorial errors. In some cases the response made in the CD has no connection with the initial phrase or it is in the wrong person or verb form.
   
   Such errors would be particularly confusing if one were driving in a car and counting on a correct response without reference to the accompanying booklet. When using the booklet concurrently, the confusion is minimal.
   
   There are also errors in the booklet, where that response has no connection with the initial phrase.
   
   Also, in the many cases where the anticipated response is fairly long on the part of the listener, not enough time is given for the listener to frame his/her reply either out loud or in his/her head. One or two additional seconds would help.



2. I really enjoy this CD series. It is very easy to understand and I highly reccomend it.



3. I'm getting married in Punta Cana in a few months. I don't have time to learn everything so I am extremely happy with this series of CD's because it starts me off with the basics that I will most certainly need when I travel. I can definately recommend this system.



4. These cd's use rote memory and repetition to teach. This is the best method I've found for learning a foreign language. The pharses used are of the type that you would use in normal conversation. They do not take a lot of time explaining a lot of abstract consepts and useless history.



5. It is fairly difficult to learn only by listening, but these CDs will make a long commute to and from work worthwhile. This set should only be an aid to learning Spanish and I would not recommend it as a single source of learning Spanish. You will have to go through each CD a couple of times to memorize the phrases and vocabulary words. The price makes it affordable.