TELL ME MORE French v10 10 levels (PC DVD)

As far as language tuition software goes this is a very
nice piece of kit (a very far cry from the boxed-in
"language labs" of my misspent youth!) Tell Me More's
teach-yourself French package is easy to use. Intallation
was a doddle (I usually muck things up any time I try to
load something new onto my somewhat ancient computer)
which came as an enormous relief!

The PC DVD format spreads its knowledge across 10 levels,
for the beginner to the advanced learner. There is a test
available as an option to help you determine what level to
start at. I got terribly excited when my score kicked me in
at Level 5 (Intermediate!) as I rarely get the chance to
excercise what little French I already know.

From there on in there is a veritable feast of choices
available to keep things interesting and moving forward.

The programme allows for considerable personalisation of
individual learning objectives. Through multiple-choice Q&A
exercises (to catch you out with your grammar!); creative use
of video and animation; canny voice-recognition software for
interactive conversational rehearsal and the feel-good factor
of being able to continuously monitor your performance and
progress, it is a very impressive and coherent piece of design.

One small quibble. Given the hefty price tag one might have
expected a somewhat better quality earphone and mike set.
It does the job ok but really is a tad cheapo-cheapo!

All in all however an enjoyable and intuitive way
of aquiring, or brushing up, a second language.

Well, there's a lot to be getting on with here,
so I'd best be getting on with it. A Bientot!

TellMeMore adopts a sort of immersion principle in language learning with a blend of interactive tasks including games, quizzes and speech using pictures, videos and written content. So far I have no more than scratched the surface and I can see that it can present either as straightforward or confusing depending on your expectation. It is possible to follow the modules in a linear fashion (a defined path), according to progress (called dynamic and like having a personal tutor) or simply explore and wander through various exercises. As a result (and like another reviewer), I felt slightly like a rabbit in headlights until I dived in. Once I had roamed around a bit I could see what TMM were trying to achieve and I felt more at home, after which I followed the dynamic learning path. However, it isn't the most intuitive of software designs and if someone is mastering IT skills in parallel with language it could overwhelm.

I felt that the initial test overestimated my ability and I decided to start right from scratch. I found the introductory level (a separate disc) very useful as a refresher and it may have been added to avoid the course bewildering the newly initiated. The kaleidoscopic experience and variety of content has kept me engaged (it is reckoned that the package comprises 400 + hours of learning) and even if this slightly overestimates it certainly provides value measured by the number of hours of interactive study provided. The number of activities has, so far, avoided me feeling that I was back in O Level French (where I recall feeling that I could nod off when it was a hot day) but as with anything, an awful lot depends on motivation. In that respect the relatively high initial outlay does concentrate the mind on extracting maximum value.

I know that the content is more important than the packaging but like others I felt that more could have been done to create a veneer that matched the price. The headphones were cheap and I substituted the Bluetooth set I use for Dragon Dictation. I suspect this will have improved the testing of pronunciation but more importantly it avoided me feeling chained to the PC base unit. I know that interactivity is meant to make the printed word redundant but I wouldn't have minded a solid book to clutch hold of (all you get is a pamphlet style brief user guide, which is no more than a `get started').

Both of these bleats are to do with the cosmetics as opposed to value for money. I don't think anyone could accuse TMM of throwing together this course - it is serious business, charges serious money and delivers far more than pocket money programmes. I assume that TMM intends that the program can completely substitute for the classroom and this is probably true. My aim is to use it in parallel to evening classes starting in the autumn because I still retain that child like terror of being asked to reply to the French teacher when I haven't done my home work. I don't think it is possible to overdo the number of mechanisms used to learn language and I see TMM as a way of completely immersing myself but combined with some human contact as well.

Although an `on line adviser' is available I have not ventured to investigate what this encompasses and there is nothing that quite substitutes for the common experience of learning with others. In that respect, you can use the program to learn together competitively/collaboratively because more than one user can follow the program and each has a separate account. Thus you can learn as a couple or as a family (but not really simultaneously because the program charts the progress of the individual and their pronunciation skills.)

The software allows learning to be downloaded on to an MP3 player (although I have not tried this), the speech recognition exercises are quite engaging and the program provides useful progress indicators so you don't feel you are paddling around aimlessly. On the other hand the recommended PC specification - 2gb RAM, 2 Ghz processor - seems quite high and the DVD needs to be in the drive for use. These restrictions could create a problem for those with older PCs or netbooks without a DVD drive.

Notwithstanding the quality, the retail price is quite high and the absence of any visible pointers to quality in the packaging gave the illusion of being short changed even if the reality when I got into the course was different. However, if anyone is serious about learning this does far more than the various shelf of different initiatives I have attempted over the last few years. Most importantly it made me feel my efforts were encouraged and rewarded. As a result, I have thus far scored more hours on this one course than all the others attempted since schooldays and, most importantly, I found learning fun. Recommended for the really committed at any level except the very advanced.

Tell me more French really is as good a language course you will find, taking you from absolute beginner to very good standards of spoken French.

I got the course because I am starting to do business in North Africa and needed to top up my (now long ago) schoolboy french.

I have two minor quibbles with Tell Me More ... the first being box appeal ... for something costing between 3 and 400 pounds, one might feel slightly short changed ... especially with the super cheapie headset ... come one Tell Me More ... I will give you a 'could do better' ... mine have been dispatched to the back of a cupboard and I use a set of bluetooth headphones with mic instead.

2nd minor quibble is ... no mac version ... not a major issue as I run dual boot, but I would have preferred to have run native mac.

As minor quibble I have knocked off a star.

Where I cannot fault TMM French is on the learning system itself. multi-level, interactive, many learning styles ... I think one of the unique facilities is the spoken error tracking system ... basically, tracking mis-pronounced words ... very useful and confidence building ...

I have only had half a dozen sessions so far, and have advanced 3 levels ... I certainly feel I can do more than 'get by' on my next trip to France already.

For the money, this course is really for the serious learner, it really is all there.