Fluenz French Level 2

French Attempts, August 21, 2008

This is my first review in Amazon, and I'm taking the time to write it because finally, I can say that I'm learning. I've wanted to learn French pretty much all my life. I tried briefly in High School, more seriously in College, and then off and on ever since, both with computer self-teaching, tutors and classes. This is to say that I never learned much, but that I've become an expert in ways to learn French. At least I feel like I've seen them all.

Fluenz intrigued me from the beginning because the product description hit all the right notes: clear explanations, a gradual approach that doesn't throw a bunch of grammar but rather builds it slowly, along with useful, relevant vocab you can use on day one. The whole pitch got me thinking.

I had always assumed I was a big loser for not being able to learn (well, a bit of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean). I just thought I hadn't tried hard enough, but reading about Fluenz made question a lot of my experiences. Certainly the whole argument about common sense explanations in English, just enough grammar well learned, and only useful words. Those three elements, put in that way, I had never seen.

Classes at the Alliance Francais in my area were way too fast, included too many exceptions, complicated grammar, and other material that would frequently overwhelm. Whenever I studied I was on top of it, but the reality is that I still didn't couldn't have a conversation.

Then I had a tutor, not for too long, because she never wanted to talk to me in English and I didn't feel like I was progressing in any way. It was all French from the beginning til the end. Yes, sometimes I felt I was making progress, I could understand a thing here or there, but not enough to continue paying for it.

I've tried a couple of software programs, along with two websites that offered free lessons. In every single case I was never motivated after a few hours. Again I thought I was lazy, but now I realize that these programs are never designed to get you to speak the language. At any rate, all these programs seem like they use they same script for every language they teach. To them, Pashtun is no different than French, just another language to sell.

I was skeptical about Fluenz, or rather, about my ability to complete it. But because the product description made me think about these other programs in a very different light I decided to give it a try. And I've been pleasantly surprised.

Fluenz is effective, simple as that. For the first time I feel hooked on my French classes, and no matter where I stop I know that I can already say many things. That is the most important part for me, in reality what keeps me going since I can count on getting a usable nugget every time I turn it on.

The tutor, Sonia, is a really fantastic teacher. She explains, I can rewind if I don't understand and hear it again, she is pleasant to look at, and seems really smart. Her classes evolve in a logical way, step by step, and then the exercises work. And the exercises are both beautiful and effective, something rare in this world. After you are into it the stuff gets in your head, and again, you can use it right away.

I haven't finished the whole program but I can say two things. I know more today than I've ever been able to retain. And, I'm pretty sure that I'll finish, which is amazing given how many times I've tried to start.

A customer's view of Rosetta Stone and Fluenz, September 8, 2008

I purchased, used and will return Rosetta Stone. And I've purchased, I'm using, and still haven't returned Fluenz. Although my father is German and I've been around that language all my life, I decided to learn French. When doing the initial research on available options I concluded that RS and Fluenz seemed to be the only choices for any kind of comprehensive self-teaching package. Although pricey, they were far cheaper than a French private tutor in my area, and probably cheaper than classes when factoring in all the material included.

Rosetta Stone presents an immersion type learning system in which one is supposed to learn as if one were a child. The theory behind this is that children learn languages fast, particularly their own, and going back to this stage would be productive for adults. After some reading I believe this theory was invented by Maximilian Berlitz 130 years ago, or in about 1888.


My first few hours with the program proved rewarding in the sense that I learned a great deal of vocabulary, even if a lot of it was infantile. This session gave me momentum to continue, as well as the expectation that I would be presented with some sort of sequence allowing me to tie all the vocabulary together in a productive manner. In reality, the program generated more complex phrases, instead of single words or simple phrases, but without enough logic for me to understand the underlying grammar. I understood little yet the complexity of the sentences being generated kept growing. As advertised, there were no explanations of any kind, but the troublesome part is that the material was never presented for learners with a sense of clarity. Even the so called Milestone, which offered a more dynamic situation, was not designed to offer the right grammar clues needed to able to see the whole instead of many parts. I never tried again after my second attempt, having given up on the idea that arbitrary words and phrases would contribute to my progress through the language.

Fluenz had an opposite effect on me. They proposed to explain everything in detail so that I would understand what I was learning. They further suggested that seeing French from the point of view of the English grammar would make the process a logical one. After not much reading this view seemed to come from modern Linguists followers of Chomsky, as well as those versed in Cognitive Science. I was therefore expecting a great deal of fireworks. Yet, things went off to a slow start.

At first I thought that it was too simple, progressing too slowly. I jumped through the first three lessons. When I reached the fourth lesson of Fluenz it became clear the program was nothing if not meticulous in its presentation of the material. Even more surprising, the tutor was not simply talking, but going through a careful plan. The words presented in the initial conversation were exactly the words explained by the tutor, and exactly the words in the exercises. These workouts, to use their gym parlance, were actually quite effective; and sufficiently directed to allow me to retain and be able to use all the language being taught. There is little time wasted as every word matters, and every structure can be linked to everything else being learned. Again, the pace is very deliberate for an average learner, but it is quite clear that every new step comes after the prior one has been rigorously reviewed.

I'm well into Level 2 and the standard continues to hold. Overall the media production is well done, and the program not at all difficult to run. I'm currently looking forward to finishing the program and putting all the work to the test in Quebec. My expectation is that everything will work out.

Solid Program, April 4, 2008

I've wanted to learn French for a long time. After playing around with some free online offerings like the BBC language program, I decided to try and get serious. Of all the offerings I settled on Fluenz because it seemed the most rigorous and organized. A demo at their site made a very strong case, and Amazon offered the best price. I've been using it for a couple of days and have the following points:

*Easy to plug and play. It does run from the DVD-ROM (no downloading) which is not ideal, but it does run well and easily.
*Good sized screen, clear organization of all lessons, well-structured navigation.
*Clear and to the point introduction to the program and to each lesson.
*The sequence of learning appears to be well designed to maximize exponential growth of learning as new words and expressions are added.
*The explanations in English by the Coach are the program's best feature, allowing learners to really understand how the language is structured.
*The drills are fun but relentless in making sure the learner internalizes the new material.
*The use of writing and reading exercises to help in verbal expression and comprehension makes a lot of sense.
*The audio recording works fine but there is nothing fancy about it.
*The help videos and screens are clear and run well, as does the glossary.
*The overall graphic design is pleasing.
*A more systematic way of keeping score is the only relevant element missing.

Overall it is a solid program that lives up to the descriptions and information provided at Amazon and the Fluenz site.

For those of us who need to learn French NOW, April 24, 2008

I talk for a living, and have done so for more than a decade. So of course the more languages I can speak the better mouthpiece I can be. This is exactly why I turned to Fluenz. I've tried other programs like RosettaStone and while it helped a bit, years later I can't remember a single word.

Of course, there is no replacement for complete immersion. But the Fluenz programs are pretty darn close. It's immediately applicable, starting with what I think is the most important: verbs. Action words are what matter.

Only a week into the program and already I feel like it's sinking in. In fact, I'm on a conference call right now in which everyone is talking French and while I certainly can't follow it all I now know enough to follow the conversation comfortably and at least know the main gist. This is a vast improvement in such a short time!

Next time I will know more, and in a few weeks I hope to be able to join the conversation (even if limited). When learning languages you need to practice, practice, practice and Fluenz makes that not only easy but also fun.

Highly recommended for those of us who want (or need) instant gratification!

Solid, Step by Step French, May 25, 2008

I'm going to France in a couple months and so I decided to look into learning a bit of the language. I ended up choosing Fluenz French. I've been using it for a while on my white Macbook running Leopard, but because the functionality is the same for Windows I decided to post this review here as well.

OVERVIEW
The program has 60 sessions, and each session begins with an introduction from the teacher, followed by a conversation between two native speakers. These conversations are what introduce the new material that will be learned in that session, and since Fluenz makes its programs for traveling adults, these conversations always involve some type of really practical situation that you're probably going to face in France. After the conversation, the teacher returns to explain all the new things that you just heard. And then comes your opportunity to practice. Fluenz French has a lot of different exercises that allow you to practice your reading, writing, listening and even speaking abilities (you record your own voice and compare it to native speakers). At the end, the teacher comes back to wrap up the session. Again, this structure is consistent throughout all 60 sessions.

METHODOLOGY
The program believes in using a lot of English throughout. The video teacher therefore translates all new words into English, and explains all the new concepts in English as well. These explanations are done by comparing English to French, which means everything is seen through a familiar perspective. Because French gets complicated rather quickly with many rules and exceptions and issues with verb agreements and such, seeing it all in English is helpful. As I said before, after the teacher explains all the new material for the session, you start practicing it by doing a series of exercises--13 in total for most sessions. These exercises allow you to write your own sentences, practice again by going from French to English and back again, transcribe sentences that you hear in French, record your own voice in order to compare your pronunciation to that of native speakers.

EXTRAS
The program comes with two audio CDs that cover the same material as in the computer program, and a little booklet to help you out in France with familiar phrases.

CONCLUSION
After working with the program I can say that I feel very comfortable with the basic concepts of the French language, that I feel like I can approach different kinds of conversations and handle them well, that I have a lot of confidence. The program is hard and requires a lot of work, but the video teacher is good at keeping you on track and giving you energy every time you needed.

Great product, May 1, 2008

I've had Fluenz French for a few weeks and can tell you that this product is great. I am particularly impressed with the software and its focus on teaching French to adults with clear explanations and examples. The lessons and workshops are filled with colorful photos which help you stay focused and attentive. Each lesson builds upon the previous one, so each new lesson acts as a refresher. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to learn French and remember it. Also, the lessons are short enough that you can do them in the office during a lunch break. The basic format is as follows: (1) first you listen to a short French conversation three times - once with English and French subtitles, once with French subtitles only, and once without any subtitles. You can repeat the conversations as many times as you want/need. I tend to listen to it more than three times. (2) then the instructor breaks down the sentences and the vocabulary explaining usage and grammar. (3) finally, workshop follows where you read, write, and speak what you've learned and variations of it. Overall, a great product that I would highly recommend to first time students of French.

Leaves competition in the dust, October 18, 2008

I have tried different products like the Rosetta Stone French, the online version of Tell Me More French as well as some paid podcasts before, because I really need to learn french. This is a far superior product if you want to really learn French and not just play with some fancy software. It does not have features like voice recognition but it's very nice designed. It's superiority comes from the method and the nice explanations and the clarity. I could not adapt to the Rosetta Stone's teaching method, that is more suitable for kids in my opinion, plus Rosetta Stone is more like fast food while Fluenz is nice cuisine. Tell Me More is too confusing for a beginner, you cannot use it without some kind of trainer. In my opinion Fluenz French is the best product on the market today. I just wish they will release German and Japanese someday.

Fluenz French is GREAT!, August 14, 2008

I've always been afraid to learn a language, but with an impending trip to Paris, now is the time! I tried Rosetta Stone but it gave me a headache, and tried several other low-cost products but quickly became frustrated. Fluenz has me captivated! I am working through the lessons, practicing the sentences with my husband, and even feel comfortable saying the words! I can't say enough about Fluenz! If you wonder if this product is for you, try the free demonstration on their website. Finally, they have fabulous customer support! I had some problems with the Amazon shipping, and Fluenz stepped right in and took care of it. These things, along with their excellent return policy, make buying this product an excellent choice!

Great so far, April 9, 2008

I've just been playing with the program for several hours, and it looks impressive. The video lessons are my favorite thing about it, since they explain French in a way I had never encountered. The clear explanations in English make sense of the most confusing parts of French. The rest of the program is well-designed and really dynamic, and all the material covered is really useful for adults who need to learn the language.