Customer Reviews

Smart Start French Deluxe

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

 

 

I've tried several French software packages (and wasted a great deal of money), including Learn French Now!, Instant Immersion French, and others. This software, Smart Start French, is honestly the spiffiest of the lot. Unlike the others, this software gives a comprehensive approach--you do writing, reading, and listening. (And speaking, if you're brave!) Plus, you get a cassette, an audio CD, *and* a CD ROM, plus the grammar workbook thingie. Other software packages seem to overhype themselves and claim they will teach you more than they realistically can. This software, by contrast, is a lot of work precisely because it is comprehensive--but I really think you can learn some French from it. And, it's fun. It's more expensive than other packages, but I honestly think it's worth the extra money. (It's cheaper than a $400 class at the community college in any case.) That's my two centimes' worth.

SmartStart is the most comprehensive software package for learning French I've found. It's not cheesey, and it's well written, and you get an audio CD, a cassette, a grammar workbook, and a computer CD ROM all at once. It takes a little bit of effort, but you will totally learn some basic French with this. I've tried other programs, too, like Transparent Language for French--and they're just not as well implemented (clunky or hard to understand or use in some way). I really recommend trying the SmartStart stuff first.

This is a cleverly put-together set of resources for learning French. The games are thoughtful and even fun and the speaking section does recognize words pretty well.

The drawback is that while this is excellent, it is an excellent *supplement* to other instruction in French. What there is on grammar is limited, and there isn't a lot on why things are the way they are.

As a vocabulary-builder, though, it is excellent and I would highly recommend it.

This course while extensive in activities, was not what I had expected. The course did not start out basic such as learning basic communication between two people. I think this course is better for someone who is some-what fluent in French already. In addition, this course is however good for refreshment or learning more where it comes to things such as ordering dinner or renting an apartment.

I was disappointed in this package. There was no rhyme or reason, no direction, no coaching on where to begin. I was hoping to use it for my teenager and she was completely lost. If you want to learn the mechanics of the language, don't buy this package. If you simply want to memorize a bunch of phrases and words in French, I guess its ok. Definitely not what I expected for software in todays interactive environment

The graphics are nice and clear, and it does teach minimum skills for communicating as a tourist; if you want practice with very simple conversations, try it. You'll learn to say and understand things like " I would like to rent an apartment". But if you can conjugate verbs, write, read or speak a little in French, don't bother. I can't understand French movies or conversations at regular speeds, so I thought this might help. It did'nt.

I bought this before a short trip to France a few years ago and found it useful in getting to the basics of the language. I recently upgraded to Windows XP, however, and discovered that the program won't run. Apparently Win98 and 95 are it.