Editorial Review
Learn to Speak French 8.0 accomplishes the goals of having you speak and understand the language, by use of its speech-recognition technology. As you progress through the lessons you get the opportunity to test your pronunciation against a meter that tracks from "tourist" to "native speaker."
The program includes short Quick Time films that are narrated in French with both the French and English text of the narrative available onscreen. (You can turn off either or both text versions.) A printed book provides additional practice for all the topics included on the four CDs: vocabulary, grammar, speech, and narratives at different levels.
Anyone over the age of 10 can use the software, and installation is easy. In addition, you can download additional lessons from The Learning Company Web site, where there's access to personal tutoring and study aids. The program can certainly get you started and make it possible for you to communicate in French--if you use both the program and the workbook diligently. --Robert Frankland
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Customer Reviews
Improves your pronunciation 
2005-04-07
This is a very professional tool to improve your languaje skills. I love to use the voice recognition feature and the accent assesment. It really helps you to speak clearly.
Lessons are very well designed and it covers everything: pronunciation, grammar, reading, listening, vocavulary etc..
It's an excelent tool :)
Version 8.1 Great Product--but software flaws with Win XP 
2004-04-14
My daughter (age 12, and fixated on all things French) has been trying to learn French through a variety of media--workbooks and audiotapes, Muzzy videos, textbooks, none very stimulating--so I bought this CD for her to try.
First, let me start with the software itself: it was real discouraging when I first installed the French 8.1 Deluxe edition--kept getting error messages about MicServer Pass (error 26). Had to shut down probably 30 times the first few hours of use. Finally determined that there seemed to be some kind of conflict with other programs/graphics on my system--primarily a Japanese Hello Kitty screen saver installed. ALSO, I learned that you just can't click that mouse as fast as you'd like in the Play/Record mode, because if you click faster than, say, a 5 sec increment, the system freezes. I assume it's because the program just isn't developed enough to handle incoming audio recognition and cursor commands while simulataneously processing video/graphics/data transmission. Well, what do you expect, it didn't cost that much to begin with. So I have learned to slow my mouse clicking down a bit. In addition, I highly recommend you run AdAware, Spybot, and some kind of Utilities Clean-up/Fix program before installing this--and do what the installation instructions suggest, END all other programs running in the background. Finally, I would say that the less processes you have running while you are using this feature, the better!
About the program itself: I learned French in middle school, as well as 1 semester in college. (I also have a total of 3 years high school/college Spanish experience). So, based upon my knowledge of foreign languages, and the varieties of media I have used--the classroom, workbooks, textbooks, videos--I would say this software is the most entertaining method of learning a language. My daughter, who has NO foreign language experience, says this system of language learning works best for her, thus far.
This program--although not labeled so, take my word for it--is designed for conversational French. The strengths in this program are the French speakers and their pronounciation. Their phrases are short and to the point. In the beginning, the phrases are everyday phrases and the key to learning them is saying them over and over again; basically, MIMICRY [the accompanying 184-page reference book is just a written form of all the narrative you hear on the software, it is NOT a workbook or dictionary]. I told my daughter DO NOT RUSH through this, stick with the same lesson for at least a week. There are optional grammar notes for those interested or for those (like me) who never paid much attention to grammar exercises in school, but they are not the key to learning. After all, you don't see young children reading grammar books and they can speak quite well.
The voice recognition feature is not entirely accurate (I said ba-ba-ba-ba into the mic once and it gave me an excellent rating!) but it provides enough feedback so my daughter feels like she is making progress, mainly by copying the French speakers. It trains the ear to recognize French sounds.
As you go on in this program, you can pace yourself when things get a bit more challenging. Some of the phrases don't have much to do with everyday life, but they tend to teach the repetition/variation of common phrases over and over again, so it builds on the foundation. Using the program myself, I can determine where I am rusty. Also, I see my daughter decide (by herself and by the automatic scoring) where she needs to go back and review. The interactive functions--visual, written and verbal--really help reinforce what you've learned.
I would think that if one continued with the entire program and put as much effort into it as in a class--say, at least 1/2 hour a day up to 1 hour a day on weekends--then, by the end of the CD course one would be quite confident and fairly proficient at speaking and understanding spoken French, or the written level used by a daily newspaper in France.
Doesn't work with Windows NT or 2000! 
2002-10-26
purchased this to spruce up my pronunciation but found that this version doesn't work with Windows 2000; however, I've now ordered version 8.1 which, supposedly, does work on my platform and will write another review after I've received and tried it.
Pretty Good! 2002-02-27
It's a pretty good program over all and pretty easy to use!
Great for beginners or refresher course! 2002-01-01
I think the other reviewer who rated this item and gave it very few stars may have confused this with another french language program because this one does not come with an audio tape as you see above. Instead it's 4 dvd-roms that are just terrific. Real practise conversations using your microphone, lots of grammar information, pronunciation drills and quizzes. This software is terrific. I am looking forward to their new version which is coming out soon. I hope it includes onscreen flashcards and more extensive grammar drills, quizzes and help. That would be my only suggestion. For additionaly french grammar help I would highly suggest; "Essential French Grammar" by Seymour Resnick, "French Verb Drills" by R.de Roussy de Sales, and you will also find extremely helpful, "Pronounce it Perfectly in French" by Christopher Kendris, PH.D which was released by Barron's. Good Luck everyone!
Great tool to hone your accent 2001-11-14
Learn to Speak French 8.0 accomplishes the goals of having you speak and understand the language, by use of its speech-recognition technology. As you progress through the lessons you get the opportunity to test your pronunciation against a meter that tracks from "tourist" to "native speaker."
The program includes short Quick Time films that are narrated in French with both the French and English text of the narrative available onscreen. (You can turn off either or both text versions.) A printed book provides additional practice for all the topics included on the four CDs: vocabulary, grammar, speech, and narratives at different levels.
Anyone over the age of 10 can use the software, and installation is easy. In addition, you can download additional lessons from The Learning Company Web site, where there's access to personal tutoring and study aids. The program can certainly get you started and make it possible for you to communicate in French--if you use both the program and the workbook diligently. --Robert Frankland
Not a bad product, for its price. 2001-10-09
Bonjour!!!
I think that the price offered in this online store is fair. It includes pretty much everything you could ever need to get started. Within the first three months of using it I began to feel more comfortable, and I could hold small comversation with French people.
Au revoir.
evaluation of new software 
2001-10-01
Iam new customer, i am very interested to have this software entiltled " Learn to Speak French". For me to evaluate and/or review this product I would like to ship me a demo CD om my follwing address:
Tripoli, Libya
Waha Oil company-Planning Department
Po.box395
Ali.H.Alsudany
Disappointment 2001-09-28
This company claims to be able to teach 2 years of French by buying their CD. It sounds like a lot of fun having access to Internet lessons, study plan, pronunciation gauge. I have owned this CD for two years. This company keeps changing its website address thus rendering the software obsolete since the day I bought it. The pronunciation gauge works only sometimes and I have yet to be able to join in on any of the promised activities. I have contacted them and I am told to "be patient". Do not buy this!
Learn to Speak French 8.01 2001-07-13
It was easy to install but I could not run it until I called the support. I did not have the problems that I read others have had with talking to them. The girl I spoke with was very helpful, and walked me through editing the registry. The program is now running. I have not had too much time to use it, but what I have seen and used so far is great. This is a very easy to use program. They just need to get this error resolved so people don't have to call or visit thier web site to get it fixed.
