Learn to Speak Spanish Deluxe
by Individual Software
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List Price: Our Price: $17.89 You Save: $12.10 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Software See more product details and other editions |
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Software Reviews of Learn to Speak Spanish Deluxe
Customer Review: Great value for a didactic program
Summary: 5 Stars
This program makes up for what Rosetta Stone lacks - didactics. While it is not in the form of a live teacher - there are planned lessons and exercises to practice simple grammar and vocabularies.
It is broken up into sections based on categories - doctor's visit, gassing up, travel, etc. It has video clips, with english and spanish texts under it. Dictionaries can be installed. The voice recognition is easy to use, and give instant feedback.
For the price of $20, it is loaded! While rosetta stone is easily used - it is lacking in structured didactics. Too bad, one can't have rosetta stone at $20 also. In term of being "boring" - you pretty much can say that about any didactic program. Learning a language intensively is boring. I completed 2 years of college spanish in 17 weeks (7 in the US, and 10 in Ecuador). There is no easy way around that fact. Rosetta stone is more "exciting", and "fun". But it stops short of its ability to really teach you a language. Other programs also stop short of letting you achieve "low intermediate" spanish. This one might just do that, if you completed all the didactic exercises - which are very brief... My guess is that this course will give you the equivalent of first year high school spanish, or perhaps first semester college spanish. Rosetta stone will only complement a real spanish class or expose you to simple verb tenses. This program also comes with audio cds and a small reference book. The dvd can be installed on your hard drive, so you don't need to lug it along like Fluenz or other programs.
How you proceed with this program is by either choosing topics (dining, at the bank, at the airport, etc.), or by lessons (genders, present tense, past tense, etc), or by conversation (assuming you already know the rules and vocab). The preferred way to go is to choose the topic, learn the vocabs, learn to pronounce (by using running the list), and then go through the exercise). Like many other language programs, it is best if you had some formal class in spanish - but it is doable not knowing any spanish language. The lessons are very brief, and has about 1 example of each tense for each form of the subject pronoun. While it is brief, it serve just enough to explain the tense. You would have to combine this program with more repetitive exposure to the tense through didactic exercises through a book like "Practice Makes Perfect, Spanish Verb Tenses", or "Hello World, Spanish Free Conjugator" download. You can not go wrong in using this program in conjunction with other audiovisual methods such as Pimsluer, rosetta stone, etc.
Customer Review: good value but unexciting
Summary: 3 Stars
Having read other reviews, I expected a lot more but I think this software is very dull. It's also very inexpensive, but I don't think it's worth more than it costs. The same tired topics, which are good if you want to learn Spanish just to be a tourist. The structure is very basic: learn the vocabulary, a few basic multiple choice type exercises and on to the next lesson. My microphone, which works with the computer, didn't work with the software and there was no response from tech. support. But I decided I didn't care because the program is so unmotivating I'll just give it away. I know other programs cost more, but they are also much better.Customer Review: Best Value by Far
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased Rosetta Stone for Portuguese a number of years ago. This was before they turned the product into some sort of marketing gimick. The price was much lower back then. Though the product was fine, I really don't believe it is much better than this learning method. I would say in Rosetta Stone you are paying 90% for their advertising. I don't think any product in a box is a magic pill, but for $20 you have little downside with this one.Customer Review: A MUST HAVE AT AN UNBELIEVABLE PRICE !!
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband and I have been studying various sources in order to learn Spanish for an upcoming trip to Mexico. Yet, it was not all coming together in a functional way. So we purchased Learn to Speak Spanish Deluxe 10 from Amazon.com.
This is so much better than the other sources that we could not believe the price. It has a DVD for computer installation, which also contains a number of movies so that one can get immersed in the language.
It comes with 3 additional CDs for improving pronunciation. Each word can be heard, imitated and recorded on the computer with instant feedback as to how one's pronunciation is coming. Not only is one able to hear pronunciation for sounds and words, but also for the vowels, one can see a moving animation of how the tongue and lips are shaped to make the sounds.
There are lessons set by the program or one can build her/his own lessons based on need. A pre-test tells one where he/she needs to start. There is a Spanish-English /English-Spanish dictionary with all of the Spanish words pronounced with the simple click of the mouse.
In addition to the 144 page quick reference guide book which comes with the program, there is a 170 page workbook in PDF format with exercises and answers. The workbook is excellent and gives the conjugation of a number of verbs. There are 40 interactive scenarios in which you speak to the person on the screen in an appropriate conversational way. The computer picks up your voice and the program gives you immediate feedback.
Even the games, which are fun, stress pronunciation and record your voice to see if you are saying the words and phrases properly. (I paid over $100 for a voice recognition program which types.) This program has a cute little gauge which registers how close you are getting to the proper pronunciation. It goes from tourist to native. Of course it has sound that that lets you know how well you are doing in addition to the gauge.
I could go on but . . . Why? Well, I will just a little. The words are listed in such a way that they are related. You can click on a button and have a drill in which a list of words is said in Spanish with the English meaning on the screen. You can if you wish, repeat and record to get immediate feedback for accuracy.
You can download to an MP3 or play the CDs when not at your computer. There is even an internet connection from the site which links you to travel information and time, weather conditions in various countries etc.
No, I do not work for the company but as an educator myself, I think every subject should have a program similar to this, then the USA would rank in the top five in education again. This is so much fun that kids could learn without pain and the reward would not only be in high scores earned on the computer but good grades in school as well. With the added benefit of usable knowledge.
This is the best $17.95 we have ever spent. Language courses in high school and college did not make language come alive like this. Our hats are off to the educators and program designers who developed this excellent learning program at such an affordable price. ?Muchas gracias!
Customer Review: Castellano or Latin Amercan Spanish?
Summary: 3 Stars
I am interested in buying this product. However it is unclear if this product empahsizes Castillian Spanish of Spain (Castellano) or Latin American Spanish (Espa?ol).
Can any of the other reviewers answer this question?
For the record, I am interested in Latin American Spanish.
Is the overpriced/overhyped Rosetta Stone software my only option? :(