Tell Me More v10 Spanish - 10 Levels

Very bad support. Very bad program.

At first using software seems much smarter than just a tape or audio file. But try bothMy experience (I'm really eager to become totally fluent. I've tried many different resources.)I didn't end up finishing the program. Working time in to sit in front of the computer was hard. Whereas with audio I can listen and practice while walking or driving. Beware that, no one method is perfect. If you want to master a language you will need several resources. It really helps to at least read a bit and understand the basics of how the grammar works.PROS to software - You can hear AND see the language.- It can show you how to correctly pronounce and can check your accent (it's very nifty)- it customizes to your ability and speedCONS to software - you are limited to times when you can access a computer. the version I have (the software has rewritten) has a bunch of fairly useless crossword puzzles that have take a lot of time but have almost nothing to do with actually speaking - fairly expensivePROS to an audio course - You can use it anywhere! - You are using the language naturally (the so-call 'language acquisition device" - which is part of all our brains which is how we learned to speak English at age 2 without a course) - Daily practice is simple - You can try just one lesson to see if it helps you.CONS to an audio course - very little exposure to written words. - It's hard to hear exactly which words are being said sometimes. (It helps to have access to a smartphone with Google translate to check to see what the words look like)

I admit I didn't buy this but I spent a week with the free online demo account. A typical lesson starts with an "immersion" style conversation in Spanish. Then there are some word games, some spelling drills and some pronounciation drills. This is a key differentiating technology for TMM - the software records your attempts to repeat words (and later sentences and whole conversations) and scores them against a native speaker. You can play back previous attempts and play it side by side with the native speaker's words. It can be tough - some people think it's buggy (including me at first) but my wife seemed to be able so say everything perfectly so I'll assume it's me. There's also a talking head thing that tries to show you how to pronouce specific sounds but it's pretty much useless since I can't see the back of my own throat.The problem is that the whole course seems to be adapted from a one-size fits all template. There are no English explanations for anything - you have to figure out the meanings from context or the online dictionary/conjugator. The template thing really sets in when you start getting sentences like "You are French? I am also from France {*But why are we speaking Spanish?*}". I'm assuming they just took the French lessons and translated it word for word. Good for business, not good for me.The boredom set in when the second lesson was endless repetitions of the alphabet in Spanish, followed by demands to verbally spell things like "Juan Campos Vargos". You know, because the guards at immigration aren't going to let you into Spain unless you can spell the name that you just wrote on the customs form. Yes, that's actually a conversation you are forced to practice.The fatigue really sets in when you start saying sentences like "I do not have a horse, I have an iguana". I gave up at that point. I've never said that in any language.I like the way you can just click on a word and it will bring up a dictionary entry with appropriate congujations and you can practise your pronouciation. I'm not too keen on the webby feel (admittedly it was a web trial but other web trials were smoother) - entering accents is kind of clumsy and the lag when pressing things was noticeable.It's a reasonable technological platform let down by poor syllabus design and blatant transliteration.

I'm slowly learning with this program but I'm still on the first level. The only thing that really frustrates me with this program so far is the speech recognition. For instance the spanish word cabaza (means head) is pronounced Ca-bay-tha (correct me if I'm wrong spanish people) but no matter how many times I say it I can get the program to read it. I even try to say it a little differently and nothing works. It makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong but I'm pretty sure it's the program because I'm saying these words exactly as they are being pronounced or very close to it (it's impractical to think I wouldn't have a bit of an english accent, that's nearly unavoidable) but I even have it set on the so-called "easy" setting. Grrr... Now I'm worried what it's going to be like when I get to the really hard levels. I might just have to skip the voice recognition parts altogether if it gets too ridiculous.

I tried Rosetta Stone, then realized it offers more or less the same program and coursework in every langauge - a cookie-cutter approach that, combined with a massive marketing budget, makes for a best-selling program but hinders learning progress.And it's boring.In contrast, Tell Me More provides videos, culture lessons, and a translator. There's Mac support, if that helps (not my bag, but whatever works), but here's the best part: You can choose your learning path, customizing what you study to help you meet your goals. And unlike many competitive programs, Tell Me More has intermediate and advanced lessons too. Good stuff!This toptenreviews overview of foreign languages is a good source of information and gives Tell Me More Spanish its highest rating: [...]

As an educator, I am disgusted by the lack of customer service from Tell Me More. The program clearly does not meet the needs of our students- a "Spain" aka Castillian accent is pointless and hard for our kids (and most adults for that matter) to understand, the speech recognition tools do not work consistently, and the program is not engaging. This review sums it up perfectly:[...]We have been asking for a refund for 6 months now and Tell Me More is still fighting us on it. Unbelievable.