Fluenz Version F2: French 1 with supplemental Audio CD and Podcasts

by Fluenz

Product Features

• Build your vocabulary and language abilities
• Spell and write accurately
• Speak without a script
• Retain what you've learned
• Read and understand your new language

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• ASIN: B0012JK6DY
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 22, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #730 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #5 in Software > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > French
  • #50 in Software > Language & Travel

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 French

The Harvard, Cornell, and University of Chicago graduates who developed Fluenz were determined to create a program that conveyed the uniqueness of French while providing a step-by-step path through the language. By bringing the magic of a great teacher to the computer screen, Fluenz French makes reaching fluency in this beautiful language possible for every single learner.

Love French, Actually Learn It

As believers in the uniqueness of French, the program designers wanted to move beyond the cookie-cutter approach typical of computer language education: methods that boast a suspiciously simple way to learn French and treat adults like children by emphasizing the association of words and pictures.

Fluenz brings the magic of an amazing teacher to lead, challenge, and inspire adults and teens with a real love for French. 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

There is no more effective way to understand French liaisons, verb conjugations, and masculine/feminine endings than from a tutor explaining these important subtleties in English. And there is no way to learn French well without mastering these fundamental elements of the language. Because French and English share roots dating back to the 11th century, they have many similarities that can help English-speakers reach fluency.

The Magic of Learning: Audio CD for Your Car or iPod

The Fluenz French Audio CD is the ideal complement to the interactive program. The CD was produced at the Fluenz Lab to provide engaging audio workouts

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product!!, January 25, 2008

By 

B. Welsh (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

There are many programs, methods, websites and tools to learn French. Before getting Fluenz I looked at quite a few of them. The reality, after watching demos and downloading sample sessions at their website, is that Fluenz addresses the key deficiencies that plague other offerings. To go through an entire French program without a single explanation in English doesn't make any sense. French grammar is not easy, the contractions are not very evident, and many constructions can seem strange. Any smart learner would appreciate, and most require, a good explanation in a language they understand. Because Fluenz relies on a tutor who actually goes through everything in English, this important shortcoming has been more than addressed. The program also includes a full-fledge glossary, something sorely missing in most other programs. To my mind the other great issue with the alternatives to Fluenz is the child-like content. Rosetta Stone is particularly problematic in this sense, which is obvious because their programs are made for anyone 6 and over. I for one appreciate the adult, smart French Fluenz one learns with Fluenz.

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Application, January 17, 2008

By 

Marcelo R. Elola - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

One of the refreshing things about Fluenz is that they work from the point of view of the learner. This is probably the first company to actually admit that French is a tough language to learn for English-speakers.They work from that premise to offer solutions that make sense to the rest of us. All this is accomplished by inserting a real live tutor in the application, an American who actually learned French well and walks you through the process in a way that mirrors her own journey. The tutor uses English to explain the logic of French, providing an entire path through French that actually makes sense to normal people wanting to learn the language. While most traditional learning talks down to learners as if they where children, the Fluenz emphasis on smart learning is wonderful news for grown ups. All the vocabulary is actually relevant to people who are thinking of going to France, doing business there, or thinking of going on to advanced learning. Beyond the common sense explanations, the application offers a range of beautifully designed workouts that go over the same material in very different ways: writing, reading, speaking and listening. Design-wise these workouts are extremely cool, and is as good as any digital design on the web today. This kind of emphasis on blending a solid learning philosophy with well-made design is unique, and I believe very helpful to users. The additional materials that come with the DVD-ROM, an audio CD that reinforces the material and can be easily heard in the car or Ipod, and the Fluenz Navigator, a handy little booklet for those traveling, also speak to the care with which everything has been made. Obviously, I'm very impressed with Fluenz French and Fluenz in general, but above all I have to say the product really works. You will get your French going in very little time.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Totally worth your money, but does not quite go far enough in some areas, February 24, 2010

By 

A. R. Grenier (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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

I am on session 25 of the 30 in Fluenz 1. I bought French 1 + 2, but thought that I would review French 1 while the memory is fresh.
My background is as a false beginner - three years studying French in junior high / high school and a class at Le Alliance Française de Washington, DC. Nothing quite stuck though, so I started from scratch (again) to get my foundation solid.

Fluenz is the first method that has actually stuck in my head. I've started to half-think in French and to formulate sentences and understand the grammar better than I have before. I would highly recommend it to everyone, but especially to people who are looking to travel in France because at the end of Fluenz 1, I feel reasonably confident that I could handle the airport, the train station, and a restaurant with a degree of grace.

That being said, if you are looking to actually learn the language and not just get by for a few weeks, you cannot rely on Fluenz alone! If you do, you'll never get anywhere with vocabulary and verb conjugations! There were some sessions where I swear they only added one or two more words to the already limited vocabulary and some words/phrases that they pronounce differently in different sessions (e.g., Est-ce que pronounced with the -ce emphasized and without the ce emphasized). At the end of this program, your knowledge of friendly conversation beyond rudimentary conversations with shop people/waiters/custom officers will be next to non existent. Also, while I understand why they have not covered "tu" ("you" in the informal) yet - to keep the information overload and confusion to a minimum - I think that not doing so is a mistake and my French tutor looked at me like I was crazy when I said that my program hadn't covered it yet.
This is an excellent start, however, and a great compliment to private tutoring, coursework, or diligent self study.

The software itself works fine on my MacBook and conveniently reminds me where I've left off last time I used the software. It doesn't have any key issues like Rosetta stone does, so I bring it with me when I'm at my parents/boyfriends/etc. house and use it on their computer pretty regularly. Sometimes the voice of the tutor and her lips fall out of sync - that's easily fixed by pausing the program and hitting play again. Once or twice I answered a question correctly, hit enter, and was told that it was incorrect. I'd double check against their answer, make sure I did not have any extra spaces in it, and still be wrong. Only to back up to the last question and start over again, type the same thing in - and have it go through. A little obnoxious, but not frequent enough to be a huge issue.

Their "podcasts" are misnamed - more like "Supplementary Audio Material." Podcasts are updated frequently and are streamed onto your iTunes (for example) - these you have to manually download and really aren't much different from the Audio CD, only with slightly different vocabulary focus.
It has taken me about three months to go through Fluenz 1 (working on it 30 minutes a day almost every day).

I would give this four stars instead of five because I think that it doesn't quite go far enough in the way of vocabulary and verb knowledge and because there's a few kinks in their system that need to be worked out. Don't let that missing star deter you though - this is totally worth the money.

Other sources I am using to help me learn French:
Private tutor (once every other week to work on pronunciation)
French Grammar: The Key to Reading - If you can get your hands on it, this is awesome. Every native speaker I've shown it to has been impressed by it's clear, comprehensive approach.
French for the Humanities (French and English Edition) - the companion to French Grammar.
Easy French Reader