TELL ME MORE Spanish v10 10 levels (PC DVD)

***First impressions***
Wow! £400 rrp for a language course...this had better be good.

Opening the box, I'm a bit surprised at how little is in here. A thin user guide (this tells you how to set up the programme, but nothing about the programme itself), one DVD, one CD, a headset and a warning to update the software. I'm not sure what else could have been included, but I feel a little short-changed.

***Installing the product***
It's not clear which CD/DVD you should use. The DVD describes itself as 'comprehensive', offering all 10 levels of spanish. The CD describes itself as 'Espanol de America' 'Start Here' 'new introductory level'. Which to install? The user guide gives no clue, just telling me to insert the CD/DVD in the drive.

I have some basic knowledge of Spanish, so went for the 'comprehensive' DVD. I guess I can install the 'new introductory level' later if needed.

Installation was trouble free, took me about five minutes and then launched Tell Me More automatically. On the advice of the 'warning to update the software' included in the package, I went to the help menu and downloaded a 'Dec 2009' update. This takes another five minutes or so to install on my computer.

***Creating a user account and activating levels***
The programme itself has a very intuitive interface, and after creating a user name and being offered the opportunity to register, I was invited to take an online level test to assess my language needs. As I'm not a complete beginner, this really appeals - I can start wherever I need to with the language. The online test takes around 20-30 minutes, and is a series of audio and written questions to test my vocabulary and grammar.

Once the test is complete, its onto the learning proper. I'm assessed as 'level 2' and the software quickly takes me into a screen detailing a series of lessons and exercises I can take associated with that level.

Another plus is that it's possible to create more than one user account - so other people using the software can learn the language at their own pace.

***The exercises***

The progress screen for 'level 2' shows a whole range of exercises, and the estimated time it will take to complete them. I can see there's well over 40 hours worth of learning in level 2. That starts to explain the price tag (with 10 levels that's a lot of learning!)

The exercises are fun, varied, intuitive and help to make it as easy as possible to motivate yourself to come back to the programme regularly to progress. I have noticed my progress after only a week.

However, based on a week's usage I don't think the price is justifiable. As a comparison, a 10 week evening course in Spanish is readily available in my home city of London for under £200. Alternatively, you can buy Michel Thomas' excellent Michel Thomas Foundation Course: Spanish (Michel Thomas Series) combined with Michel Thomas Advanced Course: Spanish (Michel Thomas Series) for well under £100.

I can see the added convenience of an in-home programme over an evening course, although for me the benefit of the evening course is that you actually get to interact with real people in Spanish (and it's harder to let your learning slip). I can also see the added benefit of the interactive, varied programme over Michel Thomas' audio CDs. But they have worked very well for me in the past.

***Usage over the long-term***
The text above was written after a week or so using the product. Now after a month or two I have found that I am not using the product as often as I ought to for the price. This is not at all the fault of the product, which I would still rate as very high quality. However, I find my motivation to learn a language on my own is not sufficient to keep me working at it in the evenings and weekends. For me an organised course would be much better value, as I would be forced to keep up the learning.

***Conclusion***
This programme is great, but at the price there are better, and cheaper, options available. If you have a specific reason for wanting to learn Spanish in your own home, in front of your computer, and are prepared to pay over the odds for it, this product is excellent. However, for most potential buyers I would suggest there are better options out there.

The Spanish set for Tell Me More is arranged and organized exactly like the English set. The makers have produced all of these packages in the same format and contains all of the same features, which is extremely user friendly and easy to get the hang of. I commented in my English review that it was a good way to home-school kids on the English language (instead of less engaging lessons in school). The Spanish set is so straight-forward that it can also be used this way, and is especially good for young kids as they can learn faster than adults, so if you want them to have a second language then now is the time and Tell Me More is a great investment for this purpose.

For language learning software, you'd be hard pushed to find something better than Tell Me More.

After having read countless reviews & compared many products I chose this Spanish learning programme, with the idea that my 19 yr old son could start with the basics as a complete beginner and I could pick up at a higher level having spent several years studying the language in the past (but become very rusty).

At first my son could not manage the programme without my help, though we then realised we should have loaded another disc too. He seemed reasonably happy after this and I left him to it (although I note he already seems to have lost his intial enthusiasm to learn the language).

After completing an online test I was placed at level 4 and was keen then to start learning and improving. The problem is, I don't feel I'm actually learning anything? All I seem to be doing is completing a serious of tests - filling in blanks in sentences, word association, crosswords, answering questions on a listening exercise. I mean, I'm sure this must help me revise my previous Spanish, but if for example I am asked to do something in a tense I either didn't learn before or never got to grips with, there doesn't seem to be any explanation of its correct use. True there are some explanations of sorts, but I am no dim wit & yet I struggle to understand them.

I'm afraid so far I have not been impressed at all & find I get bored and / or frustrated easily. To be honest I'd rather have saved my money as this is by no means a cheap programme. I did contact the support team to check I was navigating the programme correctly, but they were no help at all. I just feel I am trying to answer questions that should follow some sort of teaching element?

I have given the programme 3 stars though as I do appreciate there is a lot on it. And given that is has such good reviews I am going to persevere with it, perhaps by dropping a level or two to see if that helps. Failing that I'd rather have been offered a money back guarantee!