Fluenz Version F2: Mandarin 1+2 with supplemental Audio CD and Podcasts

by Fluenz

Product Features

• Multimedia application specifically designed to help English-speakers gain fluency in Chinese
• Language tutor Sonia Gil guides you on video every step of the way to create a live, classroom-style learning environment
• Leverages your knowledge of English to accelerate your learning of Mandarin, with an emphasis on words you are most likely to use
• Next-generation platform blends beautiful full motion video with engaging, interactive workouts, including voice recording so you can compare your accent to native speech
• Includes Mandarin 1+2 DVD-ROM, audio CD for additional training, and handy Fluenz Navigator for on-the-go referencing of important words and phrases

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• ASIN: B000PRBV74
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 23, 2007
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,241 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)

Product Description

Amazon.com

The only interactive language program featuring a real teacher who guides learners every step of the way, explaining in English the intricacies and shortcuts of Chinese. Ideal for those who thrive in a teacher-oriented learning environment, who need to understand how the language works in plain English, and who seek relevant Chinese they can actually use while in China. The team behind the application combines recent Harvard and Cornell graduates, some of whom went to China to learn the language and understand the specific challenges for English-speakers, seasoned Chinese teachers trained in the teaching of Mandarin to non-Chinese learners, and veterans of technology start-ups. The goal was to create the ideal program they would have needed when they went to China.

The Program:
Fluenz Mandarin 1+2 is composed of 45 full sessions taking up to 2.5 hours of work each. Every session combines realistic conversations between native Mandarin speakers with comprehensive tutorials explaining each new word and structure being learned, followed by a series of increasingly challenging workouts that provide thorough training in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Each session features a set of clear, common sense tools that progressively increase the learner's range of communication. Instead of endless expressions that follow simple present tense sentences no one really needs (the man eats, the woman runs), Fluenz builds steadily from useful structures like questions and commands (Where can I get a taxi?, Stop here), and useful vocabulary (restaurant, transportation, directions, etc.) to more and more complex speech.

What You Learn:

• The program covers the four-tone system of Mandarin pronunciation, essential verbs, sentence constructions in past, present, and future tenses, correct pronoun use, the ability to formulate different kinds of questions and answers, how to issue important commands, how to express time, location, and give directions, and essential vocabulary for surviving in the Mandarin-speaking world.
  
  
• Fluenz emphasizes what you need to say in in real-world situations, such as "Can I pay with a credit card?" and "I want this one," rather than the traditional simple sentences usually taught ("This is an apple").
  
  

• The program includes extensive work on asking for, understanding, and giving directions. After training on directions, it shifts to comprehensive work on structures.
  
  
• Building upon all the structures related to directions and time, Fluenz places considerable emphasis on transportation situations, including specific vocabulary and expressions involving cabs, train stations, bus stops, and the airport.
  
  
• After establishing a strong base in essential restaurant, cafe, food, and drink vocabulary and expressions in the first few sessions, the program provides thorough practice on situations specifically related to going out to eat in China.
  
  
• Shopping also receives a lot of attention, with in-depth explanations and practice on a range of skills related to communicating with both small shopkeepers and shopping mall clerks. For example, Fluenz includes considerable work on adjectives in order to describe items and make comparisons, while providing key tools to negotiate prices--a critical ability if you're bound for Beijing.
  
  
• Essential vocabulary and phrases related to the world of work and the 2008 Olympics.

How Fluenz gets you there: A real on-screen tutor who guides you every step of the way. Using English to help you learn Chinese. Teaching relevant material from the very beginning.

The Fluenz Approach to Chinese:

• Chinese is easier to learn than most people imagine, but it must be clearly explained. For example, one of the biggest challenges for Westerners is the fact that each syllable must be pronounced with one of five very different tones. Two words can have the exact same letters, like ma, but they can mean either mother or horse depending on which tones are used. While these tones are very difficult to learn by simply listening to them and hoping to imitate them, a simple, common sense explanation in English (comparing familiar English sounds with each tone) can go a long way to mastering them and to navigating the many exceptions and changes that govern their use.
• Using English can make all the difference in understanding "measure words," a key concept in Chinese that is absent from Western grammars. There is no way a learner can grasp when and how to use the right "measure words" unless the concept is explained and practiced in English. Mere imitation of expressions is simply no substitute for a good understanding of what's going on.
• The Fluenz recording engine helps people hone their use of tones through self comparison, which makes far more sense than voice recognition systems that are so finely tuned to the five tones that it becomes very difficult to get it right. While voice recognition has advanced in recent years, its use in the learning of Chinese by English-speakers can actually hamper learning by forcing them to meet impossible standards. Beginning Mandarin speakers should first focus on being understood, not on achieving a perfect pitch.

Audio CD + Podcasts:
The program includes an audio CD for the car stereo or Ipod providing extensive workouts linked to the material covered in the DVD-ROM. In addition, Fluenz Mandarin users get access to a series of informal and entertaining podcasts developed by the Yi Wei and Eric Biewener, part of the Harvard team working at Fluenz. The podcasts cover issues of pronunciation, culture, etiquette, as well as providing additional workouts based on the common sense approach guiding the entire program.

What's in the Box

Product Description

The only interactive language program offering an immersive environment that recreates the best elements of great one-on-one tutoring.

Be Fluent in Mandarin

On-screen tutor Sonia Gil, a recent Cornell graduate, and alumni from Harvard and the University of Chicago created Fluenz Mandarin to be the kind of application they had always wanted when learning languages. The result of their work is ideal for those who seek common sense explanations, sophisticated workouts that lead to real learning, and who thrive on a great teacher to keep them focused and engaged.

Love Mandarin, Actually Learn It

The team of passionate language learners behind Fluenz wanted to move beyond what they felt was wrong with computer language education: simplistic methods that boast a natural, passive way to learn a language and treat adults like children.

Fluenz Mandarin brings the power of an amazing teacher to lead, challenge, and inspire adults and teens with a real love for the language. The application is ideal for those who need everyday conversation skills, as well as for those who want to establish a strong foundation for advanced learning.

An effective approach for English-Speakers

Chinese is easier to learn than most people imagine, but it must be clearly explained. For example, one of the biggest challenges for Westerners is the fact that each syllable must be pronounced with one of five different tones. Two words can have the same letters but mean totally different things depending on which tones are used. While these tones are very difficult to learn by simply listening and hoping to imitate them, a common sense explanation can go a long way to mastery.

Audio CD for Your Car or iPod

The Fluenz Mandarin Audio CD is the ideal complement to the interactive program. The CD was produced at the Fluenz Lab to provide eng

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

150 of 156 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars deciding between fluenz and rosetta stone, August 30, 2007

By 

Aaron Gibralter (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fluenz Version F2: Mandarin 1+2 with supplemental Audio CD and Podcasts (DVD-ROM)

When I decided to buy software to learn Mandarin, I thought Rosetta Stone was the only option. Luckily, I came across Fluenz before it was too late. At first, I was intrigued by Rosetta Stone's no-English rule and spent some time with their demo. But after comparing the Rosetta and Fluenz, I started to think the Fluenz method might be better. Sonia Gil, an English-speaking tutor, gives you tools to build phrases, and then sentences. The Fluenz linguists believe, and I tend to agree, that adults learn differently than children. By explaining key things in English, rather than having a bunch of Chinese thrown at them, adults can learn how to say many things very quickly. If you visit the Fluenz site you can see how powerful this is when it comes to learning phrases like "I need a taxi", or "I want a cup of coffee" in the first lessons. It would take weeks or even months for anyone to learn those phrases in Chinese the Rosetta way, by merely pairing images with their corresponding words. It seems difficult to learn a language without a teacher or tutor, and it is impossible to learn Chinese tones without a proper explanation.The Fluenz learning experience is further enhanced by its beautiful design. By comparison, the Rosetta V2 application, though nicely packaged, doesn't seem that up to date (once you pass the demo video, you can actually see what the real interface looks like). But the strongest point for Fluenz is the human element. Sonia takes the learner step by step, building skills that are practiced in a series of very creative workouts covering writing, reading, comprehension and expression. Overall, my experience with Fluenz has been great. I fully recommend the software for anyone interested in Mandarin.

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fluenz, best language course for the buck!, August 29, 2007

By 

Caveman "Formap" (Boca Raton, FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fluenz Version F2: Mandarin 1+2 with supplemental Audio CD and Podcasts (DVD-ROM)

I ordered Fluenz Mandarin 1+2 for my upcoming tour of China (second tour in 6 months). I want to be able to communicate (even if only slightly) with the Chinese people.

Sonia(Gil)makes understanding and speaking Chinese very easy. ALL new words are explained and pronounced thoroughly and sentence structures are likewise explained. Other language courses may leave you guessing what was really said when converting to English. Not so with Fluenz! That was the selling point for me.

I did have a small problem with tone marked letters jumping out of sequence when doing my lessons and ending up with misspelled words. I got an email response from Fluenz (after they read my review on another site) instructing me how to correct this. It has sped up my lessons significantly and was a pleasant surprise to be contacted by the company without even asking for help!

I don't think you can go wrong by ordering this course. It's on the expensive side, but well worth the price!

83 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good product, still version 1, February 3, 2008

By 

Chinese Student (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fluenz Version F2: Mandarin 1+2 with supplemental Audio CD and Podcasts (DVD-ROM)

First of all, I think that Fluenz Mandarin is a pretty good product compared to the others out there. It will get you to speak and understand spoken Chinese relatively quickly. However, probably mostly the mistake on my part, I didn't realize that the program doesn't familiarize you with written Chinese whatsoever. I don't prefer to learn pinyin, which is a set of romanized Chinese words, nor practice writing in it, and native Chinese probably understand very little pinyin, if at all. I'd also would prefer a native Chinese speaker in the lecture (there are plenty of native Chinese speakers in the US who speak perfect English without much accent). Sonja has great pronunciation and understanding of the lessons taught, but I can still notice slight differences, such as how she overstress the fourth tone, almost to the point that she's screaming it (a common practice for those whose first language is non-tonal, including me). Lastly, it's hard sometimes to remember which lesson you're on since it's not marked in any part of each lesson. I have to try to mentally remember which lesson I was in especially if I continue it another day. Fluenz is an excellent program for most people who'd prefer to learn conversational Chinese, but not for someone who would like to learn written Chinese as well.