Learn Swedish Now! 9.0

Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: Hi I was an exchange student from the USA who went to Sweeden and was prepared for my trip because of this program. Before going to Sweeden I was able to learn a good amount of the Swedish language with Swedish Now which kept me from being left in the dark. While in Sweeden this program provided great review and practice so my language skills could improve and sound well. If you are intrested in learning a new language I would give this a try. It works well and I really enjoyed the interactive learning this program provided through games and other media. Being able to hear the words made my pronunciation much better and clearer. I was able to expand my vocabulary because of the sizeable content in the program. My experience with Swedish Now is nothing but good.

Rating:
Summary: Great for ALL
Review: I bought this product to try and learn Swedish on my own and it really is everything they say it is and more. The amount of actual Swedish language in the program you can learn is so large that it would take a great deal of time to learn it all. There are tons of conversation practices to learn from and even Interactive Video Conversations which through video, audio, and a microphone you can simulate a conversation with native speakers. To practice vocabulary and other aspects of Swedish language there are many games provided in the software. This software is really versatile because it is good for all skill levels and purposes (work, travel, education, ect.). I give my utmost recomendation to use this software for learning Swedish.

Rating:
Summary: Decent, but not the best product available
Review: I've been trying several different methods of learning Swedish: language CDs (Pimsleur), traditional book and tapes (PÃ¥ svenska!, ISBN 91-7434-429-3, not available on Amazon.com), computerized flashcards (Genius for Mac OS X), hiring a private tutor, Rosetta Stone software, and Swedish Now! software. Of these, I'd say the Swedish Now! software is good for reading and speaking practice only.

Swedish Now!'s primary teaching mode is non-structured and passive, as an interactive electronic textbook. You can read the titles in any order and click on any word or phrase to hear it spoken. You can record your voice and compare it against the native speaker's, and it can analyze your voice based on pitch, frictive, and vowel sounds (to varying degrees of success, but enough to make it useful). So the usage is completely open-ended (what they call the "Successful Immersion Approach"). For reading and pronunciation practice, there's no better tool.

However, for other aspects of language acquisition, there are better methods. Swedish Now! includes grammar documentation, but it's not well integrated with the main application. It also includes vocabulary and grammar quizzes and games, but they are quite limited and pale in comparison to learning from books and software like Genius or Rosetta Stone.

Although the Macintosh version included in the box runs as a native "Carbonized" application on Mac OS X, it's an older version (8.1) that lags behind the advertised Windows version (9.0). It also has an ugly Mac OS 8-era interface that looks horribly outdated on Mac OS X. I've run into some other minor technical problems: The application help uses Apple's Help Viewer, but the grammar reference uses QuickHelp, which crashes often and won't print. Also, the Speech Correctness feature works with my built-in microphone, but doesn't work correctly with my higher quality iSight microphone. These technical problems, while frustrating, are not severe enough to prevent usability.

You have to have self-discipline to get anything out of this software. If you're willing to be your own teacher, it can provide an individualized medium for learning a new language. If you're in a hurry, I recommend the excellent Pimsleur language series (audio CDs) instead. If you want the best language self-instruction materials, I'd recommend skipping this product and using a combination of PÃ¥ svenska, Rosetta Stone, and a good dictionary.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: Swedish Now is an incredible piece of software. This is a really good way to learn a language and this software takes advantage of everything technology has to offer in regards to language learning. It uses video, has extremely detailed audio features (you can listen to every Swedish word in the program), and uses voice analysis technology to help correct your pronunciation. When you get bored learning or feel you need to practice the Swedish you know before moving on there are some really fun and intresting games to help you practice. My impressions of Swedish Now is that it is well worth the buy and it will help you learn to speak Swedish.

Rating:
Summary: Unique teaching method, some technical issues
Review: The Macintosh version included in the box is an older version (8.1), lagging behind the advertised Windows version (9.0). While I'm thrilled it runs as native "Carbonized" application on Mac OS X, I've run into a few minor glitches: 1) The application help uses Apple's Help Viewer, but the Swedish grammar reference uses QuickHelp, which crashes often and won't print. 2) The cool Speech Correctness feature works with my PowerBook G4's built-in microphone, but doesn't work correctly with my higher quality iSight microphone. 3) The user interface looks horribly outdated when running in Mac OS X's Aqua interface.

That said, this is the best language software I've seen on a computer. Yes, it includes canned quizzes and games, vocabulary and grammar tutorials, just as you'd expect from educational computer software. However, its primary teaching mode is non-structured and passive, as an interactive digital textbook. It took me a while to understand this. You can read the titles in any order and have it speak any word or phrase. Using your computer's microphone, you can record your voice and compare it against the native speaker's. But it can also analyze your voice based on pitch, frictive, and vowel sounds (to varying degrees of success, but enough to make it useful). So, the usage is completely open-ended (what they call the "Successful Immersion Approach"). In a way, this is better than human instruction. I sat there trying to nail the pronunciation of a phrase, repeating it over and over, and I thought: a human would never be so patient! The reward comes not from flashing "congratulations, you passed this quiz!" at your face, but from within yourself as you experience the joy of entering a foreign language with software "training wheels."

The technical problems on the Mac version, while frustrating, are not severe enough to prevent usability.

You have to have self-discipline to get much out of this software. If you're willing to be your own teacher, it provides a deep and individualized medium for learning a new language. However - if you're in a hurry, I recommend the excellent Pimsleur language series (audio CDs) instead. And if you're looking for comprehensive traditional instruction, I'd recommended a book and CD series called "På svenska!", ISBN 91-7434-429-3 (not available on Amazon.com).

Rating:
Summary: Unique teaching method, some technical issues
Review: The Macintosh version included in the box is an older version (8.1), lagging behind the advertised Windows version (9.0). While I'm thrilled it runs as native "Carbonized" application on Mac OS X, I've run into a few minor glitches: 1) The application help uses Apple's Help Viewer, but the Swedish grammar reference uses QuickHelp, which crashes often and won't print. 2) The cool Speech Correctness feature works with my PowerBook G4's built-in microphone, but doesn't work correctly with my higher quality iSight microphone. 3) The user interface looks horribly outdated when running in Mac OS X's Aqua interface.

That said, this is the best language software I've seen on a computer. Yes, it includes canned quizzes and games, vocabulary and grammar tutorials, just as you'd expect from educational computer software. However, its primary teaching mode is non-structured and passive, as an interactive digital textbook. It took me a while to understand this. You can read the titles in any order and have it speak any word or phrase. Using your computer's microphone, you can record your voice and compare it against the native speaker's. But it can also analyze your voice based on pitch, frictive, and vowel sounds (to varying degrees of success, but enough to make it useful). So, the usage is completely open-ended (what they call the "Successful Immersion Approach"). In a way, this is better than human instruction. I sat there trying to nail the pronunciation of a phrase, repeating it over and over, and I thought: a human would never be so patient! The reward comes not from flashing "congratulations, you passed this quiz!" at your face, but from within yourself as you experience the joy of entering a foreign language with software "training wheels."

The technical problems on the Mac version, while frustrating, are not severe enough to prevent usability.

You have to have self-discipline to get much out of this software. If you're willing to be your own teacher, it provides a deep and individualized medium for learning a new language. However - if you're in a hurry, I recommend the excellent Pimsleur language series (audio CDs) instead. And if you're looking for comprehensive traditional instruction, I'd recommended a book and CD series called "PÃ¥ svenska!", ISBN 91-7434-429-3 (not available on Amazon.com).