Berlitz French Premier Version 2 (PC/Mac)

Having read the reviews and product description before I bought this pack, I could not quite make out what level it was aiming at, particularly as it claims to be suitable for all levels from beginner to advanced. Once I started using it I could see why this was the case. Quite simply, it is not a coordinated learning package but a collection of different bits and pieces of French language learning materials all bundled under the Berlitz brand name.

There is an attempt to pull some of it together under an interface called "Learning Centre" but this doesn't really work. For example the flash cards will not accept keyboard input when you access them via the Learning Centre (as you're supposed to do) but will accept keyboard input if you close the Learning Centre and open the cards program separately. At least this is the case on my PC, and it is no use clicking on the link for technical help as it does not work. There is no technical help.

The six short videos are useful for listening to and analysing French conversation, though I still had to rely on Google language tools for much of the latter. However, some of the vocabulary learning aids such as crosswords and word games were of doubtful value, and again there are technical problems with some of the interactive video exercises. This part of the learning materials also includes a gimmicky word pronunciation meter where you say a word or phrase into a microphone and the program is supposed to analyse what you've said in terms of vowels, fricatives etc and give you a score showing how close your pronunciation is to good French. This is something that only a computer geek would think of as useful, or even possible. I got my best scores when, just for fun, I pronounced the French in broad Scots, Scouse or Cockney accents. This may not say much about my usual French accent but I suspect it says more about the software.

I wish I could give this pack a higher score, but in many ways it is an opportunity missed. Instead of producing a comprehensive learning programme, the publishers have cobbled together some old bits of learning materials(they still use francs in the shopping sequences)and packaged them under the Berlitz brand. However, there is still a lot of useful stuff in there, and over all it is still good value for money - and the pronunciation meter is always worth a laugh.

I love these Berlitz language courses! The flash cards are excellent for building vocabulary and the programme keeps a track of your progress as you learn.

It's a clever little piece of software that is great to dip into or spend an hour so in front of a computer with. You can even put it on your iPod apparently - although I haven't actually tried this yet, but if you want a course that is a comprehensive French language course, then this may fall a little short.

If you're wanting something to dip into before a week away, or want fun trying out French in your spare time, then this is great fun! But if you're serious about learning the language from the bottom up then this may not be everything that you want.

Great fun!

The Berlitz French programme appears to be exactly the same as the one produced under "Transparent Language".

The keyboard has improved, and on my Mac, automatically switches between the French and English keyboards. However, finding key necessary letters such as those with a circumflex, wasn't easy. The other irritating feature is the raft of Americanisms. Whilst the programme does allow you to permanently amend the spelling, it still grated to be told that a cinéma is actually a movie theater, and a jardin is a yard. It would not take much effort to produce a version more suited to the UK market.

The flashcard system is, though, excellent. This version doesn't allow you to build your own flashcards, but with the ability to refresh stale items, it would be enormously useful to those revising for exams.

The premise behind this programme is that the user is "immersed" in the language. That would work better if there were direct hyperlinks to other French resources. Instead, it feels more as if you are trying to learn a language with very little explanation as to how it works. There are explanations available, but presented in a very dry manner. Overall, I would be concerned that this would be a difficult approach for someone not already familiar with the process of learning a different language.

The programme contains 15 lessons, from initial introductions, to business vocabulary, and 6 conversation lessons to complement topics. It's clearly aimed at the adult user, and teenagers may find the topics less interesting. The lessons take the user into the past and future tense, but this is only to a lower intermediate level in terms of being able to use the language.

Some of the activities are good. I did enjoy the pronounciation activies, Some of the others rely heavily on being able to use the French keyboard effectively, and I had some residual problems with the keyboard, in finding how to add some accents.

I'm not convinced that this programme would be a good introduction to the language for a beginner. As a refresher following learning French at school, it does have some good points, notably the Byki flashcard system, and pronounciation practice. But overall, I'd like to see a bit more work on this before I'd feel comfortable in recommending it to friends.