FRENCH LESSONS

 

 

Rocket Languages' French program is simple and up-to-date - giving you the skills you need to learn the modern French language. Whether you are new to the language or already very familiar with it, Rocket French enhances your ability to understand and speak French.

The French package contains the following:

•  Twenty-minute audio lessons (31). These lessons contain conversational French, and you will learn everyday phrases that can be used in the French community. You can listen to any lesson as many times as you want. Additionally, the transcripts of the conversations in the audio lessons are also included.

•  Grammar lessons (45). Grammar can be one of the more difficult concepts to understand, but is essential to learning a new language. These lessons contain 400 pages of grammar with 200 audio tracks and 788 activities to help you perfect the language.

•  The MegaVocab software game. This game allows you to review over 1,000 French words. This game has pictures to help you recall the words you have learned. The game also has audio, so you can practice your verbal comprehension.

•  Answers to your questions. Message boards allow you to post questions and receive answers from French teachers, native speakers, and fellow French students.

The website gives you the opportunity to sample a free, six-day course. This allows you to get a feel for the different lessons to determine whether Rocket French is a program that works for you.

Sample tracks of audio lessons are also available on the website, which we really enjoyed. The lessons are taught at an appropriate pace for learning and retention.

The product is offered with a 100%, eight-week money-back guarantee. Additionally, the website posts customer comments and product reviews. You also have the option to have the program shipped to you on a CD ROM. However, a less expensive option is to download the program straight to your computer.

We like everything Rocket French offers - from the free samples of the product to the variety of its lessons. If you want to teach yourself how to speak French quickly and economically, Rocket French is your best bet!

 

 

Tell Me More is an effective tool for learning the French language. Over five million users have successfully used this software, which contains four different levels of French from beginning to advanced. The set also contains an audio CD, a headset, and a microphone to further facilitate learning.

Tell Me More offers over 850 hours of learning. There are 4,500 exercises and 37 different types of activities to help you learn, practice, and retain the French language. Each of these exercises are broken into six different language components: lesson, culture, grammar, vocabulary, oral, and written.

One nice benefit of Tell Me More is that you can choose from three different lesson modes. This allows you to take control and decide which learning strategy will most benefit you. The three modes include the following:

•  Free to Roam - Allows you to freely pick and choose the activities you want to complete.

•  Guided - Selects different lessons and activities for you based on your personal learning goals.

•  Dynamic - Evaluates your progress and selects lessons based on the results of your previous activities.

We would also like to point out a couple of unique features of Tell Me More. With Tell Me More, you will receive a microphone to hook up to your computer to enable you to practice your pronunciation of each word. Tell Me More comes with a SETS (Spoken Error Tracking System), which catches your pronunciation errors. We also like the fact that you can take the audio recordings from the software and burn them on an audio CD or put them on your MP3 player. This is great if you want to practice your French in the car or while working out at the gym. No other programs in our review come with these extra features.

The website for the product lists all of the minimum requirements needed for your computer to run the software. Please double check the system requirements before you purchase the product. The company also accepts returns up to 90 days after the date of purchase.

Tell Me More French is an outstanding product. With hours of lessons and information, along with many unique features, Tell Me More French is an strong choice. However, this product is not as up-to-date as the highest-rated selection.

 

 

Rosetta Stone is a well-known and efficient language-learning program. Rosetta Stone teaches language through "Dynamic Immersion," combining interactive technology with native speakers. The goal is to teach you in the same way that a child acquires and learns its native tongue. This is better than translation or memorization, which many other products use.

Rosetta Stone French offers its courses in three levels:

•  Level 1 - Starts at $209. This level teaches the foundations of the language. Level 1 is comprised of four different units: Basics (nouns, verbs, and so on), Friends and Family, Work and School, and Shopping.

•  Level 2 - Costs $239. This level teaches you how to talk about your environment. It builds on what is taught in Level 1. You can purchase Levels 1 and 2 for $339.

•  Level 3 - Costs $259. This final level teaches you how to use the basics and foundations of the language and apply them to real-life conversations. You will learn how to talk about everyday life, express your feelings, and discuss your ideas and opinions.

All three levels are available separately or you can purchase them together for $499. If you would like a more inexpensive option, three-, six-, and 12-month online subscriptions are available for a lower cost ($109.95-259.95). The information in the online subscription is equivalent to the Levels 1, 2 and 3 set. This is a good option, but remember that after your subscription expires,you will not be able to use the program to continue learning or review. Internet access is also required.

What sets this program apart is the different levels and options you have. In this way, you can select the product that best fits your needs. Rosetta Stone offers a six-month, complete, money back guarantee on their CD-ROM version. However, refunds do not apply if the product was not purchased directly from Rosetta Stone. Additionally, refunds are not available for the online version.

Rosetta Stone is the most professional product we reviewed. The website is well organized and easy to navigate. Additionally, language professors and public school teachers speak highly of the product and its uniquely effective method of language instruction. However, if you are looking for a less expensive option, you should consider one of the higher-rated selections.

 

 

As the number of foreign language teachers decrease, Power-Glide is able to assist individuals, teachers, and schools with their language learning offerings. What is great about this program is that it is an accredited foreign language school (through the NAAS (Northwest Association of Accredited Schools)), and students who use the Power-Glide system can receive school credit for taking its courses.

Power-Glide offers three different types of courses:

•  French Elementary School - This course is designed for students in grades K-6. There are three levels available for elementary school students, and these levels build on one another.

•  French Middle School - This course is for students in grades 7 and 8. There is only one middle school level available for beginning students.

•  French High School - This course was created for grades 8 and higher. There are two levels available at the high school level.

Each subscription includes one full year of teaching (180 lessons). Every subscription includes the following features: interactive games, cultural videos, online testing, and an automated grade book. Power-Glide teaches students by giving them practical real-life situations to which they can apply what they have learned. In this way, students are challenged to do more than simply memorize words and language rules. The program also uses adventure stories, music, and different activities to enhance the learning experience and make it enjoyable. Current information and research on linguistics and learning psychology is used to keep the lessons and teaching strategies up to date. To get a feel for the games and interactive lessons used in the program, demonstrations are available on the website.

Power-Glide is a wonderful program for schools that are in need of French teachers. The course can be taught by any teacher, whether they are familiar with the language or not. If you are looking for a program for your school or to teach to a group of students, Power-Glide is the best product in our review. However if you are an individual needing to learn French at a faster pace, we recommend one of the higher-rated products.

 

 

Unforgettable French specializes in speed-learning using the "Linkword" method, which links one English word to another English word that sounds similar to the French word. Once you make this connection, picturing these words in your mind for 10 seconds will enable you to better remember and retain the meaning of the French word. The company claims that once you learn French using their program, you will remember it for life.

Unforgettable French comes in four different levels. Each level teaches you about 350 different French words. It also has brief grammar lessons at the end. All lessons use native speakers for their audio clips.

A demonstration is featured on the website to provide an accurate picture of what an actual lesson is like. In this demo, you are taught six French words using the program's speed learning technique. Additionally, you will be able to see the short grammar lessons and quizzes that are offered at the end of each section. The day after we used the demo, we remembered the six words we were taught. Before purchasing the product, we strongly recommend using the demo to experience their speed-learning method. This will help you determine whether this type of program is right for you. Additionally, if you are not satisfied after purchasing the product, there is a 30-day, money-back guarantee.

Unforgettable French helps the learner make connections to remember words easily. If you are already enrolled in a French course and have trouble remembering vocabulary words, Unforgettable French may help you better recall the information. However, we felt the grammar lessons were weak and translation was rather slow. Additionally, comparing a French word to an English word might adversely affect your ability to correctly pronounce the word. Overall, Unforgettable French is just a glorified set of flashcards. Therefore, we recommend one of the higher-rated selections.

 

 

Transparent Language's French Before You Know It product features 1,000 words and 250 phrases. Whether you are just starting to learn French or already have a mastery of the language, you can use this product by customizing your own flash card list.

You will receive free vocabulary lists to share with other people. French Before You Know It also allows you to make audio flashcards of your lists to put on your iPod or MP3 player. Additionally, the product features activities and games that focus on strengthening your French listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills.

The product is available for download or as a boxed set. The software is compatible with both Windows and Macs (additional system requirements are listed on the website). The product comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee. A smaller, sample version is available for a free download.

Transparent Language offers many free online games and quizzes. They also feature a free French word of the day, French proficiency test, and French articles to read. Even if you do not decide to purchase the product, check out the website and all of the freebies it offers. However, French Before You Know it cannot compare to the higher-rated products in our review.