Berlitz French Reviewer's Comments

Berlitz French Premier, by Nova Development, is a worthwhile language learning program that was just outshone by some other products. Berlitz makes good use of video to help you look at conversational French, not just textbook French.

There are several modules in Berlitz that teach French for different situations, but there is not a set beginner level. Instead you merely dive into the video lessons and try to pick up the vocabulary. Berlitz also comes with the Before You Know It flashcard program, by Transparent Languages, that can help in learning vocabulary.

Berlitz would have ranked higher if it weren’t for a lack of progress tracking and an interface that is more confusing than many other French programs.

Berlitz French Screenshots. Click for more
       


Features:  

Berlitz offers a lot of versatility because there is a version of the program for PocketPCs, MP3 players and other mobile devices. This is extremely useful if you don’t have the time to study at your computer.  One of the glaring problems with Berlitz is there is no progress tracking feature. There is no way to really tell how well you are doing in the overall program or even in a module.

Fundamentals:  

Berlitz does a good job with the fundamentals, mostly through the use of video with a text transcript. You are able to see and recognize words the people in the video are using. This also helps listening comprehension and conversation skills. Pronunciation is practiced separately with a speech recognition module.

Ease of Use:  

Berlitz has a simple tab system for navigating between activities, but that is the easiest part of the program. Everything else is a little more difficult, including navigating between modules. The videos don’t have a clear play or pause button. The interface they use is much more difficult and makes it hard to stop in a specific place. Furthermore, many of the buttons in the program are not clearly labeled and have to be learned by trial and error.

Teaching Tools:  

The Berlitz Program relies heavily on videos of native speakers with text transcripts in French that you can search, translate and practice. There are reviews that can help you with retention as well. Berlitz has a wide variety of word recognition activities to help you practice your vocabulary, too.

The speech recognition system in Berlitz is useful for practicing pronunciation, and it gives more information about your voice than many other programs. But the Berlitz system seems to be a little less accurate than other programs as well.

Word Tools:  

Berlitz includes handy translator tools that allow you to easily create lists of words that you want to practice. There are also word and grammar reference materials.

Tech Support/Help:  

Berlitz comes with the thickest user manual of any program we reviewed; so you are likely to find many answers there. Tutorials and FAQs can also help you learn how to navigate the program and fix minor problems. For technical problems, you can also contact Nova Development by phone or email.

Summary:  

Berlitz is a great learning course, especially if you like learning through videos, but Berlitz only does a mediocre job of making the learning process simple and intuitive.