Posts Tagged ‘language software programs’

I don’t know about you but I didn’t do so well studying French at school. At the time I didn’t really see the point. Of course later on when I actually wanted to learn French I regretted not paying more attention. At forty years plus I also didn’t want to return to the classroom! Fortunately I discovered learn to speak French software.

Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not against classroom learning of French – in fact I think it’s a very good way to learn and I did have a little private tutoring. The problem for me, and I’m sure for many busy people, is finding the time on a regular basis to attend class. With private tutoring I could at least vary the times to suit myself but it is a very expensive option. A few hundred dollars doesn’t go very far on one-to-one French lessons!

On the other hand a few hundred dollars can get you an astonishing variety of learn to speak French software. Prices start at just over $10.00 and although packages exist that will take several hundred dollars off you I don’t think it’s necessary to spend that much to get a good basic level of the French language.

There are far too many French language software programs for me to cover them all. A quick search will turn up literally hundreds. What I can try to do is tell you about some of the alternatives and what I see as the benefits.

Let’s start with the benefits.

Learn to speak French software will allow you to learn at your own pace. Any time you have access to a computer you can learn some French. Some products in the middle price range – say around $100.00 – will also have French MP3s, sound files that you can copy to an MP3 player or onto a CD so you can have French lessons while you’re walking around, on the train or driving.

Modern French language software incorporates a variety of systems to help you learn French quickly. Digital flash cards, memory games, involving and entertaining animations or movie clips. All these things keep your French learning varied, and if they keep you interested you’re more likely to learn French fast. For the traditionalist you should also find transcripts of any audio that you can print out and read. Supporting your French lessons by reading the texts is always a good idea anyway.

The alternatives?

The number of French software alternatives will depend on your budget. It’s probably not true of all cheap French software but at the bottom of the range those I’ve tried are quite limited. There are some good starters for kids but if you’re looking to speak fluent French you’d be better off with something a bit more complex.

Unfortunately of course this means a bit more expensive. However, if you compare $100 spent on learn to speak French software with money spent on private lessons it soon seems a bargain and for your money you can get systems like Rocket French that boast that they will have you confident in the French language in as little as eight weeks. Some systems offer free trials too.

At the top end you can buy systems for several hundred dollars that if followed to their conclusion will teach you a great deal of French. Whether the additional expense is worth the detailed grammatical knowledge is difficult to quantify. If you’re visiting France on holidays then you can probably get what you need in the mid-range but if you’re intending to live here permanently it might be worth it. Unless you’ve got deep pockets you’ll need to investigate each alternative carefully!

Conclusions?

So is learn to speak French software really the easy way to learn French? I would have to say that much as I enjoy a good read, books cannot compete with modern French language software systems. They can be not just educational but also involving and fun! There is no comparison with how we learned when I was at school. Whether your eighteen or eighty you will learn French faster.

Author: Dennis Cordy
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Actually I’m the last person in the world to suggest throwing away books but if you’re trying to learn French there are software programs available now which are superior in just about every way to any book I’ve ever read. It’s a bit like someone’s taken the idea of something like an Xbox race car game and applied the principles to languages. Just imagine, exciting programs to learn French!

OK, I’ll be honest, it’s not exactly high-speed action-packed chases behind the wheel of a Ferrari – but compared to what was available even a few years ago, modern French learning software is a big leap forward and it can have you confidently speaking French in just a few months.

So is it really exciting or am I exaggerating? OK, maybe it’s not going to get your heart thumping but if you choose the right program then yes, it really can be quite absorbing and, as we all know, if you’re being entertained you’ll not only learn French fast, you’ll learn it more thoroughly too.

It’s not too long ago that about the only practical option for learning to speak French was either getting lessons or some rather expensive pre-recorded tapes. The trouble is it’s difficult to find the time to regularly attend French lessons and the tapes were, let’s face it, pretty boring.

Now we have a wealth of options. You can learn French on CD or MP3. You can learn French online. You can learn French with software you can download. There are programs of French for kids, programs with interactive movie clips, French language games to challenge and educate you. Just about all the tricks your PC can perform have been incorporated in one way or another into French language software programs.

There’s a big choice in prices too. With internet access you can actually start learning French online for free. It’s my personal experience that you soon exceed what’s being offered and have to pay to go further, but you might as well take advantage of what’s available before you need to put your hand in your pocket.

Beyond that you can find children’s French CDs for around ten or twenty dollars. For adult French lessons you do have to go a bit further, and in fact you can spend several hundred dollars on programs that have beginner, intermediate and advanced collections. I’m not entirely sure this is necessary though. There are mid range programs – say around a hundred dollars – that can get you to a pretty good level of French without breaking the bank. When you compare that to the price of lessons, it represents quite exceptional value for money.

With so many exciting programs to learn French now available it is a little difficult to make a choice. I haven’t tried them all – it would be almost impossible given the number available – but with some you can get free trial lessons or samples that will help you make up your mind.

Author: Dennis Cordy
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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