Language Now!

Copyright: KBkids.com

Right up there with the Self-Study series and the Language for the Real World series, this program offers strong immersion learning. May be a bit tough for younger kids, however. This program is available in thirteen languages, now including Gaelic, Arabic and Polish.

This is a great program for someone who already knows a bit of a language, or wants to brush up on a language he or she once knew. True beginners might find the video clips and conversations a bit fast and intimidating. What is included is very well done, however. Just don't put a reluctant child on this program. A motivated student, or one who knows a bit of a language, however, will soar with this one.

You will find more video clips here than in any other language program. The entire program revolves around a series of video conversations filmed on location (with the obvious exception of the Latin program.) These involve adults interacting in every day situations. The topics are great for learning a language, but may be a bit over the heads of younger pre-teens. They start out very fast, and characters at times talk over the top of each other. This makes for true to life listening practice for more advanced students, but an awkward start for true novices. You can take the part of any of the characters, recording your own voice, and seeing how well your voice compares to the native speaker.

At the right of your screen is the video box. On the left you will find the entire dialogue, as well as boxes showing the translation, root words, and meanings. These can be turned on or off according to your preferences. Turned off, this becomes a true 'immersion' program. You will listen to the dialogue, and then pick it apart by listening to individual lines and words. This is done by clicking on the phrase, sentence, or word you would like to hear pronounced. A turtle icon slows the speech down a bit, but not as much as testers wanted. You control what conversations are worked on, as well as when games are introduced, and which activities are to be done. Your progress is tracked here more effectively than in the Self-Study series.

Language Now! also includes several games. A crossword puzzle activity helps build vocabulary skills. Plug and Play is a fill in the blank activity where you must complete sentences from the dialogue by dragging words on to the screen. Unscramble, and Video Unscramble help you learn grammar rules by placing words, and video clips in the proper order. Vocabulous! helps you learn skills as you type missing words. You will find more spelling practice in the dictation area of the program.

This is a great way for a High School student who is learning a language to jump ahead of the class, or brush up on rough areas. It is also a fantastic program for those who want realistic conversations, and aren't afraid to work at the language a little bit.

Bottom Line: One of the best programs around, but not for pre-teens, or those who are hesitant about learning a language. A rather tough immersion program, but extremely well done.

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