Customer Reviews

Fluenz French 1+2 with supplemental Audio CDs and Podcasts

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

I have tried a variety of methods to learn foreign languages, including Rosetta Stone, Berlitz tapes, and classroom instruction, and I have to say this is the most effective, powerful, and FUN learning tool I have ever used. I have a very short attention span, and this fact has made it hard for me to learn languages. I get bored easily, and if I'm bored with something, I'll drop it. I'm learning French as a casual learner, for personal enrichment, not because I need it for work or travel right now - so the only thing that can compel me to keep going is a system that is fun. A demanding request - and one that Fluenz delivers on. Rather than the boring, dry memorization of some systems and the repetitive activities of others, each lesson in Fluenz French includes several different activities that are not only extremely effective in helping you learn and remember (the writing exercises particularly help you remember), but also fun and entertaining. Some activities involve watching slideshows of real people having a conversation. Some involve matching phrases with their translation. Some involve translating. Some involve writing what you hear. Some involve speaking, recording your voice, and comparing your accent with the natives. Some involve matching pictures with words. You don't do any one activity long enough to possibly get bored with it, and learning in so many different ways really helps you grasp the material in a way no other system, most of which are one dimensional, can match. I can "study" for hours on end without getting bored! I would add that the slideshows and pictures are beautiful to look at and appropriate to the language you are studying. In French, you will see people and places in France and Quebec. (Unlike other systems where you view the exact same dry photos of people and things whether you are learning French, Mandarin, or Swahili...) Culture is important and helps "immerse" you as you learn the language. It is an inspiration, and a vital component that is missing in other systems.

Another thing unique to this system is the one-on-one tutor. Rosetta Stone advertises on TV that their system "feels like learning from your own private tutor" but it does not feel like that at all. In Fluenz, a real person speaks to you at the beginning, middle, and end of each session, helping you make sense of what you are learning so that you can use the knowledge to frame your own sentences, making comparison with English, and helping you retain the information.

I suppose the biggest competitor for Fluenz right now is Rosetta Stone, and I implore you to please try the demo for Fluenz (the link to their website is at the top of this Amazon page). You try the demo online, free, without submitting an email address or registering. It completely sold me. You will be amazed at how fast you can learn, and have fun doing it to boot. Rosetta Stone's interface is ugly, has nothing to do with the culture of the language you are learning, and does not teach you how to form sentences or help you use your knowledge of English grammer to make sense of things. Instead, it just throws words and boring pictures at you with no translation. Fine, if you just want to spit random words at people and be bored learning how to do it. But that is not practical for most people, who will want to learn how to ask and answer questions, and who will want to quit if the process is not fun and interesting.

The program runs from the DVD, much like a console game, so you won't need to worry about taking up hard drive space with the program. Great news for me, because I love the program so much I intend to take all of the other Fluenz courses (one at a time!) when I complete the French.

I cannot possibly recommend this program enough, even for people with very short attention spans like myself who have been bored trying to learn languages in the past. I never want to waste my time trying to learn a language any other way again.

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.

[...]

My prediction is that Fluenz will become the next Rosetta Stone. Once the public sees how practical, thorough and enjoyable the Fluenz system is, they'll select this program over the current leader.

Fluenz understands something very important: a good language program should utilize real human teaching and work off one's native language. If we're already fluent in a language with close ties to French, why should we start from scratch in learning a new tongue? Regardless of what Rosetta Stone says about developing language skills as a child would, I can attest that I learn just fine with Fluenz. Just as important, I enjoy learning.

Fluenz really puts the "practical" in practical. I remember trying to learn Spanish with Rosetta Stone version 2. In the first level CD, I got to learn the phrase "El nino esta debajo la (el? I can't remember) avion," meaning "the boy is under the airplane." Well, if I ever see a child under an Airbus in a Spanish speaking country, I can say that and impress the locals.
Fluenz, however, focuses on truly practical information. By the end of the first CD, I could say things like "I want to go to my hotel," "How much does it cost?" and "At one time does the plane leave?" And given Fluenz's repetitive, but thorough lesson plans, I can roll those phrases off my tongue with barely any thought involved.

Why did I give it four stars, then? Well, Fluenz could stand to introduce more vocabulary in its sessions. I know that animals, family-related nouns and the like aren't the most important words, but it would help develop my vocabulary as such things were introduced. Additionally, the pace could have been faster - though I suppose that many would differ.

Again, see the full review for a more complete analysis. I hope you pick Fluenz over Rosetta Stone; it truly is a wonderful program.

I currently own the following French language software/audio products:

* Fluenz French I & II
* Pimsleur French I Audio CDs
* Rosetta Stone French I

The cost of each of these products is similar and none is cheap, but only Fluenz French provides you with value to match the cost.

At the moment I'm over 2/3 through Fluenz French I and I've still got a full head of steam. With the other two products I eventually lost interest after I felt my progress stalled out. These other products may be enough for some folks, but it wasn't true for me. Fluenz French incorporates all the best features of both Pimsleur (Écoutez et répétez) and Rosetta Stone (image stimulation), while adding additional value, including English language explanations of some confusing French sentence constructs and pronunciations provided by Sonia, your on-screen tutor. I find the exercises included in each lesson to be extremely beneficial as they stimulate all learning modes (visual, repetition, listening, and writing). Oh, and the production quality of the software is top notch. The presentation is absolutely stunning on our 24" iMac. (For folks in multi-OS households, the Windows version of the software runs without a hitch from within a VMware Fusion 2 virtual machine on a Mac running OS X Leopard.)

Although I've benefited from incorporating other language material (the BBC French site is helpful), for me if I could have only one product to guide me on my journey with the French language, it would definitely be Fluenz French. For those of us who try to go it alone, having Sonia Gil on a DVD in a little red box is the next best thing to having a private tutor. Buy it. Enjoy it.

I write this review only six lessons into Fluenz French, and will update periodically ...

We decided on this system for a few key reasons, and it has proven to be worthy in these areas:
1)Can be used on multiple computers. This has been great for use on both our home computer and my laptop.
2)We liked the idea of learning structure, grammar, etc. vs. just full immersion style (ala Rosetta Stone)

The system overall--intro, conversation, "lesson," and various exercises that include writing, speaking (into a computer-based microphone), reading, picture matching, and listening--is useful. I have been using it in the following way:
Day 1: Go through an entire Lesson 1
Day 2: Repeat exercises from Lesson 1, then go through entire Lesson 2
Day 3: Repeat exercises from Lesson 2, then go through entire Lesson 3 ... etc.

I have done lessons every other day, and listen to the audio CD in the car daily.

Overall, so far, we are pleased.

Some things, however, to note.
1.I dislike that other than the picture matching, there is no randomness to the way words are presented in the exercises. The word or phrase you must spell, identify, or emulate first is always first. The second word or phrase is always second, etc. It would make learning even stronger if it was random.
2.I was disappointed with some inconsistencies in pronunciation. I truly am a beginner ... when one of the voices pronounces "est-ce que" (which, at least in the first 6 lessons is crucial) as "ess-quer" (2 syllables) and another pronounces it as "ess-se-quer" (3 syllables) I truly don't have a sense of which is right. I had to ask an actual French teacher (who, for the record, said "ess-quer"). Even if multiple versions of a word are accepted, (which, like accents here in the states, I'm sure is true) for a learner's sake, consistency is key. On a good note, "est-ce que" seems to be the only phrase so far in which this has been noticeable to me.
3.So far, the audio CD is a weak point. Lessons 1-4 are put together, with about 15 minutes of instruction/practice. It appears this is the case for the entire CD ... each lesson isn't on its own, but rather tied to three other lessons and short. I would have liked a lot more help on the audio CDs ... a perfect way to enhance the lessons during a commute.
4.If you're an average-language learner (which I believe I am), plan on needing to review lessons. This doesn't bother me at all--I expected it. But if you weren't expecting that, it might be disappointing to realize after the fact.
5. The video teacher is dubbed in at times. Given the cost of this program, I would have liked to have seen them redo what needed to be redone vs. dub in her voice afterwards for a word or two.

Overall, the Fluenz system seems good, but would benefit from an update that addresses some of the concerns above.

I will tell you right now what makes this piece of software one of a kind.

Most (other) language learning software is based on templates. They have a single template for your learning needs and they just fill the blanks for each different language. That's just like having a single universal template on how to "drive" and then hoping to fill the blanks for a car, a bike, a truck and a tank, no matter how different they actually are.

Fluenz is different. Even though they probably follow similar scenarios for the different languages, it's downright obvious that each lesson was created from scratch according to the language's specific traits and difficulties.

All the explanations you'll find in Fluenz French are there for a reason, and that reason belongs to the specific language you are learning. What may need 10 minutes of explanation in one language, may take no time in another.

Something else Fluenz gets right is that they teach you how to say ideas in the new language, not only words and grammar, but whole ideas. That's what you need for fluency. I've been learning languages for quite a while, English is not even my native language, and you can trust me when I tell you that having to construct phrases in your head putting grammar rules and words together every time you speak will take you nowhere.

Finally, perhaps irrelevant at first sight but unmistakably important a few hours later: it has the right ambiance. It has nice background music, i.e. it doesn't feel mechanic or boring.

I'm not an easy guy to please with this kind of software but so far I've done about one third of the program and I'm extremely happy with it.

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!

I prefer the teacher/classroom model of Fluenz to the picture-only model of Rosetta Stone. The teacher is excellent, and the workouts are very well designed. But....where are the words? (Ou est-ce que les mots sont?) The introduction of new vocabulary moves at a snail's pace, the rate at which one would expect a middle school level French course to progress. A year ago I spent about 30 hours with a superb book ("French Step-by-Step", by Charles Berlitz), and developed a reasonable vocabulary in about one month. The problem is that there was no audio to go with it, so as a result my pronunciation was miserable and I did not develop an ear for spoken French. Last year (before Fluenz) I tried to purchase a rail ticket to central Paris at the airport and, although my vocab and grammar were perfect, the attendant responded "Que? Would you prefer to speak English?" Thus, I needed a program like Fluenz to develop a better ear for the language. Fluenz has fixed these problems, but if you rely on Fluenz 1 and 2 alone, you can forget about holding a conversation, as you simply won't know anywhere near enough vocabulary. As a result, you will need to supplement Fluenz French with some other vocabulary building tool. [Unfortunately, I believe that "French Step-by-Step" no longer is in print].

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!