Spanish Language-Learning Program Reviews
If you are going to take the time and make the effort to learn Spanish, which Spanish language-learning programs offer the best approach to meeting your goal? In this series of reviews we'll take a look at the popular self study Spanish language-learning programs, discuss their strengths and weaknesses, and provide you with our recommendations.
Very Highly Recommended
- Of all the self study Spanish language-learning programs on the market today, Rocket Spanish receives our highest recommendation for getting off the ground quickly and laying a good basic foundation.
Rocket Spanish consists of 12 hours of interactive lessons (downloadable or on CD), beginner and advanced grammar books, a conversation book, and software language-learning games.
While Rocket Spanish lives up closer to its advertising claims than any of the other language-learning programs we've reviewed, it will not make most people fluent in 90 days. However, we believe that it will take you further quicker than almost any other Spanish language-learning product currently on the market.
Read the full Rocket Spanish Review ...
Highly Recommended - especially for children
One of the most widely known and most popular of the Spanish language-learning programs on the market today is Rosetta Stone's Spanish Program. The Spanish Language Program comes in both Latin American and Spain versions delivered either on CDs or by online subscription.
The multimedia program includes intereactive instruction on listening comprehension, reading, speaking and writing. Numerous studies have shown that the more senses we involve in the learning process, the better we retain the information. The Rosetta Stone language learning software excels at involving our senses.
Read the full Rosetta Stone Spanish Review ...
Highly Recommended
The methodology used in the Learning Spanish Like Crazy is very simliar to the Pimsleur method (see below) but introduces new vocabulary much faster. Additionally, by providing the transcripts, you can actually match the spoken Spanish lessons with the transcripts and learn to read Spanish at the same time. If you are looking to learn basic conversational Latin American Spanish quickly, then this may be the course for you. If you are learning Spanish because you plan to go to Spain, then you should look elsewhere.
Read the full Learn Spanish Like Crazy Review ...
Recommended
For years the Sybervision Pimsleur Spanish language series was my favorite method for learning Spanish, with the exception of total immersion in a Spanish speaking country. However, while I found the series to be excellent at learning or refreshing spoken Spanish, it was always weak in presenting you with an understanding of the grammar and was in my opinion totally lacking in teaching you to read. The little sight reading booklet they give you is almost worthless, It doesn't teach you how to read, i.e., give meaning to the words, but rather it helps you recognize how to pronounce certain words, but does not supply their meaning. Nevertheless, Pimsleur Spanish gets you immediately into conversational Spanish and you will quickly become comfortable speaking basic Spanish without having to memorize boring vocabulary lists and phrases.
The Pimsleur language series is now produced by Simon & Schuster and has been re-recorded to bring it up to date with the Euro when referring to European currency.
Read the full Pimsleur Spanish Review ...
Not Recommended
- I have been disappointed with Instant Immersion products. I do not find the quality very high. The software products tend to be full of bugs or errors and lack instructions to give you direction. I have purchased both the standard and deleuxe levels and cannot recommend them.
Read the full Instant Immersion Spanish v2.0 Review ...
Not Recommended
The comments I made about Instant Immersion products in the Instant Immersion Spanish v2.0 review, apply here also.
Perhaps even more so.
When I loaded the first v2.0 CD onto my computer I had a number of problems getting it to run properly and on several occasions it inexplicably either just hung or shut down. The multimedia exercises do not seem to follow any defined path and the characters' responses to your choices, while initially somewhat cute, quickly grow old and seem silly.
My overall impression is that there is very poor product quality control in the development process. Additionally, the teaching methodology leaves much to be desired as it is not organized nor presented well. While it is not expensive, in my opinion it will waste your more valuable asset, and that is time.
Read the full Instant Immersion Spanish v2.0 Review ...
Other Useful Spanish Language Learning Resources
Spanish Language Meetup Groups - Meet local Spanish language and culture lovers for conversation and fun! Come to a Spanish Language Meetup and make new amigos as you practice speaking, discover new phrases, and finally figure out verb conjugations! All ages and levels welcome.