Learn French Now! is an interactive CD package designed to provide beginning and intermediate instruction in the French language. The product includes approximately 10,000 French words, full motion video, full native speaker pronunciation, sound wave analysis of the user’s voice (record, playback, and compare), conversation practice, alphabet reference (sound), word dictation, a grammar tutorial, word and root search, the Vocabulous* interactive games, and the Practice Makes Perfect workbook. Besides the two CDs that are included in this product, a bonus CD has been included (a $190 value), that includes the following items: 1) Berlitz Interpreter Word Translator (Windows use only), 2) Accent Multilingual Word Processor (Windows use only), 3) GrammarPro (the most comprehensive French grammar tutorial available), 4) a Bonus Conversation Title, and 5) the Practice Makes Perfect workbook.
Suffice it to say, that the CD can be loaded in both the Windows and Macintosh environments, but it requires a large amount of disk space. In Windows, 16 MB RAM and 15 MB of hard drive space (20 MB recommended) are required; in Macintosh, 4 MB RAM and 12 MB of hard drive space (17 MB recommended) are required. Besides the 2 CD program and the bonus CD, a 19 page installation manual is included.
The screen presented to the user throughout product use is divided into eight mini sections, with five sections on the left side of the screen and three sections on the right. The sections on the left are, from top to bottom: Main reading, Segment reading, Word meaning, Root word, and Word group. The sections on the right are, from top to bottom: Video screen (for video clips and film), two folders listed as Notes and Check words, and Grammar (with access to word tools).
Transparent Language has a number of these language CDs available; and all of them generally follow the same format on the screen. [Editor’s note: See the previous issue for a review of Learn Italian Now!] This product is an excellent introduction to the French language and provides the user with the ability to listen to the correct pronunciation of every word, sentence, and paragraph available by a native speaker of the language. It is essential that this product be used in conjunction with a double‐speed CD‐ROM drive, sound card, and speakers. Without these, the value of the product drops considerably. The user can compare his/her pronunciation of the language with a native speaker, or can play the native speaker first and copy the language inflections. I recommend this product to beginning French students of all ages and to anyone needing a crash course in French language before a trip to France.
