Customer Reviews

Fluenz Italian 1 with supplemental Audio CD and Podcasts

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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I thought I would add a comparison of both products as I'm sure people may be confused as to which might fit them better. I have been using Rosetta Stone for quite a while and went through the Fluenz sample session. Fluenz is very much modern academic learning where you are guided through everything with a visual teacher and you are taught as if you had to go to Italy tomorrow and be able to "get around" and function so to speak. Sentences and phrases are broken down and so on. If you want to know what to say "now" and want to be able to know the most common phrases while leaving everything else until later then Fluenz will probably be great for you. And if you like having to see a visual teacher over and over again guiding you in more of a controlled manner the whole way then you will like this. Rosetta Stone is built on the foundation of being thrown in the deep end in some ways, meaning you are forced to figure things out on your own by spoken words and phrases entirely in Italian which are to be matched to pictures. Obviously it starts off at a very basic level and in some ways you are being taught in the same method that a child learns when introduced to the world. And at first things don't seem quite relevant to being able to jump on a plane and head off to Italy. However this method, because of its emphasis on self-sufficiency, really implants a core knowledge of Italian structure inside your head. In other words things are quicker to recall because your memorization is from your own survival learning and not by learning through a teacher. Rosetta Stone teaches you the basics of how, where, when, why, above, behind, with, without and so forth. It also teaches past, present and future tenses. So with that said, Rosetta Stone is more about building a foundational knowledge of which you can add "street smarts" and man on the street conversation to that later on when you're actually in Italy. That has its advantages and disadvantages. With Fluenz you'll know what questions to ask in more of a savvy way, whereas with Rosetta you'll have to conjugate things from your formulated memory. One good thing about Rosetta Stone though is that because everything is learned visually you'll have a much easier time picking up on other people's conversations and not being entirely thrown off because you've learned the same way Italians and everyone else learned when they were children. If you're patient you'll like Rosetta Stone but if you've always learned better by having someone else do the research for you first and show you what they've learned then you'll like Fluenz.

First I will comment on the service I received from Amazon in conjunction with this company. I live in an area where the post office is notorious for simply not delivering packages. Regular mail is fine, but instead of attempting delivery they just CLAIM to attempt delivery, often not even bothering to leave a slip stating the supposed delivery attempt. A problem that has led most people in my building to rely on more expensive but more reliable delivery services like UPS & Fed Ex.
Well, I didn't realize when I ordered this that it was going to be sent USPS...So I waited and waited and never recieved it. Scheduled a redelivery with the post office & stayed home all day again and they showed up without the package and instead with the slip stating that I missed delivery! I had been through this before with this post office & I knew I would be lucky if I ever got it at all so I contacted Amazon & told them my situation. I expected them to send me a new one AFTER I had gone through hoops to get the post office to return the package to them, but they sent me a new one right away even with the original delivery sitting somewhere in a post office limbo. This time they sent it UPS & I got it fast & w/ no problems. I was very happy with this service. The Fluenz program is packaged so beautifully that it would make a lovely gift. I was excited and very pleased with the program from the very first lesson. There are writing excersises as well as brief lectures, lovely sensual and relaxing music, and you get to hear a few italian speakers instead of just one so you can hear the differences in different people speaking the language. There is also a mic excersise where you record yourself speaking italian and then get to play it back to hear yourself and compare what you hear with the native speakers on the program. The program does not come with a computer microphone so if you don't already have one then you have to buy one. I got a headset mic from RadioShack for $15. Though installation was easy and only took a few minutes on my computer, I had trouble getting the recording part of the lesson to work. I tried figuring out the problem myself, but finally acquiesed to contacting Fluenz. Their customer service is a 10 out of 10! You can contact them by phone, email or via chat through their website. I chose to contact through Chat and immediately was picked up by Chris who patiently guided me through different scenerios as to what might be causing my problem. I also contacted them via email to ask them when the higher levels of Italian were going to be released. They immediately responded with a detailed and personal response that was obviously written by a real person and not computer generated stating honestly that 2010 is mostly devoted to bringing higher levels of French out and that levels 3 & up of italian probably won't come out until 2011. Though I was hoping for sooner I liked their not beating around the bush. Their customer service is wonderful because so many other companies stick you with a rep that appears to know nothing about the product or how to respond to your issue. I always got someone who understood me right away and answered quickly. The best part is that the product actually works! Both the DVD and the Audio CD. The only con I can think of with their program is that the font they use makes both Capilal I's and lower case L's look exactly the same. This is a bit annoying in the writing excersises, but it's a very small con in a sea of pros. I've tried other language programs and they always either seemed painfully boring, or completely illogical in their approach. After taking another italian Language program I was able to say "The ball is yellow." - But if you go up to anyone in the street and say the ball is yellow they'll look at you like you're crazy. Fluenz understands this & instead teaches you more useful phrases right from lesson 1. The first things you learn to say are include: Thank you, Good Morning, I would like this dish on the menu please. I would like a glass of water and he would like a glass of wine etc- all things that you would actually use on your first day in italy. Not "The ball is yellow". They have created a loyal customer and I will always recommend Fluenz for anyone's language needs. I can't wait for them to come out with more of the italian series.

What a great program. I only got the level 1 version and I wish I got both level one and two. There are 30 lessons in all of Level one and within the first couple of lessons you are already learning to say full sentances in italian. Sentances of value that you would actually use! The idea is to do one lesson per day. Sometimes I would come across a lesson that seemed to have so much new stuff I didn't feel like I'd ever remember it, but I was wrong! I was always surprised by how much I was able to remember the next day when going on to the next lesson. Once I even had a language question and I contacted Fluenz not sure if they'd be able to help me. When I contacted them they had one of the italian speakers contact me a few hours later to answer my question! I'm sure it's not something they do often, but I was impressed with how far they were willing to go to give great service. After I learn Italian I'm going to move on to their French series. There's just no better software to buy for your language needs.

I classify myself as foreign-language challenged. I studied French in high school and deliberately picked a college and a graduate school program that did not have foreign language requirements. Fast forward 40 years. My husband and I are enjoying traveling abroad. And I decided I wanted to take a stab at learning some Italian before we take a return trip there in the fall.

I spent a good bit of time online comparing and contrasting different programs and became convinced that Rosetta Stone wasn't going to do it for me. (Why try to learn a language like a baby does if you're an adult?) Took the Fluenz free online demo and immediately connected with it. It really IS like having your own private tutor.

I bought both parts of the course, which amounts to 60 lessons. I have only completed the first 12 (and have taken most of those more than once -- as I said, I'm foreign-language challenged --) but am starting to feel competent and comfortable with what I need to know to participate in pragmatic conversations with waiters, hotel clerks, immigration officials, transportation personnel, etc. I am amazed at how it's all sticking with me, which I attribute to its multiple modalities. In each lesson you listen to a conversation; get a tutorial that explains the principles demonstrated by the conversation; go through multiple workouts that involve hearing, speaking, reading, and writing; and then close with a pep talk from the tutor. Subsequent lessons cleverly spiral back to previous ones so that you keep reinforcing and expanding what you know.

I give the developers of this program an A+.

I know there are some who are skeptical of these language programs that allow you to learn on your own. However, for the working professional who may not have the time and flexibility to take a regular weekly class, programs such as these are a great alternative. I personally have a job that often doesn't allow for a predictable schedule and I couldn't see dolling out the money for a traditional classroom course, when I would probably miss half the classes. These computer language programs allow you the flexibility to learn on your own time and at your own pace. I don't have to feel bad if I need a refresher, and need to go back to the previous lesson to review what I learned last.

For those who are vacillating between this program and Rosetta Stone, I would seriously consider how you personally prefer to learn. I often saw the commercials for Rosetta Stone and was skeptical about its approach, especially when they showed a tidbit of the Spanish lesson and you hear the audio sample say, "El caballo corre." Being a former student of Spanish I scratched my head a bit. Looking at the picture they presented with "El caballo corre", I saw a horse running. If I hadn't taken Spanish before, I would have surmised from the picture that "el caballo corre" meant "the horse is running." But that is not what "el caballo corre" actually means. It means "the horse runs." But how can one understand verb tense without english instruction and just picture associations? I suppose there is a progression to the lessons that I didn't have the benefit of seeing from the commercial, but it appeared as though there was a lot of room for misinterpretation with that format.

What sold me on Fluenz is that it takes the traditional stance of a teacher relating the language to you from the standpoint of english. There is explanation rather than inference from a picture. You begin right away by learning practical phrases that are helpful, rather than phrases like "the lady eats a sandwich." Again, I know it is all a progression, but you can logically progress with practical phrases too, not only with "the horse runs."

However I will say that Rosetta Stone appears to do a better job in helping the learner to pronounce things as accurately as possible. Sometimes we can't always hear how incorrectly we might be saying a word. My brother, who owns Rosetta Stone Italian, explained that the program grades you immediately on your pronunciation, showing you exactly what you need to work on. Fluenz on the other hand allows you to record your voice and listen to your recording next to a pre-recorded native speaker. In that way you can compare your pronunciation of the words to that of the native speaker. However it seems that the Rosetta Stone method is a tad more effective.

Nevertheless, after only two Fluenz lessons, I feel very comfortable and confident with what I have learned. Additionally, I am actually quite surprised by how much I've learned already. That fact alone makes me quite happy with the program. I feel like there is real value in what I've learned, meanwhile my brother hasn't touched Rosetta Stone in almost a year. He explained that once the concepts became more complex, the program became more difficult to follow and he lost confidence and motivation. I am excited every day to do my next Fluenz lesson. Whatever program you choose, congrats to you for taking the initiative and engaging in independent learning!

Half the price of other known programs...The women who created it are smart and great teachers..You will learn with little pain and time....I have the Spanish and Italian versions...

It's not magic. You will have to work and practice to learn Italian, but Fluenz gives you all the tools you'll need. The DVDs are beautifully done. As a certified teacher and corporate instructional designer, I award this product my highest stamp of approval. There is much variation in the methodology within lessons. However, each lesson follows a predictable pattern: tutor, dialog, tutor, followed by different practice sessions. You will learn to spell, speak and read words and phrases. Some of it you will memorize, but you will also grow to internalize so much with practice. Then you can craft your own sentences. The supplemental CDs and new on-line flashcards really help, too. I encourage you to over practice, but Fluenz gives you the opportunity to set your own pace. You can fly through the lessons or do as I do and methodically work with each word to perfect your pronunciation. Last year I studied Fluenz French and this year I'm studying Italian. It's fun even though I'm not a "natural." This method would work well for any learning style. It's especially geared for travelers and within a lesson or two you'll be surprised by how many useful things you can say. My daughter teaches French at a top university and she was very impressed by the leading-edge teaching style these DVDs employ. The best side benefit? You'll start planning more trips to Europe to use your new language skills.

I have taken an Italian class before, many moons (or luna) ago....and am finding Fluenz Italian to be easy to follow, easy to learn, intuitive and with excellent instruction. I'm using the audio CD in the car to practice and am doing one or two lessons on the computer when at home. It teaches real-life words to use when traveling and I'm looking forward to trying out my Italian! ciao!

hi,
Just want to say it what a great company! I purchased italian 1 and 2 last year. I changed computer and my dvd didnt work on my new machintos. I wrote an email to fluenz if they could exchange my dvds, and i received an email the same day with the solution, 3 days later i receive my new upgrated dvds. I love the program, it's fun to learn with it, and actually teaches you what you need!!! Awesome system. thank you.... Hope they keep coming out with higher level of the languages, dvd 3-4? hope so

i love this product and the way it teaches you the italian language..it is a slow go for me cause of my work schedule and the time i give myself to learn..i would highy recommend this product to anyone wanting to learn italian and they also have other languages available...good service and am 100% satisfied...