Review of Hear-Say
MP3, No pronunciation scores, Sound effects, Cheap, ★★★★
These audiobooks are available in 5 languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish). Each lasts an hour, with a bit over 200 sound effects followed by the corresponding word in the target language. Each word is said twice. Used copies under $20 or free from many libraries' websites.
It is a small vocabulary, but it lets beginners hear native speakers with no distractions from their own language, and it can be heard on the go. They include animals, house and garden equipment, musical instruments, laugh, cry, walk, run, rain, wind, etc., and it ends with numbers 1-10.
It could be improved with more vocabulary, briefer sounds, less ambiguity in some sounds, more repetitions, and more speakers. The article le, la, das, etc. is included with each word in all languages except English, and beginners may not realize they are hearing two words. Perhaps the goal is to show gender. Further, many sounds are culturally limited: vacuum cleaners, phones, and other machines.
The few Amazon reviews generally give them good ratings.
MP3, No pronunciation scores, Sound effects, Cheap, ★★★★
These audiobooks are available in 5 languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish). Each lasts an hour, with a bit over 200 sound effects followed by the corresponding word in the target language. Each word is said twice. Used copies under $20 or free from many libraries' websites.
It is a small vocabulary, but it lets beginners hear native speakers with no distractions from their own language, and it can be heard on the go. They include animals, house and garden equipment, musical instruments, laugh, cry, walk, run, rain, wind, etc., and it ends with numbers 1-10.
It could be improved with more vocabulary, briefer sounds, less ambiguity in some sounds, more repetitions, and more speakers. The article le, la, das, etc. is included with each word in all languages except English, and beginners may not realize they are hearing two words. Perhaps the goal is to show gender. Further, many sounds are culturally limited: vacuum cleaners, phones, and other machines.
The few Amazon reviews generally give them good ratings.
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