Fluenz Italian 1+2+3 with supplemental Audio CDs and Podcasts

by Fluenz

Product Features

• 90 sessions of up to two and one-half hours each -- the most comprehensive software application covering the first three levels of Italian anywhere. Fluenz Italian 1+2+3 will guide you in English through the challenges of Italian with a proven system.
• The Fluenz language tutor guides you on video every step of the way, recreating a one-on-one tutoring experience, utilizing explanations in English, placing you in real-world contexts, and immersing you in the culture.
• Fluenz blends beautiful full-motion video with a range of engaging, interactive workouts to improve your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills -- including a recording engine to perfect your accent.
• Fluenz's unique approach is currently being used by elite units of the US Navy, senior personnel at the UN and UNICEF, executives of Fortune 500 companies, and students at Harvard Business School and other leading universities.
• Includes Fluenz Italian 1, Fluenz Italian 2, and Fluenz Italian 3 DVD-ROMs, three audio CDs for additional learning, exclusive, downloadable podcasts and flashcards for further practice, and the handy Fluenz Navigator for on-the-go referencing of important words and phrases.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• ASIN: B00577RPHM
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 1, 2011
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,043 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #1 in Software > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Italian
  • #69 in Software > Language & Travel

Product Description

Discover Italian through the magic of a great teacher. The Fluenz tutor's custom-made approach guides you in English every step of the way through the challenges of the language, while immersing you in the beauty of the culture.

Fluenz Italian is based on three principles:

1) There's no substitute for a great tutor. It's often difficult to motivate yourself to learn a language on your own. Having a teacher to challenge and inspire you, while explaining exactly how the language works, makes all the difference.

2) The best way for adults to learn Italian is with explanations in English. Linguistics research shows that adults learn languages differently than children and really benefit from having clear explanations of how the language works. For example, it is extremely difficult to understand the how to correctly use masculine and feminine words in Italian without a clear explanation in English. Fluenz makes a difference because a real tutor guides you in English along a path specifically designed for Italian.

3) It's best to learn the most relevant words in Italian right away. Instead of focusing on child-like phrases such as "red apple, green apple," Fluenz has you ordering food, giving directions to a cab driver, making hotel reservations, and handling a wide range of real world situations right from the start. And, with 13 types of workouts covering verbal expression and comprehension, as well as reading and writing, you practice and internalize what you learn in the video tutorials.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thumbs-Up for the Fluenz Team, June 30, 2011

By 

Gerard F. LoSardo (Frederick, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fluenz Italian 1+2+3 with supplemental Audio CDs and Podcasts (DVD-ROM)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing worked for me until Fluenz!, August 10, 2011

By 

Adelle in Las Vegas - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fluenz Italian 1+2+3 with supplemental Audio CDs and Podcasts (DVD-ROM)

I have tried to learn Italian for years, and just couldn't find a language program that presented the material in a way that I could easily follow and retain. Fluenz changed all that. I'm working on level 3 now, but when we were in Italy this past spring I had only completed level 2. I could communicate the essentials in a way that allowed me to be understood, and could understand the essentials when communicated to me! I was excited about the release of level 3 this summer, and I recommend the Fluenz Italian program with rave reviews to anyone who askes me, "How did you learn to speak Italian?"

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Made for the way adults learn, November 24, 2011

By 

J. Walker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fluenz Italian 1+2+3 with supplemental Audio CDs and Podcasts (DVD-ROM)

I have used Rosetta stone Totale to try an learn Italian up to level 4. I found it frustrating that I had to try and figure out sentence structure and contractions by myself. It seemed the only way to learn them was to memorize. After struggling with trying to put sentences together, I began to look for an alternative. I came across Fluenz and thought that the way it was structured made sense. I have done 9 lesson thus far, and I understand more about how the Italian language (which is quite beautiful) works than after 4 complete levels with RS. It is a superior method of study for technical minded people (I'm a physician) and I find myself able to create simple sentences much more easily in just a few lesson. If you are a professional who likes to understand how things work, I believe this is a superior method of learning Italian compared to Rosetta stone. I enjoy the tutorials (Sonia Gil, the founder, is engaging and entertaining) and I am getting a lot out of the way the "workouts' (drills) are structured. To me, this is the way to go, and it's quite a bit less expensive.