Speak Easy

Introduction
Market Leaders
For Business People
For Travellers
For Children and Younger Learners
Choosing a Course

When it comes to learning languages, traditional methods are unlikely to bear much fruit. There are only so many times you can practice writing a letter or asking directions for a train which doesn't exist before the exercise book or audio-tape method becomes tiring. It's therefore not surprising the interactive CD-ROMs which have revolutionised the language learning process have enjoyed such extraordinary success. These packages include new technologies such as voice recognition software and interactive games and dialogues, making software-based language learning both interesting and easily accessible.

Whereas old-style language courses were often too rigid and impersonal, these new packages not only make learning languages fun (something it rarely was with a heavy old textbook) but also make the courses more individual. For instance, it's now possible to measure your own pronunciation against that of a native speaker, repeating it until it is accurate.

The new packages also focus on developing a fully rounded mastery of the language, unlike more traditional methods which emphasised reading and writing over communication. Multimedia technologies harness speaking and listening skills to reading and writing, thereby covering the full range of language learning capabilities. Now even such stalwarts of the old school as Berlitz and Collins have introduced new multimedia packages--which just goes to show that if you aren't learning interactively, you're now at a big disadvantage.

This is a very competitive market, and there is an extraordinarily wide range of products on offer. Picking your way through them can be a minefield, but with a bit of knowledge of the targets of each product, you can narrow the choices down more effectively. Three of the best and most popular courses are the Learning Company courses (the highly regarded Learn to Speak range), the A+ series and the Syracuse Language packages (the Smart Start Deluxe range).

The Learn to Speak courses come with a full range of modern software, including voice recognition and personalised study plans. They are among the most individual of the courses--allowing you to progress at your own speed, showing or hiding translations as you decide and focusing on the situations and themes that you determine. These courses also come with a dictionary for the language in question.

The A+ series has some of the same features as the Learning Company courses, such as voice recognition software and the comparison of this to the voice of a native speaker. There are, though, some interesting differences. The A+ series come with each course divided into a series of lessons, each of which is introduced by a video tutor. There is perhaps more of a traditional emphasis in A+ courses, including strong development of the student's grammar along with features such as electronic flashcards and writing tests to match your spelling with the correct version.

Smart Start Deluxe courses are superb, including study guidebooks as well as the voice recognition technology of its competitors. They are perhaps best designed for those seeking on-the-ground communication and comprehension, rather than syntactical precision (although there are, of course, grammatical exercises). The courses are designed so that you can have conversations with characters on screen, and there is also a Web site with quizzes and interactive links. The only negative point might be that some of the packages have a small language glossary.

There are numerous other courses which are worth looking at before making your choice. The Berlitz courses--while perhaps not quite so flashy as either Learning Company or A+ courses--are extremely professional. They also come with voice recognition software, and are one of the clearest and most thorough at moving from stage to stage at a sensible speed. Meanwhile, for maintaining the widest range of vocabulary and for grasping the correct pronunciations, Collins Intense Language Office dictionaries--with their vast scope and impressively comprehensive natures--cannot be beaten.

French Experience from the BBC is another bestselling title--an extremely comprehensive two-CD-ROM language learning course for beginners neatly broken into sections and combining video and audio learning techniques.

Both the A+ and Berlitz courses are probably the best all-round bets for business people, perhaps in tandem with a Collins Intense Language Office Dictionary. These are courses which have the best structure in terms of learning the formalities without which business transactions in many countries can be a nightmare. The structure of the courses is clear, and the audio-visual techniques will allow you to learn the linguistic formalities which accompany business transactions in your target language. Although both courses come with at least a 10,000-word strong dictionary (12,500 in Berlitz's case), it may still be worth getting a Collins Intense Language Office Dictionary as a supplement, since this comes with native speaker pronunciation of over 100,000 words, and is also very much tailored to each individual language and country. For the serious business learner, or for someone trading in a highly specialist field, this package will prove an invaluable addition to the A+ or Berlitz courses.

·A+ range of language learning software
·Berlitz range of language learning software
·Collins Intense Language Office Dictionaries

The Learning Company and Syracuse Language courses are perhaps best for travellers. These are the courses which come with some of the most developed interactive technologies, and, as a result, they are ideal for people who are going to have to use a language on the ground in a wide range of unpredictable situations. As well as being fun, though, they are of course well structured and deal effectively with a wide range of grammatical themes and situations. But it is their individuality and strong interactive elements which really make them stand out for travellers needing to learn a foreign language. Again, depending, on the seriousness of the level of study, some travellers might want to supplement one of these courses with a Collins Intense Language Office Dictionary.

·Learn to Speak range of language learning software
·Smart Start Deluxe range of language learning software

Among the best courses for children and younger learners are The Times GCSE courses, designed specifically for students in the UK taking their GCSE exams. These courses are fun, interactive and at the same time highly effective in reinforcing and expanding the learner's knowledge of a language. Each take the form of a mystery scenario: learners are enlisted to help catch the criminals, and have to perform tasks or take part in games (all are executed in the target language) in order to receive clues to help solve the crime. What is most impressive about this course, though, is that the aim of learning is not sacrificed to the fun--relevant dictionaries and glossaries are available in each area, and the games really do address important areas of grammar.

Unfortunately, some courses aimed at this age group are not so effective at combining fun and learning: the Multimedia series is a case in point which, although claiming to be both fun and precise, doesn't fully achieve both these goals.

Alternatively, you can introduce children to language learning in a more subtle fashion. Tivola have a number of children's fun and learning software titles that are educational in content, yet game and activity-based to guarantee enjoyment. Oscar Flies into the Mountains is an interactive journey through nature, and the CD-ROM can be played in English, French or German.

LeapPad is a learning system allowing children to get to grips with reading without even noticing the work. This software system combines a "magic" pen with an interactive book designed to help children spell, follow a story and improve their vocabulary and concentration, and provides an introduction to foreign languages which involves choosing an everyday activity then choosing to hear the words in French, Spanish, German or Japanese.

Notwithstanding any of the above, it is important to consider some of the following questions before deciding on a language learning course.

·language specificity : some courses are better at focusing on particular linguistic catchment areas than others. This is especially important in a language like Spanish, where there are wide differences between the accents and vocabulary in Spain and Latin America--most courses tend to be specific to Castillian Spanish, but, if heading to Latin America, it makes sense to seek out a Latin American course. The Collins Talking Spanish-English Dictionary is strong on differences between Spain and the Americas.
·reason for use : why are you studying? This is a key question, and the answer (see the various suggestions in the main article above) will help to guide you towards the course which is best for you.
·multimedia features and extras : how tech-savvy are you? If you like a wide range of interactive features, then one of the more advanced and hi-tech products is probably best for you; if such things make you nervy, it may be best to opt for one of the more straightforward packages.
·existing knowledge : are you completely new to the language, or do you have some previous knowledge? Although most courses are tailored for beginners and upwards, some (such as the Syracuse Language courses, which have 3 levels, or The Times GCSE courses, which run entirely in Spanish) are more useful for those with some sort of starting base--otherwise you may find that too many of the lessons are just covering old ground.

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Toby Green is the author of Meeting the Invisible ManandSaddled with Darwin and regularly reviews CD-ROMs for Amazon.co.uk .

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