This is a review of Fluenz Italian Level 3. I have in the past completed Level 1 and am mid-way through level 2. Several days ago I received an email from Fluenz inviting me to purchase the newly released level 3, so I jumped at the opportunity.
If you aren't familiar with Fluenz, they use a "live tutor" on screen combined with listening and writing workouts. There are 30 lessons at each level, each lesson taking 50-60 minutes to work through. It's a well-thought-out program that follows an easy-does-it, slow-is-better approach. The upside to this approach is that you tend to retain what you learn. The downside is that the pace is at times too slow and, since each lesson is presented exactly the same way, the fatigue factor can set in. Another shortcoming for both levels 1 & 2 is that you don't see enough of Sonia Gil, the live tutor (also one of the company founders). She is an excellent instructor, but she only has about 7 minutes of air time in each lesson.
I'm happy to say that Level 3 has addressed both of these issues. First, the tempo of the lessons has picked up considerably (of course, this is expected for a level 3 software package). Each lesson moves along briskly, but not too quickly that it leaves you behind. Secondly, Sophie Pera, the instructor for this level, is, like Sonia, a very effective instructor, and her air time for each lesson has approximately doubled over the previous two levels (about 13-15 minutes per lesson). Both of these improvements should go a long way toward maintaining student interest.
I should mention that my personal method for learning Italian is to tackle multiple software packages at once, which helps keep up my interest level. Having said that, I consider Fluenz as the "anchor" for my study efforts.
I've only examined the software for about an hour tonight, so as I start the lessons in a few weeks after completing level 2, I'll refine my review. But at this point, I can say Well Done to the Fluenz team, and I would strongly recommend this software package for anyone wanting to learn Italian.