Customer Reviews

Italian Now! 8.0

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

 

 

I hesitated to buy this series because version 7 had such BAD reviews. They must have improved with version 8. This is great practice. Using the speaker, you get constant feedback at how well you are pronouncing the words. You can see it in various ways - your tone, accent, pitch, etc. But I must mention that this isn't for the absolute beginner. You don't actually learn proper sentence structure, etc. YOu MUST first take a class or learn through the various language tapes. I had taken a semester of Italian in college and prior to that briefly skimmed the Living Language Audio cassettes. The software is simply a tool to PRACTICE what you've learned.

There are a variety of lessons: 1) a video dialogue; 2)Conversation phrases; 3) Fundamental Italian; & 4) Survival Phrases. But they really lack in organization. Don't bother going to their HELP menu. It's generic. It isn't unique to the language you choose. It's the standard throughout the entire series. I know there is a grammer help somewhere. But again, because it isn't at all organized, I can't find it again. Don't bother with the button "Getting Started." IT doesn't lead you to a nice step-by-step guide.

But I still recommend it for those who've at least learned the language elsewhere. I tried the French one- which just proves my point. My knowledge of French is less then what I know of Italian. I was lost, because I really didn't know it. But at least I can HEAR if I can pronounce the words.

While this program appears to be a great program, it actually is not user friendly. It does not include any instructions, other than how to install the discs. It does not tell you how to set up the microphone or how to use it (the program or the microphone). When I ordered this I was very excited by the description on the box, but I was at a lost on how to operate it. As a professional opera singer, I bought this software to increase my fluency in Italian. I am very computer literate and also have taken Italian classes in the past, but felt I wasted money on this program.

....The software itself has not seen much action because everytime I try to use it, I get terribly bored. It is not too encompassing for a beginner. Perhaps with some knowledge of Italian the program would be of more use (?). The phrases that you begin with are not really relevant nor are they interesting and I find that I am still looking for that "right" software that will hold my hand through the basics.

....There were no instructions, and not a lot of guidance for a new speaker. It flew right into speaking sentences after the alphabet, you should have some decoding skills to use it. Ex. La settimana ha siette giorno. Abbiamo due settimana de vacanza a Natalia. (There are seven days in a week) (We have two weeks of vacation at christmas) Decode from there. The games were hard to play and the difficulty level increases sharply. It does it's job, but only recommended for beginners with a bit of background. Not much to teach grammar wise unless you can sit and read a sixty page document for beginners.....

What a great way to learn a new language! I've had the product only 3 days and I am already speaking Italian! not great Italian, but nonetheless Italian!

Transparent takes a different approach to teaching a foreign language. By immersing you in Italian dialog, survival phrases and games, you pick up the language very quickly. Perhaps the only downfall was the inability to lookup English words in Italian. However, this does NOT detract from the outstanding presentation!

Buono lavoro Trasparente!

This product is not for the beginner. It has very poor basic learning information and they refer you to an extremely boring text file to learn the basic. The instructions on how to use it well non existant!. You have to fumble around trying to use the product. They give no grammer skills at all. I would not recommend this product to anyone

Hello,

I have been speaking Italian for several years and I have lived the past two years in Rome and Milano and I RECOMMEND ANYONE WANTING TO LEARN ITALIAN TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS PROGRAM....

I bought this program in the states to teach my girlfriend....what a waste of money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to re-emphasize what others have said in that this doesnt cover any material that teaches you how to speak italian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was shocked at this program, as it doesnt even introduce (or contain) the conjugations for the verbs essere and avere....as almost every other piece of instructional material on italian covers right in the beginning as its vital for italian.........and it doesnt end there as the help file contains many errors in the verb conjugations....How can this be!!!!!!!!!!!!

The video which for those that have no other way to hear italian might be good....well, NO! First off, the way these people speak is almost funny...as they talk very exaggerated and I dread to think of people trying to copy this accent to speak italian as you would seem like a joke in italy....not to mention that this video is quite old (they dont even pay with euro etc...) and it doesnt cover anything of the material it presents....

I laughed when I saw someone write a review with boun lavoro (Italians dont say this BTW).....and it shows me even more how this product can only teach people improper italian!!!!!!!!

And really I tried to teach my new girlfriend italian from this, and I just couldnt find anyway to begin here for her...even the fundamental parts present very little information....its all just thrown together....

I checked the fundamental section and the seventh word mountain (montagna) is present with a example phrase

le montagne sono coperte di neve
(which is translated properly to)
the mountains are covered with snow...

here already it presents the passive voice of coprire,

The verb "coprire"in this case is passive and female

Io sono coperta
Tu sei coperta
Egli è coperta
Noi siamo coperte
Voi siete coperte
LORO SONO COPERTE

check the software for why the passive voice is here in this manner anywhere in this program and you will be left out to dry, yet they quiz you on this later in the exercises like the crosswords

le montange sono ******** di neve

god this is just terrible to think that peole are memorizing the word coperte (covered) here already in the beginning without the knowledge of how or why it is...and they will never learn from this program either as its not in here!!!!!!!

This software as a way to learn its somewhat criminal to me!!!!!!!!

THIS IS MORE THAN CRAP....I CANT SEE HOW ANYWAY CAN LEARN PROPER ITALIAN WITH THIS.....

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This computer program looks as though some random guy just through a whole bunch of italian words on the software, got a woman's voice on there, added... fonts/sounds, and through in a box with a cover i am sure cost more than the program! Getting a book would be better, but I have to give some credit for the few vocab. words I have learned, otherwise, this program is put into two words!...

The past years I have tried to learn Italian I bought books and books, but they never seem to work. Then I bought Italian Now and already I know how to say complete paragraphs in Italian.I do recomend it, but not to kids 12 and younger. Ciao:)!

The version 8 is not supported for Windows Vista. So for me, it was worthless. I gave it to a friend.