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Passport to Languages

8/1/2029

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Review of Passport to Languages, from eLanguage.com
Words+pictures, Pronunciation scored, Cheap, ★★★★

They teach 35 languages in a combined package ($20). All languages let you record and compare yourself to their native speaker. They earn 4 stars for scoring your pronunciation in US English, French, German, Italian, and Latin American Spanish. They earn 3 stars for other languages. Their scoring of your pronunciation can be set from generous to strict.

They lose a star because their software seems to need Windows 95/98, ME, 2000 or XP. They told me they have a version compatible with Windows 7 and Vista, but when I bought it, directly from their website, it did not work on Windows 7. I tested it with an old laptop running XP. It is an excellent 5-star program if you have access to one of the older operating systems.

They explain lessons in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish, though a few buttons and the installation instructions remain in English.

The pronunciation scoring is under "Learn by Subject," not "Pronunciation."  They say each word, and show spelling and a picture, You choose whether they provide a translation into your own language. They say the word as often as you wish, and you can get scoring of your pronunciation as often as you wish. Sound quality varies but is reasonable.

They cover a lot of vocabulary. In health terms, they have detailed words for different bones, blood and breathing systems, major organs, parts of the head, mouth, eyes, arm, hand and foot, as well as a modest range of health office terms. They teach a charming sequence of 14 emotions with pictures of a mime. They have different health words from Pronunciator, and more than Transparent, though Transparent has helpful detailed pronunciation  graphs besides the summary score.

They explain grammar, but offer no drills or practice.

ELanguage also has more detailed packages in English, French, German, and Spanish, reviewed separately.
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L'Harmattan

7/6/2029

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Review of Parlons, published by L'Harmattan (site in English)
Book+PDF+CD+Cassette, No pronunciation scores, Cheap, in French, ★
Many of these books ($20) can be downloaded. Many have a CD or cassette for another $20, with a mix of French and the target language.

They cover 170 languages, briefly. Each book explains grammar, with some exercises and vocabulary, and also devotes substantial space to describing the culture and history of the people who speak the language. (Click for Arguelles' review.)
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Kauderwelsch

7/6/2029

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Review of Kauderwelsch, Reise-Know-How Verlag (or site translated to: English)
Books+CDs, No Pronunciation scores, Cheap, Most are in German, ★★★
Each short book ($10) teaches basic grammar as well as travel phrases. The audio CDs ($10) are mostly travel phrases. (Kauderwelsch can mean "gibberish," but also can mean "words from different languages.")

They cover 120 languages, and many regional variations of Arabic, English, German, and Spanish, so they will be your best course in some languages, and useful extra practice in others.

They have specific books teaching slang in many languages, a topic which is hard to find elsewhere, though important for understanding movies and ordinary conversation. They teach slang for Australia, Britain, Canada, Cuba, France, Germany (East and West), Hindi, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Quebec, Russia, Spain, Spanglish, Turkey, United States.

All are explained in German, except there are courses in English for speakers of other languages. CDs have a sentence or phrase in German, then in the target language, then a pause, but no breakdown of words or repetitions. Pauses are omitted in the CDs devoted to slang and to German dialects. (Click for Arguelles' review.)
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First Voices

7/17/2012

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_Review of FirstVoices.com (Canada)
Web+MP3+Apps, No pronunciation scores, Free, ★
They offer text and sound in each of 40 languages spoken by First Nations (Native Americans) in Canada. They have multiple regional variations for several of the languages. The content varies widely from about 50 words and phrases in some languages to over 2,000 in a few. On their site you can find languages by map or name of the group. Some languages are available in apps.

Words and phrases cam be seen in lists (like activities, or animals) but not in full sentences. For some languages the words are spoken once in English and twice in the target language. Other languages speak them only in the target language. The web page always shows the word in English and the target language. Most explanations are in English, with a little in French. There is no option to slow the sound, and no grammar.

The site is sponsored by First Peoples' Cultural Council.

World Language Maps

Useful background are maps of the locations and relationships of the original languages in North America, the United States, South America, Africa and Asia.
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Schaum's Outlines

7/6/2012

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Review of Schaum's Outlines, McGraw Hill
Books, No Pronunciation scores, Cheap, ★
These are supplementary material in 6 languages ($10). There is no audio. They explain grammar clearly and offer learning advice, with useful exercises.
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L'Asiatheque

7/6/2012

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Review of Langues + Mondes, Asiatheque.com
Books+CDs, No pronunciation scores, Cheap, in French, ★★★
Each book covers grammar, exercises, dialog, vocabulary, and culture. Most have 2 audio CDs or 2 CDs of MP3 files. Some languages have multiple levels, or books on special aspects of the language, such as Chinese syntax. Prices range from $50-75 per book, with CDs included.

These are thorough courses, though they do not have much audio. Most are written by teachers from the French Institute of Oriental Languages (INALCO), which teaches 90 languages. (Click for Arguelles' review.)


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