Customer Reviews

Fluenz Spanish 1+2 [Old Version]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've made it through lesson 24 of Spanish I so far. I have comments on three areas.

1) The learning method. It's really terrific. The way Fluenz combines listening, speaking, writing and reading really reinforces the learning process. I've done quite a bit of computer based training and this may be the best I've ever used. It's visually pleasing to watch, the format helps you learn quickly, and what you learn is reinforced and expanded on as you go. It's sentence/vocabulary based, similar to Pimsueler, but with Pimsueler you only hear the sentences. Here you listen to them. You see them written. You practice writing them. You practice speaking them and playing back what you speak.

2) Customer Support. Terrific again. In addition to the 800 number, there is an on-line chat system to get get help. Customer Support will answer both language and technical questions. Have a problem with the media. A new one is on the way immediately. Have a question about how the Spanish is used. An answer is available now.

3) The application itself. Not so good here. While the look and feel of the application is pretty stunning, it's not very stable (at least in my case). The application usually crashes once or twice per session. It's not horrible, but it is a pain. It requires restarting the app and manually navigating back to where it died at. I purchased the Mac version. Customer Service attempted to resolve the crashing problem, but couldn't. I asked if I could try the Windows version. Fluenz sent it out immediately, but it wasn't any more stable, so I went back to the mac. It appears to be an issue with the Adobe Director software that Fluenz is built on. This isn't a show stopper for me since I can restart the app, go back to where it crashed and continue, but it is irritating.

Would I purchase it again? Yes. I just wish it was more stable. Even with the instability, I give it 4 stars. If the application was stable, I would have given it 5+ stars.

My husband and I just returned from a 10-day trip to Mexico, and we barely even opened our phrasebook thanks to this wonderful software!

In the three months prior to the trip I did 45 lessons total from Fluenz Spanish 1 & 2 (I completed all of DVD 1 and half of DVD 2) on my Macbook laptop, and my husband did about 6 lessons from DVD 1. Once there, we were easily and confidently able to take taxis, order food and drinks at restaurants, make hotel reservations and check into hotels, go shopping, buy bus tickets and take intercity busses, and more--all practical topics which are thoroughly covered in the Fluenz lessons.

What's more, I even had some actual conversations with locals, talking about who I am, what I do for work, a previous trip to Mexico (past tense lessons came in handy, there!) and so forth. Plus I read local newspapers, wrote postcards to Spanish-speaking friends and understood a good portion of the movies that were playing with Spanish dubbing on the intercity bus rides.

Fluenz is a very sneaky piece of software--sometimes the lessons feel slow and basic, and you worry you're not learning fast enough. Then you realize that you have actually internalized the vocabulary and structures so thoroughly that the words and phrases come naturally!

The format is excellent--instead of being stuck just doing writing or reading (as with books) or just with listening with no idea how words are spelled (as in Pimsleur-type programs) or just with uncontextualized vocab (as in Rosetta Stone), you get it all--practice listening, understanding, pronouncing, reading, writing, plus indepth video explanations from the program's language tutor. Plus, it's just plain fun to use (and the nice graphic design and modern look doesn't hurt, either).

Nothing can substitute for a real-life class, but the tutor-driven format of Fluenz is as close to a real-life class as it gets, and it has two big advantages over a class: first, price (since it's a DVD, both my husband and I could share it) and second, pacing/flexibility. On busy weeks I did only one or two lessons, but when I had more spare time (like when I was stuck home with a broken foot) I did a lesson each day. And I didn't have to worry about being at a class at a certain time each week.

I should note that we didn't use the Fluenz DVDs completely alone--I supplemented the lessons by watching favorite DVDs with the Spanish-language tracks turned on, by reading local New York City Spanish-language newspapers and Spanish-language children's books, and by doing some of the written exercises from the excellent book Colloquial Spanish of Latin America: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series (Book Only)). But I think that's a good idea with any language-learning program. And I definitely got my main base of understanding--and especially of pronouncing and speaking!--from the excellent lessons and practice I got with Fluenz.

Fluenz also has really excellent and fast customer service--one of my DVDs didn't work right in my computer and they immediately sent a replacement.

My only suggestions to improvements in the software would be: 1. Changing it so it's not tethered to the DVD itself (I just get nervous because DVDs are so easily scratched and damaged), 2. Adding a way to track progress or record progress and 3. Adding more levels (like level 3).

But those are small things! In sum, I highly recommend this software--and I'm planning on buying the Fluenz French 1+2 Learning Suite Mac, Including DVDs, Audio CDs, Podcasts, and Fluenz Navigator. Next-Generation French Language Learning Software set to prepare for a upcoming trip to France.

I really can't believe there exists a Mac-like solution to language learning software. When I think of the language classes I've taken and other educational software options, they are all so dull and archaic. But Fluenz has changed all that. They've got a great approach to how languages should be learned, and implement it with aesthetically beautiful software that is incredibly user-friendly--just like my Mac (which is even better now with Leopard, on which Fluenz runs perfectly!). I had originally bought Spanish 1, and then grabbed Spanish 2 as soon as it was available from the Fluenz website. Awesome awesome awesome!

My Mother is full blooded Mexican, but never taught us kids spanish. She's not really willing to sit down and teach us as well, so I picked this up to learn some spanish.

Extremely easy to learn and understand. The main instructor through the course has a great accent, and I know, my mother has confirmed this.

The lessons themselves, are very useful. I just took a trip to Mexico, 15 lessons into the course, and was able to use ALL that I learned, in every lesson. You won't be learning things that you will not use (example - lessons start with ordering food, getting a taxi, telling the driver where to go. You will not see lessons on random things or items that you won't need to know.)

The workouts after the lesson are extremely intuitive and easy to understand. Really help with implanting what you have learned and making it stick.

In conclusion... Fluenz, is THE way if you want to learn Spanish... quickly. Thoroughly impressed, highly recommended, price is excellent (for about 60+ lessons, this course comes out to less that $5 a lesson, and each lesson will take at least an hour, sometimes more, and there are review lessons that you will go back to and study... wow, a lot of value), and runs great on Mac, get it.

I've tried all sort of books, audio disks, etc. and this product is the one I have stuck with. The lessons really help you memorize words inside sentences, and help you understand spoken Spanish. There is a lot of repetition in the exercises and plenty of exercises so you learn a little with each lesson, but over the lessons you really get good. This makes the process very exciting. I listen to a Spanish radio station (to try to get better) and after each lesson I actually hear and understand new words on the radio. I even know the spelling and accent marks for the new words.

If these people create a level 3 or beyond, I am buying it instantly! I am nearly done with lesson 2 and will be needing another high quality product so I can continue learning.

The software is also very simple, runs off the disk so no need to worry about license keys, etc. It is very interactive, and has great 10 minute instructor talks before each workout. I really wish they produced more of these!

having been in Education for many years, I know it's more difficult to teach adults, especially with language and reading. This has been tailored to the adult learner with both aural-lingual and written language instruction. It incorporates very specific lessons that include not only speaking but reading and writing, all important if you are traveling to a Spanish speaking country. I bought it after reading reviews from actual Spanish speakers. They liked this program much more than Rosetta Stone. I have heard others say that Rosetta Stone is confusing and they didn't feel they completely learned what they needed to. After the first five lessons, I feel like I have a basic understanding of the language's structure. I decided to learn Spanish because of a charitable organization with which I'm involved. They do work with schools in rural Honduras and make annual trips. I want to go this coming year, so I thought it would be great to know the language in order to work with the kids and the communities. I already speak French and understand Italian, so this Fluenz is a big help. I'll probably also get the Italian program to relearn the Italian I lost from my early childhood. I really recommend Fluenz.

Fluenz makes learning a new language easy and fun. I had no prior Spanish experience before I got Fluenz and I never knew learning a language could be so enjoyable. The program takes you step by step from the beginning with clear instructions and interactive workouts that allow you to practice what you've learned. The instructor is concise and easy to follow. The combination of instruction, dialogue and workouts allow you to learn the material and work with it until you feel comfortable with what you learned. Though I'm a beginner, I think the program would be just as beneficial for more advanced Spanish speakers since there is a great deal of flexibility with the program. You can skip ahead or go back as necessary or work on specific areas you want to improve.

Each lesson is presented in manageable sessions that are long enough to introduce and reinforce the concepts, but short enough so that you can go through a session when you don't have a lot of time. It is definitely set up so that you learn the most in the least amount of time, which is perfect for someone like me with a busy schedule. If you have more time, you can do several sessions at once. This program gives you the tools, support and confidence you need to learn any language. After I master Spanish, I plan to use Fluenz to learn French. I strongly recommend you give it a try. I am confident you won't be disappointed.

Adults do learn differently and this is the way to go. This program blows any other language software out of the water. Rosetta Stone does not compare. It has boring activities and does not teach you essential phrases for traveling or basic conversation. It mainly just goes over more and more pictures and you just get tired of clicking pictures after pictures. Fluenz has a wide range of activities and has lots of repetitions to help you remember, but the repetitiveness is not boring and does not repeat it in the same way all the time. The only downside of Fluenz is that you have to run the program off of the CD, you can not just install it into your computer to say maybe if you wanted to burn a movie and kill time practicing your Spanish with Fluenz while that DVD burns. The other problem is that is does not check off your study units like Rosetta Stone does, but it does remember your progress. You would just have to make note of what unit you last completed. Fluenz is a must if you are 13 and up, but I would say Rosetta Stone is not bad for children to learn, however, I would not recommend something so expensive for children.


To get more out of your studies, combine Fluenz with:

--Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses
--Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Pronouns And Prepositions
--1001 Most Useful Spanish Words
--Easy Spanish Phrase Book: Over 770 Basic Phrases for Everyday Use
--Modern Spanish: Bilingual Vocabulary Cards
--and watch tons of Spanish movies, not overdubbed! (Check out Pan's Labyrinth!)

I am very impressed with this product. They feed you information slowly and give you tons of opportunity for practice. Without hesitation I will, and have, referred people to this program. If you are looking to learn spanish, this should be the program you buy.

Fluenz Spanish 1+2 Mac is an excellent tool to learn Spanish at your own pace. Perfect for busy people, as the software allows considerable flexibility-you could spend 20 minutes as easily as an hour. Its dynamic user interface and interactive learning approach makes it especially user friendly for those who prefer a "hands on" approach to learning. I've traveled to Latin America on numerous occasions but have always felt underprepared with respect to my language skills. Now, after discovering Fluenz, I'll be much more prepared and confident.