Free language learning tips, podcasts and software reviews for Spanish, German, English, French, Japanese

Today’s review is Rocket Spanish.

Listen to our short audio review:

What do I get in this system? (It has various ‘components’)

• 31 interactive audio lessons (25 minutes each, 14 hours total)
• 31 illustrated grammar lessons (follows the Audio Course)
• “MegaVocab” Rocket Spanish Word Building Game
• “MegaAudio” language software game
• “MegaVerbs” Grammar Software Game
• Your own Spanish teacher, “on call” 24 hours a day.

My impressions:

I spent a few days trialling Rocket Spanish after using Rocket Japanese, so I was very familiar with the learning process. I used the audio component while traveling to work and during the everyday chores. While at home in the evenings, I used the Rocket Spanish games.

As with the other Rocket products, this program is very thorough. The approach is very oral giving the student a lot of opportunity to listen and repeat in a very active learning environment. It is very up to date, easy and fun. In comparison to Visual Link Spanish, it doesn’t have the online resources but is very good for active learning “while on the run”. The audio is well structured putting the listener in many realistic situations. The member forum is always available for extra support.

Current price as at - Jan 1st 2007 is $99us, neck and neck with Visual Link Spanish.

Which to choose? If you want to take your audio with you and have access to a thriving community of Spanish learners, then Rocket Spanish has the edge.

If you are interested in learning more about Spanish then click to Rocket Spanish

Cheers and good luck,
Tristan

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Hola!

Today’s Spanish review is Visual Link Spanish.

Listen to our short audio review:

Listen to our short audio review:

What do I get in this system?

• Learn over 700 vocabulary words
• Master 11 challenging grammar concepts
• Learn to understand native speech with 12 comprehension lessons
• Quiz yourself in all major verb conjugations in Spanish
• Learn the 5 most commonly mispronounced Spanish sounds
• Learn 40 essential culture topics
• Gain access to Spanish newspapers and an online Spanish-English dictionary

My impressions:

I have had a subscription to this program over the last few days. The program is run online, it has a very simple interface listing the topics available. You can easily navigate through the topics to find your area of interest. Each topic has many games and learning resources with clear audio and fun images.

I headed straight to the comprehension section, I was able to learn basic introductions quickly. With the help of the user friendly interface I could slow down the conversation examples and repeat them without using English, there is the possibility to translate the difficult parts if needed.

The Culture section is particularly interesting, offering a variety of useful tips when in Latin America or dealing with Spanish:

“If you sneeze once, Latin people say ‘Health!’ If you sneeze a second time, they say ‘Money!’ and a third sneeze in a row brings ‘love!’”

To conclude, this is a very thorough, informative and fun program. There are literally hundreds of resources to use, but make sure you follow the structure to get the full benefit.

Update: I believe it is currently selling for $99us, making this a very competitive choice next to Rocket Spanish

You can try a demo at the following link Visual Link Spanish

Cheers,
Tristan

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Today’s quick introduction is called “Synergy Spanish”.

What do I get in this system?

• Synergy Spanish Fast Start Guide
• 50 Audio Lessons (25 day program)
• Synergy Spanish Coaching

Quote from their website:

Part of your life is easier than you have been shown Just as 3 primary colors make all colors, 12 notes make all music and 26 letters make all English Literature.

138 words are all you need to begin communicating effectively in Spanish. All you need to do now is… Learn 138 words, Master the easy steps to using them with Synergy.

Update: There are two versions, the downloadable version and the cd version. Prices range from $49-$97us.

Four free chapters can be found here at Synergy Spanish

Cheers,
Tristan

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Today’s review is Learn Spanish like crazy.

What do I get in this system?

• 72 hours of audio lessons
• Transcripts of the audio course

My impressions:

Initially I was very skeptical with the unprofessional web page. I almost didn’t review the system thinking it was a ‘fly by night’ system. I did, however, test the system and was pleasantly surprised.

The learning process is very similar to the Pimsleur system, it is only an audio component. It is a thorough system ranging from complete beginner to advanced. There are 72 hours listening material with an accompanying transcript. On a negative note, there is no software or access to a member forum, there is however, the ability to download the course which lowers the price considerably.

Current price as at - Jan 4st 2007 is $99.95us, neck and neck with Rocket Spanish and Visual Link Spanish.

Which to choose? If you are looking for a dedicated audio system, this is on the level of Pimsleur at a third the price. If you are looking for something with more up to date features, I would still recommend either Visual link Spanish or Rocket Spanish. They are the same price but offer more visual bang for your buck.

If you are interested in learning more about Spanish then click to Learn spanish like crazy (ignore the web page, it doesn’t give the program justice)

Cheers,
Tristan

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Today’s review is another product from Magnum.

What do I get in this system?

(please note: Magnum Spanish is only available as a shipped product)

• 1 Software CD ROM
• 1 Audio CD
• 1 Story/Quick Reference book
• 30 Levels of grammar
• 28 levels of vocabulary
• Over 100 hours of instruction
• Talking Dictionary
• Voice Recognition
• Auto Learn with progress tracking
• 3 Learning modes to choose from

My impressions:

Firstly, a company that doesn’t offer their software products downloadable online, faces some strong competition.

To get an overall view of this product, please visit the Magnum French section as this product is exactly the same, only differing in the language.

Update: There are two versions, the reviewed above includes a headset and booklet. Prices range from $49-$59us.

What to choose? For a more complete system and much more value for money it is better to spend the extra $40 and go with either Rocket Spanish or Visual Link Spanish.

If you would like to know more the click to Magnum Spanish

Cheers,
Tristan

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