Portuguese Now! 8.0

by Transparent Language

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004NHL6
• Item model number: PE-R08-2-CD
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 15, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,374 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Imagine lounging on the strip at Copacabana, enjoying the last rays of sun before you prepare for Carnival, turning to the waiter to order a drink, and then stumbling through your request for a frosty caipirinha. In this day and age, you could probably survive using simple English words, but think what your trip could be if you could haggle with the market vendors, banter with your taxi drivers, or roam free from the tourist hotels. With Portuguese Now! Transparent Language has really put together a language learning system that lets you build proper speaking, reading, writing, and understanding skills.

Portuguese Now! offers five different games to bolster your learning curve; conversation practice that lets you interact with the native Brazilians; video and text compilations that teach the history and culture of Brazil; common words and survival phrases necessary for all beginners; and Listen and Speak segments (our favorites), which let you use an included microphone to match your speech to prompted words--a fun and easy way to develop your voice inflection. The main layout focuses your time on the interesting video and dialog activities, but you may want to bone up first on the alphabet and frequently used words. The helpful Getting Started area describes step-by-step learning suggestions, which are worth reading and will lead you to more productive language lessons.

While it's a little disappointing that this software only covers Brazilian Portuguese, there is no denying the worth of this program. The navigation and layout are technically primitive, but the basics behind the lessons--what really counts--are done well. The variety of options for speaking and listening practice provided in Portuguese Now!--along with graphical comparisons to rate your progress--helps you push your way from stumbling through the language to beginning fluency. --Madeleine Miller

Amazon.com Product Description

With Portuguese Now! you'll learn by immersing yourself in Brazilian Portuguese. You'll participate in real conversations and read interesting articles. You can also watch intriguing videos from Brazil--discover the beauty of Rio and the rhythmic samba!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It was scary., May 22, 2000

By 

Bob - See all my reviews

This review is from: Portuguese Now! 8.0 (CD-ROM)

I got this CD before I had learned anything in Portugese, not even hello. It was scary. Total immersion was just not going to cut it for the complete novice. I got the Living Language book/cassette combo, went through that, THEN this CD became useful. The CD is overall a pretty nice set-up. It has video, pictures, read along, and you can even record your own voice (which just confirmed how much practice I need). There are a few long passages you can listen to while watching the pictures roll by and/or while reading the words. The passages are interesting to, about The samba, and Rio de Janiero. Not your typical "Oi, tudo bem? This is still a beginners CD, but once you have finished a beginners book/cassette, it will make a world of difference, and the immersion won't be quite as scary.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You will find yourself exploring this program - indeed!, March 17, 2001

By 

Teresa (Fort Collins, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Portuguese Now! 8.0 (CD-ROM)

When I first downloaded this program onto my computer, I felt overwhelmed. The directions were not clear and there were so many areas to explore, I didn't know where to begin. However, as I began to learn how to work the program I found it to be an extremely useful tool to learn Portuguese. Not only can I practice my pronunciation of Portuguese words, but I can also close my eyes and listen to a native speaker to test my listening comprehension. Also, I can play a game to pratice my language skills as well! If you are serious about learning Portuguese I highly recommend you purchase this program. Yes, it's confusing in the beginning. . . however as time passes you will find it one of your most useful means to learn the language. I enjoy using the program and although I've owned it now for 5 months, I still have many areas to explore on the CD. However, keep in mind if you are a serious student of Portuguese this program is not the only tool you will need to learn the language. I recommend buying a great dictionary and grammar book to understand how the language works (this CD has hints about Portuguese grammar, but does not explain it in detail). If you purchase the books and the program, you will learn portuguese without a tutor or teacher! I'm already testing my language skills by reading articles on Portuguese websites. Thanks to this program, other tools, and my weekly (almost daily) study habits I can understand much of what I read!

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This is more oriented to Brazilean Portugeuse, May 2, 2001

By 

Stephen D. Marks (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Portuguese Now! 8.0 (CD-ROM)

For anyone planning a trip to Brazil, this is a good program to get. However, for anyone interested in learning continental Portugeuse (i.e. European dialect) this module is not as useful. For a non-native speaker, the Brazilean dialect often seems faster and more melodic than the language spoken in Portugal. The continental language is often slower and more pronounced, or annunciated. Overall, the package is good with useful interactive activities. However, the package should be labelled "Brazilean Portuguese".