What makes a language learning
software
EFFECTIVE ? Increasingly more people decide to study a new language by themselves, either as an addition to a language course at an educational institution, or as a stand-alone learning method. One popular learning aid is computerized language learning software. This method allows the learner to decide on his or her own when, what, how much and often even in which manner to study. Many different products are offered, in book stores as well as online. Two outstanding brands are “The Birkenbihl Approach” and “Instant Immersion”.
Read more about the Birkenbihl language learning software here.
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But what makes a language learning software good?
How should you decide on which product to use?
To make the decision easier, you should keep in mind some key features. In this article, several factors are presented which should not be neglected when making a purchase decision. Do not forget this checklist:
Beware of your level of knowledge Make sure you chose the proper language learning course according to your previous knowledge. Usually, different products for various learning stages are offered. If you have previous knowledge, take an advanced course. If you feel very uncomfortably, you may decide on the beginner´s course. Also your general language learning abilities may be of interest. If you are able to learn new languages quickly and without effort, you would probably feel more comfortable being challenged.
Check the topics that are covered If you already know most grammar points, rather chose a course covering mainly listening comprehension or writing skills. The product decision should also reflect your goal. If you desire to speak the foreign language, focus on speaking and listening comprehension. On the other hand, if you ought to write documents in de respective language, find a program that helps you to improve your writing skills. Also, have a look at the content of the texts and dialogues. Many software programs cover cultural aspects and geographic features of the country. However, there is also content dealing with the history of the language or even completely different topics
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that have nothing to do with the language or the country and its people itself. If you are interested in what the texts are about, learning will be easier!
Variety in exercises – interactive games, quizzes, movies, stories Usually, people prefer different exercises simply because it makes more fun. Many digital courses today include fun quizzes, short movies, exciting games or multimedia applications designed to remember vocabularies easily. Funny stories often help to remember contexts and phrases and sentences quickly. The funnier or even comical the association in your mind, the easier you will remember words, phrases and grammar.
Make sure you can install the program on multiple devices Often, language learning software can only be installed on one computer. However, today´s society is in constant rush and we need to have things available wherever we go. Only some courses can be installed on multiple electronic devices. Make sure you can save audio files on your ipod, games on your smartphone, the whole program on your ipad. Furthermore, the learning progress should be updated on each device, so that you have the possibility to work on the same lesson from different devices without having to start over again.
The program should allow for personalization This means, is there the opportunity to change the background colour to your favoured one? Can you highlight phrases you do not understand at the moment? Does the system allow you to stop and continue whenever you want to? Can you control the speed of the dialogues? Is there the possibility to makes notes on parts of the lesson or on specific exercises? That is a lot of questions. But they are crucial! Everybody has his or her own learning style. This style should definitely be supported by the program!
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The software should be updated automatically by the supplier Mostly this is not the case. However, technology allows suppliers to make minor changes in the software so that you always learn with the latest version of the software.
Aesthetic, modern design and graphics Some people do not care about the design of the language program. But many do. I you do not enjoy looking at it because it looks old-fashioned or because you do not like the colours that are used, it will be harder for you to learn with the program. It should be like “love at first sight”. All in all, there are a lot of things you should consider. Several bad-quality language learning software is offered. However, there are also some really recommendable ones. One last tip: Some suppliers offer free testing of some courses! That is a good way to find out if the software fits to your aim and to your language learning style. You can find a trial version for the Birkenbihl Approach, for example. This language learning software is very effective. Software is going to be renewed in some days, so the design is even more modern and can be personalized to your desires. The Birkenbihl Approach, in a nutshell, relies on the subconscious to learn languages and thereby makes learning languages very easy! If you wish to read more about this method, visit their website and check out the language learning software. Various products to learn a new language are offered, such as learning French for beginners or speaking Russian for beginners.
Read more about the Birkenbihl language learning software here.
Brought to you by Birkenbihl-Sprachen Visit us: www.birkenbihl-sprachen.com