Best Language Learning Software
In middle school we were given the option of taking at least two years of either Spanish or French. Living in Texas at the time, it was only the natural choice that I decided on… French. This was the obvious choice for me, mostly because my hormones as a seventh grade boy were raging and I assumed that French would be full of girls that would want to date me for being “romantic”. Well… I ended up taking French until the end of high school and since then I have used it a grand total of zero times in my life. That being said, when I decided six months ago that I was going to start my worldwide journey in South America for four months, I was shaking my head lowly at the ground when I thought about how many hours upon hours I took of French for little to no payoff of girls wanting to date me because of my fluency of the romance language. Sigh.
So when I decided it would probably be in my best interest to learn Spanish before I left, I began to do research online of the best language learning software available. The obvious first choice I thought about was Rosetta Stone, mostly because that was the only one I had heard of at the time as a result of endless TV commercials and mall kiosks featuring the software. However, the more I delved into reviews and read about customer experiences, the more I started to lean towards another program. You’ll find many reviews, both positive and negative, about every software; Rosetta Stone, Babbel, Duolingo, Rocket Languages, among many others. But the one that seemed to have far more positive reviews and better experiences than the others was Fluenz, led by none other than Sonia Gil (more on her later).
I’m a numbers guy, so first, let’s take a look at a numerical fact. Based on Amazon Reviews alone, Rosetta Stone has 150 5-star positive reviews to go along with 98 1-star negative reviews. On the other hand, Fluenz has 144 5-star positive reviews to go along with 2 1-star negative reviews. TWO.
Now, I’m sure many people reading this will say, “I don’t trust Amazon reviews” or “Who cares about those? They’re probably fake or bot reviews anyway.” Well, if that’s the case, let’s discuss the main problem people found with Rosetta Stone.
While Rosetta Stone has a lot of pros and cons, the main cause for concern I found from many reviews I read was regarding the difficulty in understanding what exactly the program was referring to in each picture or slide. For example, there could be a picture of a kid wearing a baseball hat with a backpack on and an apple in his hand with a subtitle of “Manzana”. As a student of the program, many people aren’t sure what the words refer to in the pictures. That’s the entire purpose of the program – to teach you! Does manzana refer to the kid? The baseball bat? The backpack? Or the apple? (Right Answer: Apple). Overall, while Rosetta Stone has its pros and cons like many of the other software programs out there, at the end of the day, most people complained that it was hard to comprehend exactly what was being taught.
Now take Fluenz – made by students of foreign languages, for students of foreign languages. Before I discuss what is, in my opinion, the best language learning software, let me state the fact that I am in no way getting paid or benefitting from my endorsement of this product (I wish).
First, the entire program is divided into five levels with 30 lessons per level. At roughly an hour per lesson and 150 lessons total, you’re looking at over 150 hours of total lesson time, not including all the bonuses! Second, each level comes with an audio CD that enables you to practice in the car, at the gym, or wherever you want. Although if you’re randomly speaking Spanish while doing leg presses, you might get some interesting looks. Third, all the levels have bonus activity lessons that you can practice after the regular lessons for an even deeper understanding of the material. Finally, Sonia Gil… the woman behind it all.
As the cofounder of Fluenz and host of Sonia’s Travels on YouTube and Yahoo! Screen, she is the secret sauce that blends everything together. Unlike the other language learning programs, she is your professor, your teacher, your guide, or whatever else you’d like to call her. Yes, just like in elementary, middle, and high school, she is on-screen teaching you every lesson, word for word. And she’s not hard on the eyes either. (Forget I said that last part).
Fluenz – Sonia Gil
Having someone on the screen who walks you through each lesson is truly what sets Fluenz apart from the rest. There’s not a single lesson I don’t understand by the end and Sonia ties together each lesson flawlessly. I’m only about 40 lessons into the 150 lesson program, but after being in South America for a week already, I can promise you that my knowledge of the language is already FAR better than I had expected it would be. (Except for the time when I spent an afternoon thinking I was asking people where I could find “Soap” for my clothes, when I later came to found out that I had been asking everyone where I could find “Soup” for my clothes, sigh). Other than that, her lessons have already saved me multiple times, and for that, I thank her.
So if you’re trying to figure out how to learn a language and are looking for the best language learning software money can buy, I highly recommend Fluenz. The $348 price tag for the full five levels might seem a little high, but if you figure that’s only $2.32 for every one hour lesson, it’s well worth every cent. And I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. Hasta leugo!
