101 Languages of the World Reviewer's Comments

As the title indicates, 101 Languages of the World teaches 101 languages. As for English as a second language, this software teaches native Spanish speakers the basics of English.

Because this program has such a broad spectrum of languages, it doesn’t teach all of the aspects of any one language. If your native tongue is Spanish, 101 Languages will be beneficial; otherwise, look for a program that teaches in your native language.

Features Set:  

101 Languages of the World has a total of 50 hours of content that is designed to help beginner, intermediate and advanced students. The software uses images and a record, playback and compare feature to improve vocabulary and pronunciation.

Some useful features that are missing include a glossary, word processing converter and instruction in more languages.

Fundamentals:  

Though this is a simple program, we found it to be effective in all of the fundamental areas we examined except one. Some of these areas include speech recognition, reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar. The software doesn’t teach any cultural aspects of English speaking countries.

Ease of Use:  

This program is designed to teach native Spanish speakers English; however, a lot of the program is still in English including tab names, buttons and directions. This might be confusing for a Spanish speaker that knows little or no English.

The program is easy to navigate and the teaching material is organized in tabs including Theater, Reading, Activities, Pronunciation and Conversation.

Effectiveness:  

This program uses some proven teaching methods like repetition and audio and visual material. If your native language is Spanish, this would be an effective program to learn the basics of English.

Ease of Installation/Setup:  

We didn’t have any problems during the installation or setup of the software. In order to use the record, playback and compare feature, you will need headphones and a microphone.

Technical Help/Support:  

101 Languages of the World has a tutorial that will teach you how to use the software. You can find answers to your common questions in the FAQs. If you have further questions, you can contact Transparent Language through phone and email.

Summary:  

101 Languages of the World offers a broad overview of 101 different languages including English. If you want a more in-depth study of English, read the reviews on the Tell Me More programs, the ESL software we ranked #1 and #2.