Before You Know It Deluxe Multi Language :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

Great program for those who prefer flashcard method.

2006-03-08
This program uses the flashcard method of teaching vocabulary four ways. Words and phrases are divided into lists by category. User selects a list then goes to the activity of choice to learn the contents of that list. There are a few more activities available in the Deluxe version that the free trial version doesn't have, but both versions use virtual flashcards the following way:

Step 1 - Look at the foreign word and take a guess (out loud or in your head - it doesn't matter because the software trusts you to tell it if you answered correctly). The program will also say the word so you know the proper pronunciation.

Step 2 - Look at the foreign word and type in it in English in the space provided. Here you don't get to cheat, because it can tell if your correct or not. The ones you need work on will repeat more often.

Step 3 - Look at the English word and guess the foreign one. Again, it will trust you to be honest.

Step 4 - Look at the English word and type in the foreign one. This has been the most helpful of all the steps for me, because not only do I have to know the word by now, I have to know how to spell it correctly and include any necessary accent marks.

All of the above you can get with the basic version of Before You Know It that is available to download for free via the internet, just as the other reviewer here mentioned. I agree with him/her that you should try it out before you purchase the deluxe version.

With the deluxe version, you get more four more activities which include multiple choice, pronunciation practice where you can record your voice and compare your pronunciation with a native speaker (warning: software does NOT include a microphone), and dictation (which is just a repeat of step 4 of the flashcard portion).

Also with the deluxe version, as mentioned by the other reviewer, you can load this software to a PDA or hand-held, as long as you have one with the proper specs. That would come in very handy for traveling or keeping busy during long waits at the doctor's office, etc.

My favorite thing about this software, though, and what made me go ahead and spend the money for the deluxe version, is the user's ability to customize the program in several different ways:
- User can add a word to any list. You just look up more words you want to know online or in a dictionary and add it to the appropriate category.
- User can delete any word from any list.
- User can copy any word from one list to another.
- User can edit any word in any list. This is handy when studying Spanish because you might want to change the translation from European to Latin American.
- User can create entire lists and categories of their own, add their own pictures and record their own voices to demonstrate the pronunciation of each word. You can create lists for anything you want to learn - not just languages.
- User can download additional, free lists from the Before You Know It website, including state capitals, periodic table of elements (chemistry), multiplication tables, and more. And you can sign up for the free "list of the week." Each week, a new list will be sent to you via email.

This software will help you master your foreign vocabulary and learn helpful phrases, but it does not teach the rules of grammar for these languages. You won't learn conjugation unless you look up the form of each word yourself and add it to their lists or create your own lists. The customizing possibilities for this are almost endless if you're willing and able to invest the time to do it. But what it comes with already installed is meant to simply increase your foreign vocabulary and, used alone, will not make anyone a fluent speaker.

Add your own is great but try free simpler version first

2005-08-16
This program provides a computer flash card system with foreign language vocabulary. You progress through a series of repetitive drills, first recognizing the foreign word, then responding with the typed English word, then seeing the English and recognizing the foreign language word, and finally typing the foreign word. It really does work; words you miss are repeated more frequently, and in my experience the relatively short, categorized vocabulary lists are easy to master.

The deluxe version adds multiple choice drills and a speech recognition function to check your pronunciation, as well as illustrations on the English side of some cards - you can add your own illustrations to the many cards that don't have them. But to me the most interesting part of the program is the ability to create your own lists to drill any subject you like - math, history facts, whatever - not just more foreign language vocabulary.

That said, the product is a bit pricey, especially considering a free simpler version can be downloaded at [...]. Try that first and see if you truly want the more varied features. And buyer beware - the Latin version available from the manufacturer is really ridiculously overpriced and has far fewer vocabulary words than the other languages, despite its deceptive description.

Try the free version, then consider if you want the other features on this one. It may be worth it to just have this many languages already set up in lists, with sound from native speakers. Don't buy it for the pictures - most of the cards don't have them. And try before you buy.