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Educational: 5.0
Overall Design: 4.6
Ease of Use: 4.8
(4.0 = good, 4.5 = very
good, 5.0 = excellent)
The Learn to Speak series has identical programs to the one we have described here for both Spanish and English. See pricing and ordering information from the CDROM Store below
Learn to Speak
Spanish, click here
Learn to Speak English. Click here
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Program Description What The Kids Said Who Is This Program For
Why We Selected This Program Computer Requirements
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Learn to Speak French is designed to teach French to anyone with a basic knowledge of the language through the means of voice recognition technology. (More about this later)
Upon opening the program the user is asked to enter his or her name. Each user’s progress is saved so they can easily start up where they left off. Multiple user names can be entered into the program allowing the program to be used by many in, for example, a household or a classroom.
The main page allows you to select from a list of five options, everything from self assessment, voice recording and playback, a talking dictionary to cultural movies. For the user who is just starting out, the Basic Course is the most useful. This course includes five short lessons in which you learn basic conversation skills. Another very useful section of this program is the Every Day Life course which focuses on conversation areas such as salutations, food selection, and asking for directions and assistance. (i.e. Travel related)
The core of Learn to Speak French is driven by the voice recognition technology. So what does voice recognition technology mean in terms of learning a language. In the pronunciation area of the program, you can choose to work on sound, word or full sentence pronunciation. Click on a specific word to hear it pronounced and repeat the word back and get an immediate score on the voice recognition meter (from tourist to native - bottom right). Repeat this process until you have it got it and then move on to next. You choose areas of vocabulary or expressions you want to work on. The value of the voice recognition technology is that you are getting immediate feedback in a practice situation and the opportunity to keep practicing until you have mastered the pronunciation of the words or sentences you are working on.
In Simulated Conversations, you can have a conversation with the on screen person (in real time) and gain comfort in listening and conversing. The number of different possible conversations is enormous. (See Simulated Conversation - third right)
Other areas of the program include a guided tour, a dictionary, a grammar checker and an online component. This feature allows the user to access an online study plan, a web page and online study groups. There are ten Cultural Movies about the art, history, architecture and the landscape of France also included on the four CDs. The program also has a separate text book guide covering the fundamentals of grammar.
Special note: You will need to have your own microphone hook up to your computer to use the voice recognition technology.
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Main Menu Page
Vocabulary Exercise With Voice Recognition Meter
Having a Simulated Conversation
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I really enjoyed the program because I learned a lot and the games such as the crosswords and go-fish kept me interested.
Eric Khoury, Student, age 13
It was very interesting and a great change from the program we normally learn with.
Scott MacDonald, Student, age 13
"The boys were totally engaged by the competitive nature of the program. This is the first French software that combines solid content, quick pacing, and huge expandability. It is rewarding for my ex-immersion as well as my novice students. Most of all, my middle school contingent of boys love it."
- Hugh McKechnie, core french and french immersion teacher, Crescent School, Toronto, Canada
I believe that Learn to Speak French is designed for anybody from a teacher to a student who has only the slightest knowledge of French. Perfect for any home or school, Learn to Speak French will transform the user into a native at the language. So, this is suitable for kids most likely from the age of 12, or adults .
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We really enjoyed using Learn to Speak French due to the ability to move easily throughout the program. The voice recognition technology is amazing. You hear the word or sentence, say it back and get an immediate score on your proficiency. Simply keep going until you have got it perfect. The talking dictionary is really useful as you both see and hear the word at the same time, as well as get the definition. This is a very effective way to learn all the components in one step.
The games kept us learning but gave us a chance to have fun as well. We didn't run into any problems while maneuvering through the program as well, this made it a pleasant experience. The students testing the program already knew a little about the language, so they more or less were able to extend what they already knew into proper form. The students were able to identify what was what with the pictures. The program is extremely accessible and easy to use. There were plenty of different subjects to work with in the program, therefore a wide variety of things were learned by the students. This program is a content rich (it provides an estimated 2 years of learning experience) and is also very user friendly. It is a very well designed language program
If you are choosing between Learn to Speak French (the Learning Company) and Tell Me More (Auralog) - both selected and profiled on Learning Village - we would offer these considerations. Learn to Speak is a little more tailored to the individual who is seeking to gain basic conversation skills for travel or business purposes, as an example. It is also a little more accessible to someone with a lower level of vocabulary knowledge. Tell Me More requires a slightly higher level of knowledge of the language to be able to follow the lessons comfortably. Tell Me More would be the better program for someone who is really serious about learning the full breadth of the language and is looking for a comprehensive approach to learning the language. The bottom line is that they are both good programs - Learn to Speak is the little more accessible for the beginner and Tell Me More is more sophisticated and requiring a little more, in terms of your in going knowledge of the language. Your choice
Reviewed by Scott McGregor, Grade 7, Crescent School, Toronto, Canada
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Pricing and Online Ordering
(or call toll free -1-800-250-9229 )
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