French Before You Know It Reviewer's Comments

*We chose not to include French Before You Know It in our updated review of Learn French software because it is already included in the Complete French Learning Suite, the #5 product. The program is still available through Transparent Language and you can read the previous review below.*

French Before You Know It by Transparent is a fine flashcard program that can help you develop your French Vocabulary quickly and effectively. French Before You Know It will also help you retain those words and phrases.

Features:  

French Before You Know It is easy to use because the controls are basic and intuitive.

Fundamentals:  

The deluxe version of French Before You Know It includes speech recording software. The software does good job recording your voice and playing it back, but we found that the program lacked accuracy when evaluating French pronunciation.

This program offers several flashcard modes for variety. French Before You Know It does a fair job with French spelling practice; part of the program requires you to type in the word you hear or see.

Ease of Use:  

We had no problems installing French Before You Know It.

Teaching Tools:  

The help and documentation parts of French Before You Know It are excellent. The normal wait time for an email response is two business days. The program offers technical support Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM EST. They offer FAQs and updates on the homepage and if your question is still unresolved, you can fill out a Technical support request form.

Word Tools:  

French Before You Know It has vocabulary building and writing tools, and these two essential language skills are covered well. The vocal playback and compare tool helps with French pronunciation since you can review how you sound and listen to how a native speaker sounds, but we'd prefer a more direct pronunciation comparison. The program doesn't include any conversation practice, and (other then the playback tool) doesn't offer listening practice.

Tech Support/Help:  

This program will not teach you to speak French conversationally, but it is a step in the right direction. French Before You Know It is fine for broadening French vocabulary. The virtual flash cards are fun to use and the program offers several options to keep you entertained as you learn French.

Summary:  

French Before You Know It is a good vocabulary building tool but lacks other learning tools.