5 comments about German Level 1 & 2 Win/Mac Personal Edition [Old Version].

1. Generally like the program. Hoped it came with a CD to practice in the car but was wrong. It is totally PC based. I'll let you know in about three months if I can actually conduct business in Deutsch.



2. A year later and I am conversing in German (albeit not like a native but reasonably intelligent and understandable). Expensive but worthwhile in place of private lessons or classroom time.



3. Before you pay a bundle for this product, check your local library. My library cooperative, in Hillsborough County, Florida, owns a licence for the whole shebang, every language and every level. Maybe yours does too: it won't hurt to check. I found it quite by accident in my library's online catalog. I registered by entering my library card number, loading a plugin that was provided, and creating a password. Now I can access it at home online and use any set of lessons I want, for the cost of a library card, which I had anyway. Actually I spent quite a lot of time on the French module, but when I got to Paris I had very little opportunity to remark that the children were about to jump off the table. I pretty much agree with the remarks of reviewers who awarded the minimum number of stars. (I plan to cross post this to other language modules.)



4. As I have stated in other product reviews, Rosetta Stone is clearly overrated but solid.
   The problem with the overall approach is that it requires that you spend your learning time in front of a computer, which is where you do everything else. Lot's of competition.
   I prefer to do my language learning during my otherwise wasted downtime while I drive. If I study a language while driving, I win because I use otherwise wasted hours. I, like most Americans, spend more time driving than ever before. When I get home, I want to do other essentials.
   My favorite car GermanBehind the Wheel German (6 CD Course) (Behind the Wheel) course is Behind the Wheel German CDs. This approach frees up your computer, saves your eyes, and allows you to learn to speak German while you drive.



5. Well, I spent a great deal of time with this program and learned a fair amount of vocabulary. However, when I arrived in Germany I quickly realized how little I was able to communicate. The sentence structure of German is far different than English, and therefore stringing vocabulary words together can only result in confusion and the Germans taking pity on you by replying in English. This program does not explain the sentence structure, the use of different cases or verb tenses. If you want to learn German, you must immerse yourself in the language. I found that watching English sub-titled movies was helpful. In summary, this was an expensive dictionary for my purposes.

5 comments about KidSpeak 6-in-1.

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. The idea and format aren't bad. I would have liked it if there had been a few more words to learn. Also, instead of learning animal names, which aren't very useful if you don't live on a farm, they should have included some simple sentences. A little more material or a little lower price would have increased my rating to 4 stars.



4. We were moving to Japan and I was looking for computer software to get my kids (age 11 and 8) started with basic words. This got high marks and included other languages so I bought it. We were very disappointed and the kids gave up on it. The problem is that it is difficult to understand the pronounciation of the words. The audio is just not clear.
   
   I later ordered Power Japanese, an adult software program, and we were much happier.



5. My review makes reference to the French language section ( I have not used the other ones)
   
   I have a 7 year old, who enjoys this software a lot. I love that the sound quality is very good, and the pronuncioation is perfect. There is plenty of vocabulary to practice. I think this is a really good complement to any language program.
   
   I believe that both,beginners and more advanced students 6-10 would enjoy and benefit from it.
   
   Featured vocabulary: numbers, colors, animals, days, months, weather, means of transportations, clothing, and more.
   
   Easy to use.

5 comments about Instant Immersion 102 Languages.

1. This is a good program if you are going to a foreign country and would like to know a few words. But, each language is very limited. There is words like Thank you, you're welcome, yes, no, etc. I would reccomend this program for people who like to explore new languages, like me. But don't plan on learning a new language with this program. I suggest getting a book or a program that teaches just the language you would like to learn. But, not a bad price for just $20.



2. Rather weak. The product does not include the foreign words written in English letters, so that it's difficult to tell what they're saying. And the overdubbed models speaking the words are of no benefit whatsoever. Neither does the program help you build a useful traveler's vocabulary. Overall, a poorly designed product.



3. I have checked my PC requirements, and we have determined that it is NOT my PC that has the problem. I received this program as a Christmas gift and several of the more "rare" languages are completely faulty. Welsh, for instance, is completely botched. The clips for the woman's voice were mixed with half of a man's voice...or else they flat out didn't work. Many of the sound clips are just complete junk. I thought it may just be a faulty copy, so I took it to the store and exchanged it for another copy. It messed up on the exact same parts as the other copy did?!?! It's so strange because everything else worked, and I'm running an up-to-date version of XP, so there is no reason why this wouldn't run. Of course the more basic, languages like Spanish, Japanese, French worked just fine. But come on, let's face it, I didn't want it for the common languages!! I thought it would be more fun to hear some of the unusual ones like Swahili and all that. Only to find out that they didn't even load proper sound clips??? I was bummed. I wasn't expecting anything too thorough because there were soooo many languages, but I at least expected the darn thing to work!! It seems very cheaply made and thrown together. Don't waste your time with this one.



4. I bought this application thinking it would teach me just the basic phrases I would need as a business traveler or as a tourist. It does not even give you the bare minimum you would need to know when visiting a foreign country.
   
   You don't even learn how to ask for the price of something, what time of day it is, or how to count beyond three. I would like to devote more time to a more insightful review, but I'd say its not even worth the effort. Trust me, this is a big waste of your money and more importantly your time.



5. I bought a copy tis product, knowing full well that it would give the user a taste of each language. However, imagine my surprise when I listened to 3 of the languages and the CD was screwed up -- slurred phrases, jumps and skips. I speak a bit of Welsh and when I listened to that language it was faulty as described. I returned it for a refund.

2 comments about Oxford-Duden German/English Dictionary.

1. Access to this German-American Dictionary is very simple. Yet more, the definitions are complete and give additional information about any given word or phrase that one puts in the space provided. I have found it very helpful.



2. It is ok to get it if you just have to pay maybe 5 dollars or less, and don't mind if it does not work like you were led to believe. I tried to download one dictionary (Spanish) after my computer crashed, and it would not download a second time. My German one eventually stopping functioning, as if the producer planned it that way to get me to buy something more expensive.

No comments about Rosetta Stone V3: German, Level 2.

5 comments about TeLL me More German Premium - Complete Beginner, Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced.

1. The software seems quite good. The various activities keep things interesting. I like the program tracking feature for a visual indication of progress. The voice recognition feature seems to be top notch -- I've been improving on the cadence and amplitude of my speech. The sound quality captured by the microphone (included with the software) is quite good. I'm eager to see a Mac OS X version.



2. This is quite probably the worst language-learning software on the market today. And I don't say that lightly. As an aspiring polyglot, I've explored a lot of books and software in an attempt to accelerate my language learning.
   
   First off, this is not for beginners, or even for intermediate language speakers... nor, frankly, is it for anyone who has any aspirations of seriously learning a language.
   
   Here's my laundry list of complaints:
   1.) There are absolutely no instructions. The software just throws you into a series of guided exercises without any explanation.
   
   2.) Most of the exercises are worthless, unless you already have a significant vocabulary and a good grasp on the language. Vocabulary is presented in a haphazard fashion without any English translation. If you're tenacious enough you CAN find translations for the words presented, but frankly, it's a pain, and it leaves you fighting your way through the learning process. Example 2: A series of question-answer dialogs in which ANY answer is acceptable, but nothing is translated or explained. To take anything out of these activities, you have to already know what all of the answers say (I was able to function better with the Spanish version of this software, since I'm already more or less fluent).
   
   3.) People rave about the fact that this software utilizes voice recognition. Big deal - it's also used by Rosetta Stone, Transparent Language, ad even in the Learning Company's software, which is now outdated and discontinued (but a heck of a lot better than this junk!).
   
   4.) For the cost of the software, the activities are not well-done at all. The videos are extremely brief (and certainly cheap to make), and don't have much relevance to the questions asked - in other words, they're basically superfluous and in most cases, utterly unnecessary.
   
   The Tell Me More software looks glitzy and is obviously well-advertised, but it's one of the worst language program series ever created. If you look around Amazon, you'll see a lot of other 1-star reviews for the Auralog productions (inluding a couple other reviews from me). I normally wouldn't spend this much time bad-mouthing a product, but this stuff is SO bad that I really felt compelled to say something so others don't waste their money on this garbage.



3. I picked this product to purchase because I thought it was the best. I didn't go off any bogus reviews, (like the one's on Amazon). I thought it had the most features and seemed all inclusive. I got the Performance version which includes 10 levels.
   
   Let me start out by describing how the software starts you out:
   
   The first thing you do is listen to two people meet each other for the first time. Seems simple enough. Next, you begin doing exercises, crossword puzzles, fill in the blank, identify the object in a picture, type in conjugates (her, she, is, it, ect). Again, sounds good right?
   
   Not quite! At no point did the software teach anything about grammar, what the meaning of the words are in the crossword puzzles, ect. For example, the crossword asks you to fill in the crossword puzzle for CAT, never at any point, were you exposed to the word CAT! So you have no possible way of doing the crossword puzzle since you don't know the German word for CAT! I seriously don't understand how one is expected to figure it out! Dictionary?
   
   This is how the entire software is! It is almost like it was meant to be a bunch of exercises, without any teaching. If you had a private tutor with you, I can understand how this software would be pretty good. Your tutor teaches you, when he/she leaves you do your exercises.
   
   To top it all off, Auralog, Inc tried to prevent me from returning their software! It took about a week of phone calls and emails to get them to honor their return policy.
   
   Remember, when you are comparing language software, Tell Me More does not have "teaching" anywhere in it's product!



4. I ordered this product because there wasn't much to choose from in learning the German Language. I am amazed how other reviews can give it 5 stars. But then again after reading their reviews I understand why. I had this product for over a year and I listened to all four CDs. The first CD was impressive and if anyone rushed to review it, they will give it 5 stars. The other CDs 2, 3, and 4 were terrible. The main thing in learing any language is not fun exercises, it's pronunciation. This is the main reason for me purchasing this product - to hear the correct pronunciation spoken clearly and loudly without causing distortions as in CDs 2, 3, and 4.
   
   Some of the speakers sounded as if they where shouting into the mic others where just to close to the mic. Then the girls sounded as if it was bedtime for them. The audio level was never level, mostly all distorted. This makes you wonder if anyone checked the audio before releasing it to the market.
   
   Pronunciation is the main thing, the avant-garde, to hear the language spoken and to see it in written form is worth paying top dollars. The grammar part I can do on my own once I've learned how to speak and read German. Just pick up any German grammar book and start reading. The exercise part is fine, but structuring any exercise program however you want will still get others to learn. So I really can't rate exercises or rate it's ability to evaluate your own voice. These are not important to me. I just need to exercise the muscles in the back of my tongue and throat to imitate the pronunciation (words) correctly. Practice makes perfect. We all have the ability to mimic any language, we just need to concentrate and practice.
   
   For a beginner like myself I recommend Pimsleur Level 1, 2, and 3. You can purchase Tell Me More as an addition to enhance your learning, just don't expect Tell Me More to be a professional product. Try Pimsleur first.



5. I noticed some of the one-star reviews here and had to comment. First, the bad news: the videos and music, etc, are a little dated. Second, it definitely expects a lot out of you. Sometimes it seems a little daunting. The good news: it's in depth. This is no flash cards, memorize some phrases nonsense.
   
   I set my program up to do 5 hours a week and by the time I finished my first CD, I felt like I'd just gotten out of a semester class. I guess this is my way of saying it's not for the faint of heart.
   
   If you're hoping to casually learn some words and phrases before your Oktoberfest trip, don't bother with this program. Truly, this is something you could spend a year or more on. I've had it for over a year and I've only finished the first two CDs. Why? Because there was so much information I did the first two CDs twice.
   
   Now with all this effort behind me, I can tell you that I know a lot more German now than I did when I started (which was basically nothing). All in all, I'm glad I bought this program.

4 comments about Rosetta Stone V3: German, Level 1 & 2.

1. BACKGROUND
   Using Rosetta Stone French (v.3) on a Mac iBook G4 (10.3.9). Using home school addition. Have used it for last 6 weeks.
   
   SUMMARY
   In spite of the cost, the awkward port from Windows and difficult network set up, it's still best of class for learning a foreign language.
   
   REVIEW
   Powerful, detailed and complicated: those are the adjectives I would use to describe this program. If you want to learn the language, then this program systemically teaches it to you. It keeps record of your progress, gives tests and records your grades. It treats you as if you are a student in a classroom. Additional workbook, study guide and included microphone headset supplement the visual and audio CD disk. But having said all this, there are some things I wish as a Mac user that I would have known.
   
   The set-up of the program is SO non-intuitive and non-mac like. This includes installation of the application and its MANY helper files needed to run in the background with the main program disk. In my former life, I was an Apple System engineer, so I am no stranger to the Mac and networks setups. But even this installation caused me to eventually have to call Rosetta's technical support for instruction. This is partially due to my complicated home network set up (I've got multiple Macs with multiple (non-Mac) Routers that work as Access Points and bridges), and partially because of the complexity of installation of the program itself. This is definitely NOT a "drag-and-drop", or "double click to un- compress" or even "double click and follow the step by step instruction" type of experience. It is "multi-step, enter by hand, enter in data and information" type of installation process.
   
   That is what is most disappointing to me. This is a BAD PORT of a PC program. They did nothing to make the program conform to Apple program standards. This means there are many helper files (20 something??!!!) in various folders. There is a network component that HAS TO run in the background for the main language program to run. This means you have to always first launch this secondary program (or leaving it running all the time). If you run on a network (like I do), you have to assign the computer's IP address that the program is running on (can't use the default, non-network IP given by the setup program). If your computer ever is assigned a different IP address locally by your router (power goes out, etc), then you will have to make some changes or this network helper file will not launch, and therefore, the language program will not either.
   
   Getting to the place to even begin to first use the program is a tedious and complicated process. Another helper program that keeps track of the students progress must also first be set up. The "teacher's" name, access settings, the "student's" name(s) and their access privileges must first be established. ALL THIS IS DONE AWKWARDLY AND IN AN IBM 90'S INTERFACE. Constant referring to the user guide is necessary. There is no way some one could figure out what to do by only looking at the screens.
   
   And this is the main criticism of the program, this clunky interface, non-intuitive layout of material is the same throughout the entire presentation of the language program. The program's strengh--the detailed comprehensive, multi-media presentation of material--is also it's greatest weakness. It's hard to follow where you are, where to go, what stage you are in, how much further you have to go on any given unit, lesson or session. The implementation of more than one user account and switching between the two is counter intuitive as well.
   
   My 16 year old daughter, is now working her way through the program and has used it enough now to understand how to advance though it. But it was a slow start. She is enjoying the program and is learning the language of her love, and I have no doubt this program is a great help, I just wish more effort and forethought was given to making it more elegant in its presentation. Basically this looks to me like a 90's program in desperate need of a face lift. While calling the toll-free tech support and talking with a couple of different individuals, you quickly come to understand these people don't fully understand the Mac. The first individual had to pass me on once he discovered my Mac issues. The second was very polite and patient and we finally got my set up to work. But it wasn't easy for them since I was on a Mac. And I bet if you call you will get the same two people, They are, after all, not a help desk, but a language learning software company.
   
   CONCLUSION
   OK, so that's it. I hope this review was helpful. I've tried to share my experience for other Mac users so they know more of what to expect before they buy the program. A program that has (from my research) no other comparison as far as best in class for learning a foreign language, but a program that--in it's implementation and presentation as far as on Macintosh computers is concerned--leaves a lot to me desired.
   
   Tom



2. This product is sold as licensed software. Users will NOT be able to load it onto more than one computer. This aspect of the product is not clear from the blurbing on the Rosetta Stone website. It is a "single-user" product.
   Don't think that you can share this with friends, or that it is appropriate for a lending collection.



3. I have been trying to learn German for years. Even when living in Germany I did not learn much. I took a German class last fall and walked out disappointed at the end.
   
   Now after 1 month, I know and REMEMBER more words than I have ever have before. I feel confident that soon I will be able to put those words in a meaningful sentence.



4. I wish I would have had this before I moved to Germany! It has been very helpful and enjoyable as well.

1 comments about Instant Immersion German Deluxe v3.0.

1. I would have to say this is a great product so far. It keeps me interested and I enjoy learning with it. The voice recognition can sometimes be a bit annoying. Alot of repeating. I keep coming back to learn more and it remembers my progress. Good product. I would recommend it.

5 comments about Rosetta Stone V3: German, Level 1, 2 & 3.

1. This is the best way to learn a new language. The microphone/pronunciation feature is my favorite aspect.



2. I bought this product after reading the great reviews in Amazon and I can say that it was the worst buy of my entire adult life. The software is booooring and repetitive. It was hard to stay awake during the study. Some of the sentences were useless (The boy is under the airplane). This pattern continued for the duration of the course up to the advanced levels. It is impossible to understand the German grammar from these silly exercises.
   I have checked other softwares to learn German. They all require a lot of motivation and discipline, but Tell me more and Instant Immersion are much much better than Rosetta and at a better price. Check the demos for yourself and read reviews on language softwares and you see that Rosetta is never rated as the best (Tell me more usually is).



3. I LOVE the product when it works!! I installed it on my personal computer and it worked for a few weeks then all of a sudden--- wouldn't work anymore! I emailed Rosetta Stone tech support --- in the mean time installed on my work computie, and it works. I have to have it on my home computer though! Tech support finally emailed back wanting to know if I had resolved the problem and if not to fill in this questionaire--- now a month later STILL NOTHING!! SO Basically their tech support is worthless and to pay this much for software you would think you could get tech support! I need to buy another language now but worried I may never get the support to have it on my private computer! :o(



4. This software is incredibly overpriced for the material and does NOT have real world scenarios the way interaction in a classroom does. If you pay this much you might as well take a live classroom language b/c you will not learn language from this software!



5. The product enables easy learning. It is not boring and really focuses on parts like grammar and the female, male, and genderless parts. Best software used so far.

5 comments about Rosetta Stone V3: German, Level 1.

1. Easy to use. Not intimidating. Gets you up and running quickly. Versatile for different levels of language experience. Definitely one of the better language learning products--perhaps the best.



2. I absolutely LOVE this product. I feel like I'm learning more German through this program then I did of my Spanish "learning" for 3 years of high school. I HIGHLY recommend this program to anyone to learn any language.



3. I received the RosettaStone Deutche Level 1 a few weeks ago and have begun the lessons. It is easy and fast, allowing me to progress at my own pace. Learning is made simple with video/picture and audio feedback---much better than strictly textbook instruction. I am especially impressed with the spoken lessons that teach me correct pronunciation of difficult sounds and gives me feedback when I say them correctly. I plan to continue with Levels 2 and 3 and would highly recommend RosettaStone for anyone who wishing to learn a language quickly and easily.



4. I had to move to Germany with little notice for work, so I literally started using this as I was travelling to Germany and I had NO previous German experience, although I had studied Japanese in high school and Spanish in college. While I felt that the program was well-paced and taught the language basics well, it did not prepare me for those day-to-day conversations/phrases that I needed to know right away (not that it promised to--I'm just saying that if that is what you need, get something else for the basic phrases first!) It was about two weeks of daily study before I got to things like introductory conversations, shopping, etc. that I needed to know to be polite company.
   Having said that (that if you need German IMMEDIATELY, supplement Rosetta Stone with something more conversational), I did find the repetitive and logical nature of this program effective. It focuses not just on learning words and phrases, but on learning how the language WORKS--sentence formation, conjugation, etc., by example not by lecture or brute memorization. You also learn through reading, listening, speaking, and writing, so it is effective whether you are an active, visual or verbal learner.
   Like pretty much any educational software, there are things that are pretty ridiculous (WHY do you learn sentences like 'The horse drinks' before you learn things like 'My name is...'? And why must some of the people be so silly looking in the pictures?) but these are minor complaints. If you have the time (and the money) to do Rosetta Stone, it is probably an safe bet that you will learn as much as if not more than with any other program. I recommend that you stick with the 'suggested' course, not the more complete course option at set-up, because that had TOO much repetition and I ended up, half-way through the program, switching to the recommended program. Also, if you really want to learn the language and have more than a month to two months in which to do it, buy the combo-pack of I and II or I thru III. You save money (and that means less packaging and shipping, good for the environment). The only reason I can think one would want only part I (other than not shelling out too much money all at once) is if one just wanted to sample German to see if there was interest in going further.
   So, in summary, good effective program but NOT going to immediately prepare you (in, say, a week or two) for living in Germany. But a good way to solidly start learning the language for full comprehension, not just for getting groceries and asking directions but for expressing thoughts.



5. This is a great tool for learning the language via immersion. Rather than teaching through a structural method in which the mechanics and vocabulary of any given language are laid out in an organized manner, with Rosetta stone you learn mostly through pictures and figuring things out on your own.
   
   This works really well as a means of forcing you to confront and use the language based on hearing, rather than reading, but I personally have found that it still works better as just a supplement to a more traditional structural textbook approach to learning the language. The Rossetta stone approach works great for stuff like learning vocabulary and basic phrases that any "beginner" to a foreign language will need, but when it comes to teaching more general rules of the language(i.e. things like conjugating verbs, feminine/masculine/neuter nouns and pronouns, etc, etc) the method is kind of lacking. There were many times that I found myself having to consult textbooks to figure out quite a few of the language's nuances in a much more direct manner than Rosetta Stone's method is able to provide.
   
   Which doesn't mean that it's a bad program, but for the price I was hoping that it would be comprehensive enough on its own that you wouldn't need too many supplements. I think it would be better if they would integrate the "immersion" approach that they use here (which is very effective in its own way), with the more traditional structural method of teaching foreign languages. This would allow you to move back and forth as needed and adjust the program to your own learning style. As it is, it's definitely a valuable tool, but I don't think its comprehensive enough to justify the price.