It might have something to do with the fact that Rosetta Stone is the most popular Language course around at the moment. You know, the old tactic of getting yourself noticed by hanging around with the most popular kids at school. Or if you can’t hang out with them then picking a fight with one of the them will also get you some attention.

And this is what the Fluenz language company seem to be doing. They are calling Rosetta Stone out. But you know what, having used Rosetta Stone in the past, I tend to agree with them.

Rosetta Stone Dynamic Immersion

The idea of dynamic immersion is Rosetta Stone’s way of immersing a student in a language without them actually living in the country where the language is spoken. This is usually how you immerse yourself in a language and learn it fast.

The Dynamic Immersion philosophy takes the idea of learning a second language as you learned your first or native language and putting it into a computer program. Without explanations, without writing things down, without memorizing things…just innately as a child might learn.

How this works in a computer program is by matching images with words or phrases. You see the image and then you see the word or hear it and match it up. To make things a bit more challenging the software will show you a few different pictures so that you have to choose which picture matches which word much like the decisions a child would have to make in the real world.

If you stick at this and go through all the pictures and word combinations and work through all the levels, you will have learned the language just like a child might have learned – pain free, without getting too far out of your comfort zone at your own pace.

And whilst this works for a child learning their first language, it runs into problems for adults. The first problem is that it’s time consuming. Kids seemingly have all the time in the world and whether it’s true or a limitation that adults place on themselves, adults don’t have all the time in the world.

Kid’s might only start speaking at 2 years of age after 18 months of “learning” the language. For many adults trying to learn a new language, this is not acceptable.

Their priorities are not learning for learning sake or because they have to learn an essential life skill. They need to be more conscious on the return on investment so to speak when learning a second language. And this changes how they go about learning the language.

Firstly they need to learn the language with objectives in mind. If any adult goes to Madrid for the weekend they can’t go around pointing at a cat and saying gato or such like. They have to think about the type of conversations they will have and the type of words and phrases they will need.

Then they will learn these and understand how they are said, likely responses and things like that. They need to learn to be functional as soon as possible – to be an adult in an adult world. Again whether this is strictly true or not is debatable but people feel vulnerable and they want to mitigate these feelings by working smarter rather than harder. It’s the same with anything new (Rosetta Stone might argue that ultimately their method is smarter but it does take time and seemingly has no focus because you are not supposed to have focus or objectives, you are just learning).

The Fluenz Spanish Course Approach

This is where Fluenz Spanish steps in. They believe that you have to leverage your current language skills to improve the speed and understanding of the new language you are learning. This is their under riding philosophy.

So what they do in their course is teach you as if you where having a one on one tutorial course with a Spanish teacher. Although this is not a completely original concept (Michel Thomas is pretty good at teaching this way but he only does it via audio), the production values and the interactivity are better than many other similar courses.

The tutor is right in front of you, on the screen, seemingly talking to you one on one. There are other aspects of the lessons which allow you to interact with the lessons to practice writing, reading and comprehension skills. Even though the Fluenz course can’t analyze speech, it does allow you to record your voice and make your own comparisons on playback. I actually quite like this approach as I find graphical analysis of speech patterns a bit dull and hard to apply.

The tutor explains things in English before going into Spanish. She also related things like grammatical structures in Spanish back to their English equivalent. This approach imparts practical knowledge which makes sense to an adult brain. They understand why they are saying something rather than just how to say it. This is the fundamental difference between Fluenz and Rosetta Stone.

So Fluenz can give an adult more confidence to use what he or she has been taught. It may also give them more direction as it is more practical and functional than Rosetta Stone.

With this said, neither course will work unless you actually use what you have learned. Using it makes it stick you could say…use it a few times and you probably won’t have to do the translation of English to Spanish thing. You’ll just say it. That’s where you want to be when speaking a foreign language.

>>> Learn more about the Fluenz Spanish Course here <<<

>>> Get The Transparent Spanish Software Course Here <<<

One of the popular choices among language learners today is the Transparent Spanish Complete Edition.  But just because it is popular does not mean that it is right for you.  So instead of just following the trend, here are a couple of things that you should know about this program to help you decide whether or not this program may be the one.

Transparent Spanish Complete Edition: What is it?

Transparent Language, a software company that focuses on teaching languages, Spanish being one of them, has decided not so much to create but more like compile a couple of their programs into one- the Transparent Spanish Complete Edition.

I’m sure you already know that the Transparent Spanish Complete Edition is some system that will supposedly teach you Spanish.  However, you may not know much about anything else about it.  Basically, the Complete Edition- focusing on the word COMPLETE, supposedly has everything that you need to learn the language- audio files- it comes with 5 audio CDS as well as over 1200 iPod/iPhone/iPad/iTouch, pocket PC and MP3 media files as well, visuals, videos, games, tests, and even BYKI flash cards.

How Exactly does it work?

Now that you have an idea of what comes with the Transparent Spanish Complete Edition, of course it is only natural for you to wonder how all of that will actually help you.  So here are a couple of features and just what makes them effective.

According to the creators and developers of this system, using the BYKI flash cards is crucial to learning Spanish.  By following the three steps, your learning ability is supposed to increase.  Step one is to preview both the English and the Spanish words.  Then there is the recognition part where in you pick the correct definition of a Spanish term.  Finally you have to produce it- this means that there will be English phrases and you will have to put in the correct words.

One more feature that the creators claim to be highly effective is the ability for you, the student, to actually use the “Slow Sound” function.  Quite obviously, this means that you can control the speed of a conversation between native Spanish speakers and make it slower.

One other thing that is pretty cool is that the Transparent Spanish Complete Edition helps you keep track of your progress by using a pie chart.  The green colored areas mean that those are the parts that you have already learned.  But that isn’t really the cool part- those areas will actually start to turn yellow after a while.  This simply means that those areas are turning “stale”, so to speak.  So you will then have the have the option to review those areas if you want to.  According to Transparent Language, this is an excellent way to retain what you have already learned.  Well, it does make sense, doesn’t it?

Another interesting teaching method is the 30 virtual reality scenarios in LinguaMatch. This is like a virtual world that you can enter into. There are various scenarios that have a variety of characters in them. You interact in these scenes by talking to the character, asking them questions and what have you. They will also ask you things and point things out in the scenario. It’s a bit like an adventure computer game in a way, except that it is in Spanish. By immersing yourself in the various scenes you can learn certain aspects of the language, like vocabulary, verb conjugation and other fundamental skills.

Enter A Spanish Speaking Virtual World

Aside from knowing what Transparent Spanish Complete Edition is, it is only normal for someone like you, a person looking for the right software to learn Spanish, to check out what people who have actually tried and tested the product have to say.  So here are a couple comments to help you out.

“An excellent programme. Best I have ever used. I just love doing it and have dabbled in quite a few over the years! The feature I enjoy most is the self-correction and pronunciation system.”

Tomas
Cork, Ireland

“I use the refresh option often. I find that it helps me remember what I’ve learned. I also sometimes test myself, and find that very helpful. Also, I think your technical support is wonderful and responsive. I recently moved from a PC to a MAC and had some problems, which were addressed quickly.”

Peggy
Princeton, New Jersey

If you do some research yourself, you are sure to find that other language learners say pretty much the same good things.

So if you feel like Transparent Spanish Complete Edition will have you giving out positive comments too, the you should order online today and get a pretty good deal.

>>> Get The Transparent Spanish Software Course Here <<<

>>> Get your own copy of Verbarrator here <<<

So if you are one of those Spanish language learners struggling with verb conjugation, you have probably heard about the Verbarrator and, quite obviously since you are on this page, want to know more.

So here are a couple of things that you should consider and know about the Verbarrator before deciding if this baby is for you.

Verbarrator:  What is it?

Verbarrator claims to be one of the best methods to learn Spanish as it focuses on one of the hardest parts of learning the language- verb conjugation.  Maybe what makes this downloadable approach to learning Spanish a good one is that it was first released in 2009.  Kinda Like trial and error, since then, improvements have been made to the program to make learning an estimated 550 Spanish verbs a fun and interesting experience.

How it works

Basically, the Verbarrator will give you access to 34, 770 mp3 audio files- versions (works on both Mac and PC).  So basically, is seems to be rather simple as you will be learning through listening and then follow up with a couple of exercises after.

I think what makes this system works so well and at the same time what makes stand out- hopefully in a good way, is that the entire approach is fully customizable.  This is so since you can choose to focus on only a specific number of verbs, like only the 90 most commonly used, you can choose to have only specific tense, only a specific mood, or you can go right  ahead and do the opposite and have a number of various verbs all at the same time.

You are also given the option to learn both English and Spanish verbs or to just focus only on the Spanish ones.

You also have the option to test yourself at any given time by switching the mode- you can either go Spanish to English or English to Spanish and then afterwards , according to Verbarrator, you can actually use your score as a way to track your progress and see how much you have improved or what actually needs to be improved.

Words From Verbarrator Users

Since the reason you are here is to look into the Verbarrator and find out whether or not this approach is best for you, here are a couple of things some experienced users have to say about this product.

“This is a pretty straight-forward program, but it’s been invaluable in helping me bring my Spanish to the next level through drilling different verb conjugations. I would highly recommend it and definitely by it again.”

-Ryan S. Carpenter

“I’m not going to get into everything the Verbarrator will do because I don’t have enough time. You can buy all the verb books that you want and still get bored to death learning them. This tool is not only educational but fun to use and there’s so many options that you’ll never get bored.”

-D. Cull

“Absolute best way to learn to use verbs”

-Terry W.

These are just a couple of customer reviews that caught my eye.  If you go on over to Amazon or other forums, you are sure to find a whole lot more reviews and comments on the Verbarrator that pretty much say the same thing.

So if you feel that the Verbarrator is right for you, then to make things even sweeter, you should grab it online so that you will be able to get deals and promos that you won’t normally have at your local department store.

>>> Get your own copy of Verbarrator here <<<

>>> Check out the latest discount on the complete Fluenz Spanish course here <<<

Fluenz Spanish is said to be one of the best ways to learn Spanish for both tourists and business.  But despite the claims, it all really boils down to whether or not it is right for you.

So here are a couple of things that anyone interested in Fluenz Spanish should know about before running off to the store and grabbing it off the shelf.

Focusing On Fluenz Spanish: What Is it Exactly

Fluenz Spanish is a language learning program that is rapidly increasing in popularity.  Although when it comes to name recognition, it is not as well known as other leading systems and approaches.  The methods are devised by the Cornell University Language labs. Consequently, the professional teachers from Cornell University offer innovative and interesting methods to learning Spanish. In fact, it is pretty fair to say that this best kept secret is now coming out of hiding.

The Flow Of Fluenz Spanish:

Basically, it is kinda like having a private tutor as the sessions have the one on one feel.  You will start off with a brief introduction of the lesson’s itinerary.  After the tutor, Sonia Gil, explains why you should learn it, you will hear two native speakers having a conversation, followed by a short lesson on the words and grammar structures used.  Then you will have to do some exercises on reading, speaking, writing, and listening.  Then the two hour lesson will come to an end with a couple of words of encouragement from Sonia to supposedly help you continue studying and keep your eye on the prize.

Here are some reasons why more and more people are turning to this method.

First of all, it has five levels that cater to different needs.  What is interesting about these levels is that they are not like your conventional classes.  Apparently, Fluenz Spanish focuses on the words that a Spanish learner like yourself would find to be most useful.

For instance, in the first level when you begin to build up vocabulary, you will be taught words such as cellphone or hotel instead of bird or giraffe.  So it really does seem to be targeted towards those who are planning a trip to a Spanish speaking country.

Another thing that separates Fluenz Spanish from products of the same nature is that this approach takes the time to explain and really make the student understand what the lesson is all about.  The creators behind the program believe that great explanations matter because we do not learn like children anymore.  So their concepts actually go against those of other approaches, like Rosetta Stone for example.

So one thing that is pretty clear about Fluenz Spanish is that it tells you how it really is and apparently does not sugar coat the learning method by saying that it is easy.

However, in connection to that, it may seem like Fluenz Spanish may dampen anyone’s learning experience, but it is actually quite the opposite.  Fluenz Spanish doesn’t keep track of your mistakes by shoving it in your face kind.  Instead, when you do make a mistake, you will be encouraged to try harder and hopefully actually be motivated enough to do so.

Plus, the interface looks really amazing.  It never hurts to be pretty.

What People Have To Say:

Here are a couple of things that other people have been saying about FLuenz Spanish that may give you even some more insight on this product.

“The original Fluenz Spanish was the best language program I had ever used. It focused on the essentials of learning Spanish in a realistic fashion. It focused on those activities that you would really use in a Spanish speaking country; airport travel, taxi, dining, hotels…but it left you wanting more with only 2 DVDs available”

-D. Jimenez

“Fluenz makes learning a language easier than anything I have tried so far. After the first lesson (1.5 – 2 hours long) I was able to read, speak and write everthing in the lesson. Fluenz’ learning method engages visual and intersctive tools that help retain the information more easily for me. I have high hopes.”

-A. Allain

If you check out other reviews and forums yourself, you are sure to come across a whole lot more comments and testimonials like these ones.  It may not be one of the easiest methods but it certainly turns out to be one of the most effective.  Well, it only makes sense after all.

If this seems to be just what you are looking for, then you should get Fluenz Spanish online to avail of some good bargains and great deals.

>>> Check out the latest discount on the complete Fluenz Spanish course here <<<

>>> Get your own Tell Me More Spanish here <<<

Created and developed by Auralog, this method does not merely teach Spanish, but it actually makes you, the student, understand the language.  This Spanish learning system is top of the line and has some pretty amazing features.  The package comes with around 950 hours of active Spanish lessons that cater to every kind of learner as it has four different levels- complete beginner, beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

High End Technology

Nothing but the best technology to bring out the best results.  Tell Me More Spanish has some pretty top notch features when it comes down to the whole software.  Part of the whole package is the specifically designed microphone for speech recognition.  So the system will be able to detect when you make a mistake.  Not only will you be corrected, but it comes with 3D animation that is used to actually teach you even the proper mouth position rather than just merely saying it slowly so that you can repeat based on sound alone.  This has been proven to be extremely helpful.  One other feature that will surely prove how superior this is has got to be the S.E.T.S. or the Spoken Error Tracking System- how cool is that?

Modes of Learning

Tell Me More Spanish offers three modes for you to choose from- the Guided Mode, the Free To Roam Mode, and the Dynamic Mode.  Let’s first focus on the Guided Mode.

Guided Mode- As you have probably already guessed, this is the best place to begin.  Here you will be able to choose lesson paths so that you can see just how much progress you have made and you will also have a diary of sorts where you can set your goals regarding how and when you study.  As long as your goals are realistic, every time you log on you will be able to track how much closer you are to actually attaining them.  This, of course, will help keep your eye on the prize and truly commit to learning the language.

Free to Roam Mode- This mode offers you a wide choices of workshops, lessons, drills, and whatnot about vocabulary, grammar structures, and even cultural studies.  This mode is perfect for when you want to focus on a specific area of the language that you may be struggling with at the moment.  This just goes to prove that Tell Me More Spanish really wants its students to understand 100%, no matter how fast or slow it may take.

Dynamic Mode- This is one pretty amazing feature as the software adjusts your next activities based in the level of your progress as you go along.  This makes sure that you focus on your problem areas and do not waste time on the ones where you are doing well.

More Great Stuff

Another great thing about Tell Me More Spanish is that the set up is a breeze.  As long as your OS, operating system, in your PC is Windows 95 and up, the this baby should have no problem running.  Just because this system was created especially for your PC does not mean that you have to be glued in front of your computer to take your lessons.  This is also highly portable as you can move it to your Netbooks, iPads, and other forms of “pocket PCs.  It works fine on iPods, MP3s, and MP4s.  Heck, you can even create audio CDS with both files from the program and ones that you have recorded yourself.  Some people even go as far as printing out the voca lists and grammar structures.

Basically, you can bring it with you wherever you go and study whenever you have time.  It is advisable to spend at least 30 minutes to an hour every day.  Since it is highly portable, you won’t have the problem of squeezing it into your hectic schedule.

24/7 Online Advisor

Aside from all of the interactive dialogues, videos, exercise, and whatnot, when you still can’t seem to understand something or if you are having some problems, it is good to know that you can always turn to someone- no matter what time of the day or night it may be.  The 24/7 Online Advisor is just another amazing feature that sets this language learning system apart from the others.

Business Language

One other feature that makes this different and better than other language systems is that this does not merely focus on conversation skills.  Not everyone learns Spanish just so that they can talk to people they meet on the streets.  Tell Me More Spanish even offers Business Language exercises for those who are studying for casual as well as formal occasions.

Aside from all of those amazing reasons, of course there are a few things to consider before running out and grabbing yourself a copy.  As you have probably already noticed, this is not a simple system.  Although it is user friendly, if you are not a techy of sorts, it may take you a while before you get used to operating it.

Cost is another issue.  This is also much more expensive than other language learning programs offered on the market today.  But with all of the awesome features, it truly is worth every penny.

It is no wonder that over 7 million people use Tell Me More Spanish and that it has won many awards such as ones from the New York Times, Top 10 Reviews, Consumer Reports to name a few

>>> Get your own Tell Me More Spanish here <<<

>>> Check out today’s discount on the Pimsleur Spanish course here <<<

He strongly believed that learning a new language is not about studying grammar patterns, memorizing millions of vocabulary words- basically tucking your head away in a book for hours on end.  So he created a method that is unbelievably simple yet undeniably satisfactory when it comes to learning a new language.

The Pimsleur Method:

Basically, the student will listen to an audio file that is 30 minutes long with phrases in two languages- the one used for teaching which is English, and the language that is being taught- in this case it is Spanish.

The student will learn common phrases and correct pronunciation by simply listening and repeating.  To make sure that the pronunciation is easily learned, the words and phrases are first broken into syllables and a short pause is given so that the student will be asked to repeat each one starting with the last syllable of the word or phrase and then proceeding to the entire word or phrase.  So if the word is “vamonos”, you will hear and be asked to repeat “nos” first, then “monos”, then the entire word “vamonos”.

After repeating a couple of times, the student will be asked to partake in a short conversation using the learned phrases.  A short pause will also be provided to do so.

As the lessons progress, the phrases and conversations get longer as it infuses what the student has previously learned.

Advantages of Pimsleur Spanish:

The first advantage would have to be is that it is 100% audio based, so it is basically push and play.  This method has been proven effective as it is the way we have all learned our mother tongue after all.  Children learned how to speak and understand way before they learn how to read and write.  Also, the audio is impeccable- no background noise whatsoever and the files are very clear.

Another great thing is that each lesson is only 30 minutes long.  This is perfect for people who lead busy lives- and in this day and age, that is pretty much everyone.  Plus, because it is all audio, you can actually study even while doing simple tasks- like when you’re on the bus, when your cleaning, or even while you work out.

One of the biggest advantages that Pimsleur Spanish has over other learning methods is that this course requires no rote memorization.  The lessons have been carefully designed to teach only the most common and useful words and phrases.  Out if the millions of words that each language has, studies have proven that people only use an average of 2500 during conversations.  So why memorize vocabulary that you will probably never use?

The Pimsleur method is based on 50 years of research and study in linguistics and has 30 years of total success under its belt. One thing that Pimsleur is very proud of is that even the FBI and other government organizations use this method for learning- how’s that for bragging rights?

Another great thing, if not downright the best one, is that Pimsleur Spanish is simple, easy and effective.

Some things to consider:

Pimsleur Spanish is great for anyone interested in learning the language for day to day conversational purposes, however, if you are looking into something more detailed, like learning the language for business purposes, then this probably won’t be enough.

Also, the lessons that are offered are only 30 minutes long- another good side of this method.  However, if you truly want to master each one, it is best to go over the files more than once- not necessarily right away.  You can always review what you have learned after a couple of days just to make sure that everything is still up there.

So basically, if you are looking to learn conversational Spanish without wanting to lug a big fat book around and bury yourself in it, then the Pimsleur Spanish is the best way for you to learn Spanish the fast and stress free way.

>>> Check out today’s discount on the Pimsleur Spanish course here <<<

>>> Get your own Bueno Entonces Spanish course here <<<

Developed by General Linguistics, this fun and entertaining approach to learning Spanish consists of 30 classes ranging from 30 to 40 minutes each.  Long enough to learn vocabulary and grammar, but short enough to actually hold your attention throughout the whole class.  But what really makes this course stand out from the rest is the television series style setting and the bilingual banter- not to mention the developing storyline between the two characters in the course.

5 Principles of Bueno, Enonces:

Classes are entertaining

Bueno, Entonces actually puts the FUN the fundamental as it teaches you all of the basics and more all in a witty way.  It is impossible not to get engaged in the classes with the humor and charm of your two new teachers- a Brit boy from London, David, and a sassy native Argentinean.

See the words

With Bueno, Entonces, all of the Spanish words will be written on the screen.  This serves as a great advantage to the language learner as you don’t only hear the words like you would in other courses of the same nature, but you will actually have the chance to see how it is spelled.

Color coding

All of the words that you will see on the screen are color coded in both Spanish and English.  This is not just to add color to a white background.  This means that every word function has a corresponding color to help you understand even better.  So for example, all verbs will be in dark green, modifiers are purple, and so on.

Symbols and pictures

There are symbols to help you remember grammar structures and concepts- like a green arrow pointing back means past tense while one pointing forward means future.  The pictures are there to help you remember words by using iconic images.

Repeat, repeat, repeat

Repetition is key to learning just about anything- but what makes Bueno, Entonces a far cry from traditional methods is that this one is actually fun and entertaining.

Why you should get Bueno, Entonces:

As if the 5 principles weren’t advantages enough, here are a couple more that any eager Spanish learner should know.

As mentioned earlier, Bueno, entonces is loads of fun,  It’s kind of like watching sitcom to learn Spanish.  You will simply get hooked to the storyline and like any hit show, you will be eager to catch the next episode, in this case, the next class.  It will be hard not to finish the entire course.

Another great thing about this method is that the focus is on hip, modern, and causal words and phrases- ones that you will actually use on the streets of Argentina.  Why would you want to learn millions of words that you probably will never use?

So this is really perfect for anyone wanting to learn the language for conversational purposes.  Heck, you will even learn slang.  However, is you are studying for more formal purposes, like for business, this is still a great start but you will probably want to follow up with a course especially suited for your needs.

The Pizarra Mágica, the Magic White board is probably one of the best things that this course has to offer.  This where all of the phrases in both English and Spanish come out.  The color coded words and symbol system really will help you learn the grammar fast.  Although it may seem a tad bit intimidating at first and you may get a little confused in the beginning, but after a while, you are sure to get the hang of it.

Another great thing about this system is that you can choose the pace of learning since the sections are broken up.  So you can actually focus on areas that you do not really understand.

One of the great feature of this is that you can that it is perfect for the iPod video, the iPad, the iPhone, Blackberry, and other android units.  This means that you can pretty much take it wherever you go and study whenever you want to.  Since the lessons are only 30 to 40 minutes long, you can even squeeze in a lesson during your lunch break.

One thing to consider before getting this is that the Bueno, Entonces is taught to you using Spanish and English- British English to be exact.  So if English is not your first language, some find it a bit hard following the British accent.

Other than that, Bueno, Entonces is perfect for basically anyone wanting to get a good grasp on conversational Spanish in a few of weeks. Sure, you won’t be able to hold a fluent and complicated conversation but you will be able to get by asking questions and understanding the answers. Once you get your confidence up by communicating with real people your language learning will really come on in leaps and bounds. This is a good way to learn the Spanish language and is a fresh idea when it comes to language courses.

>>> Get your own Bueno Entonces Spanish course here <<<

The system allows you to record your voice and displays your as a series of bar graphs or a wave formation if you like. The wave formation represents how you pronounced the word, the highs and lows that you hit and things like that.

So how does this help you improve your spoken Spanish accent ? Well, there is a native Spanish speakers recording of the exact same sentence you have just recorded. The aim is to get your wave formation exactly the same as his/hers.

I have generally been a bit hesitant about the usefulness of these sorts of systems. I believe that people watch other people – how their lips are formed, where their tongue goes etc. to form a true understanding of pronunciation. This system gives you an abstract representation of how the mouth is making these sounds.

So even though you can get your wave formation to look exactly the same as the native Spanish speaker you are still not able to see their lips move. Maybe a video of the speaker saying the sentence or expression would be a better method.

With this said, this new system gets you speaking (if you haven’t been doing this already…tut,tut…you have to speak to learn a foreign language). And it was a bit of fun trying to get your wave looking exactly the same as the native speaker. I’m not sure how long that would last though.

Also the system starts tracking your speech immediately you press the record button so you have to be speaking right away if you want your wave formation to match the native speaker.

Nevertheless, I think Rocket Spanish are looking to emulate the premium courses like Rosetta and Transparent languages with this new system. These courses are very proud of their language analysis tools and I guess they make the course look more attractive and versatile. To this extent I think Rocket Spanish have succeeded.

It should also be noted that Rocket Record is only available if you get the premium version of the Rocket Spanish course, which is an upgrade on the standard course.

Go to the official Rocket Spanish site now !

==>Get the Jetset Spanish course here<==

or

==>Try lesson 3 for free<==

The inspiration behind the new course was people asking Mauricio and the Rocket Team if they could add video lessons to the Rocket Spanish course.

Well, they decided to do this but make an entirely new course altogether. It would have been nice if they could have tacked the videos onto the Rocket course at no extra cost but I guess it doesn’t work like that.

No doubt it’s cost a bit of money to make the course so they have to charge for it. And I’m sure you’ll be able to buy both products as part of a package one day.

Anyhow, here is a Jetset Spanish Review from Learn Spanish Reviews

Jetset Spanish Review – What Do You Get ?

When you purchase the Jetset Spanish product, you are given access to the members page. This has two download links that you can use to get the course.

The links are for PC or Mac computer so that pretty much covers everyone with some form of computer. I downloaded the PC versions and it took about 1 hour 20 minutes to complete.

Yep, it’s a big download, approximately 622 mb.

You then install the software from the download link onto your PC/Mac.

Then start it up.

It gives you the option to select whichever lesson you want from 1-15.

I guess so that you can take up from where you left off or if you want a refresher of a previous lesson.

There is an American English speaking narrator or voice over that guides you through the lessons.

He will introduce the lesson and the purpose of the lesson. There are scenes within each lesson and after each scene the narrator discusses what happened. Each scene freezes and a conversation box appears on top of the video. This box has all the words and sentences that were just spoken in the scene.

You can click on a loudspeaker symbol next to each sentence to have it spoken out loud.

This can help you if want to practice saying the words or phrases. There is also an option to turn both Spanish and English subtitles to each scene on or off as the scene is playing.

Again, this may help you understand what is going on as it happens rather than waiting for the narrator to tell you what happened. Scenes will generally involve you and one or a few other people. From time to time, the other people will speak to you or ask you a question.

This is when you are supposed to speak out loud and practice saying words and phrases. You can repeat this over and over again as a try again button appears whenever you are asked to speak.

A nice touch with the Jetset Spanish lessons is that you can choose what happens in each lesson.

Basically, you are asked a question and based on your answer the lesson goes a certain way.

For instance, in lesson four you are asked what type of room you would like to stay in. Based on your answer the lesson will take a certain path.

Note however that the program can’t understand what you say rather you have to click on the answer option that is given in the lessons.

This is a downside of the course but then not many courses exist like this anyhow.

In some lessons you are asked a number of questions which determine the outcome of the lesson. This means you can keep the course fresh by trying out new parts of each lesson.

There are 15 video lessons :

• Lesson 1: On the Plane

• Lesson 2: Money Exchange

• Lesson 3: Getting Into Town

• Lesson 4: At the hostel

• Lesson 5: Fiesta!

• Lesson 6: A chance encounter

• Lesson 7: At the café

• Lesson 8: Meeting the family

• Lesson 9: Asking for directions

• Lesson 10: At the restaurant

• Lesson 11: Shopping

• Lesson 12: Going away

• Lesson 13: The Tourist Office

• Lesson 14: Feeling ill

• Lesson 15: Saying goodbye

and each lesson comprises a number of scenes.

Depending on the answers you select, a lesson could have more or less scenes.

Ultimately, you want to go over every possible answer so that you can see all the scenes and learn the new words and phrases associated with the scene.

Why Video Works

Here is a tour of the Jetset Spanish course

Basically, we learn by watching other people do things and then copying them. Video is the closest approximation to this learning technique if you don’t have a Spanish speaking person living with you.

For instance, something that is hard to learn by listening to mp3’s or even using some kind of analytical software is pronunciation.

People learn how to pronounce words by watching the lips and mouth movements of other people when they speak. This shows them where to place their tongue or the lips when saying a word.

They are watching and copying which is something that can’t be done with a software program that analyzes the pitch of your voice by comparison to a native speaker. This is too abstract for most people.

So this skill can only really be taught via real life interaction or by watching a video.

Video instruction also gives people confidence, especially if the scenarios in the videos are likely to be similar to the real world situations that the student may face.

So if the real world setting is a restaurant, the student will have a memory of all the sights and sounds that might be encountered from their time watching the video.

And confidence is the key to really mastering a new language and becoming totally fluent. Once you lose the embarrassment of talking to people in everyday situations, you language skills will come on at a pace.

Jetset Spanish Review Summary

Jetset Spanish is a well put together product. The video production values are good for a language video product and the way it stops between scenes to ask questions is a good teaching strategy.

I would say that the language covered is only really basic conversational level. As the name suggests, it will be useful for tourists who need to have simple conversations, like asking for information, directions, simple questions and things like that.

It would certainly be a fast way to learn Spanish to this level and you could even watch it on the plane as you flew to your exotic Spanish speaking location.

It would get you talking and that is a big step when it comes to learning a new language. When you speak to people in a new language it is good to have some idea of where you want the conversation to go so that you don’t get completely lost.

Also have a few stock phrases that you can return to if you get stuck or don’t understand. For instance, “no entendiendo” means I don’t understand. This could be a stock phrase whenever you get a bit lost with a conversation. “Como se dice” means how do you say and can be used if you need to learn some new vocabulary. You can even start a conversation and if you get stuck for a word, utter this phrase and the person will help you out. Speak more slowly is another phrase that can be helpful. Try “Hablas Mas Despacio” if you think someone is speaking to fast.

The good thing about any course like this is that it encourages you to speak to people. As already said, this is half the battle when learning a new language. Especially as an adult, we feel a bit sensitive about appearing stupid or saying something stupid. Get over this, kids don’t have this fear and they can pick up languages quickly. They build out their vocabulary with time and this is something that you will have to accept.

You won’t be a totally fluent Spanish speaker without time to pick up phrases, colloquialisms and vocabulary. You just have to accept this I’m afraid.

As part of the purchase, you get the downloadable version but you will also get a physical copy on CDs delivered to your home address.

So by accessing the members area of Jetset Spanish, you could be learning from Mauricio and his buddies in under 2 hours from purchase. And you will also have a hard copy version should your computer corrupt the download or have any problems.

Check out the Jetset Spanish course here >>>

Check Out Jetset Spanish For Free

At this time, you can download lesson 3 for free (or for an email address anyhow). This represents a great way to check out the course for yourself and see if you like it.

Get started with the free lesson here >>>

]]> http://www.learnspanishreview.org/jetset-spanish-review.html/feed 0 http://www.learnspanishreview.org/rocket-spanish-games.html http://www.learnspanishreview.org/rocket-spanish-games.html#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:53:19 +0000 admin http://www.learnspanishreview.org/?p=137 Another component of the Rocket Spanish download is the mega games. They can be downloaded from the learning lounge as an exe file. The exe file installs the three games on your PC or Mac. Simply clicking the icon brings up the games and allows you to play.

Games are good for learning things that might be considered slightly boring or tedious. Generally learning grammar conjugations is a pretty tedious affair so there is a game called megaverb that can help.

It consists of answering 25 questions on verb conjugation. You can choose to answer questions on present, past, future or all three tenses. The question gives you the infinitive version of the verb, the meaning in English and the person that you must conjugate (first person singular, third person plural etc.)

Go to the Rocket Spanish Website now >>>

You type in the answer and the games tells you if it is correct or otherwise. You have a few attempts to get it right.

This will teach you verb conjugation and some writing skills to a limited extent. The key to learning verb conjugation is to see recognize regular and irregular verbs. Most verbs will fit into a group of regular verbs which are identified by the way they end. Memorizing the way the ending works for the general group can allow you to conjugate hundreds of verbs successfully.

Irregular verbs just have to be memorized as a one off because they are generally pretty unique in their endings.

Go to the Rocket Spanish Website now >>>

Megavocab is the game to improve your vocabulary skills. It is similar to the way Rosetta Stone works. It shows you a picture and 4 words in Spanish (can show the English word as an option too). You have to guess which word corresponds to the image.

This method of learning vocabulary is a good approach. It is fairly painless way to learn (dare I say fun) but the words are only basic level words (conversational).

Again, Megavocab will ask you 25 questions and mark your answers. There are plenty of categories of words to choose from which will keep you going.

Some of the pictures don’t really communicate what the word should be at times which can be a bit frustrating. In this instance it makes sense to turn the show english word option on to clear up any confusion.

Go to the Rocket Spanish Website now >>>

Megaaudio works on the same principle as Megavocab, except that the word is spoken. You have to match the word to one of 4 or 6 pictures in the question. 20 to 25 questions are asked and you are given a mark. Again there are plenty of categories to practice. Most are just single words but in the later sections there are short sentences.

This game will help your listening comprehension and even your accent if you repeat the words aloud after you hear them.

I find the games are a good warm up exercise if you are planning to do a bit of Spanish. They can get you into the mood so to speak and are easy to use.

Go to the Rocket Spanish Website now >>>