Berlitz Passport to 31 Languages
© 1998 The Learning Company
Extremely dry and relatively low-tech in design, this program exposes students and travelers to as many as 31 languages ranging from the usual English, Spanish, French and German to the uncommon Arabic, Indonesian and Hindi. The format is the same for each language. Students pick a topic like clothing, food or travel. Next, they choose from activities that let them hear associated words or phrases, match words to their pictures, or find items that don't belong from groups of words. While these activities provide some exposure to the new language, they are, for the most part, poorly designed, limiting the learning experience. Difficulty levels are absent, the fun factor is missing, and the level at which the content is presented is very uneven. In one activity, kids are simply matching words to the objects, while in the next, they're expected to decipher phrases. The best part of the program is clearly the voice recognition component. With this valuable feature, students can evaluate the accuracy of their pronunciation of words or phrases against that of a native speaker. Being able to explore 31 languages in one three-CD package is also a strength, even if the presentation is less than optimal.
$29.95, Win
Teaches: 31 languages such as Spanish, Swahili, Arabic and Greek