Customer Reviews

German/English (3-Level Set): VocabuLearn: Music-Enhanced

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

 

 

Basically this program consists of audio flash-cards accompanied by repetitive classical music (to enhance the learning experience). If you are looking for an easy or fun way to improve your language skills, this program is NOT for you. If you are determined to improve your skills through sheer hard work, through rote repetition -- this can be a very useful tool. I especially find it useful in practicing the pronunciation of the words -- which are not always intuitive from what I had learned from books. Words like "die Suppe" -- which is pronounced like "DEE ZUP-UH" can only be learned from hearing a native speaker's lilt and vowel placement. Expect to listen to each tape about 15-20 times before it can be internalized. I would recommend it for jogging or commuting -- some activity during which you can focus on the tapes. I would also recommend repeating BOTH the Engish and the German aloud -- to associate the words with more than one sense. Though not for the lazy learner, if you want to solidify your vocab skills through hard work, I give it a hefty thumb up.

I disagree. This program gives the PATIENT language student a chance to improve his/her German vocabulary substantially. As a former student of German at the University of Virginia, I highly recommend this course.

I love these tapes in the old format. It's true that they are essentially audio 'flashcards'. You do need to use a course that teaches grammar as well. These tapes are great for developing the ability to recognise the spoken word. There's also another, related product, which teaches some basic gramatical structures. I like that product, too.

So why only three stars? This version has music in the background, which I find a bit distracting. It's based on research related to the 'Mozart Effect'(which has been discredited, by the way)The idea is that if you study while listening to classical music, you'll learn faster. Doesn't work for me. In fact, I don't really like it, but you might not mind. My suggestion would be to go to the library and try out the two versions before buying.

This course consists of unconnected words that you have to repeat. Since words are not
organized by topics, there is no context to help you remember them. I doubt that this program is going to help you to gain fluency in German. If what you want is to improve your pronunciation, there are specialized courses. In my opinion, reading books is the best way of learning vocabulary, since you learn vocabulary in its context.