I've gone through Sessions 1-8 so far in Level 1 Spanish (Latin America) and I feel that this is the best possible way to learn a language on your own. The videos are broken down into wonderfully manageable sections, the 'instructor' is incredibly clear and helpful in her explanations (and it somehow feels like she's right there in the room with you), and the exercises are interesting and effective. I have been covering one to two sessions per week using the DVDs (it takes me about an hour to an hour and a half to get through one session). Then I do the online flashcards throughout the week to keep the material fresh. I work with many native Spanish speakers and every week I go in to work with something new to say to them. They are very impressed with what I'm learning and this is such an enjoyable activity for me.

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I can't wait to get through all the DVDs and be able to talk to my co-workers and customers fluently! There is no doubt in my mind that this system works!! I am learning German because my son decided he wanted to learn.

I did loads of research before buying anything and loved the Fluenz demo. I decided to buy it for myself because it was so affective, and fun. I never expected to use it with my son, as he is not in the intended age range, but he tried it and also loves it. The lessons are so well presented and easy to follow without 'dumbing down', and the workouts are so good at reviewing new and old information without becoming repetitious and tedious, that my son and I are having no problems learning German with Fluenz. We look forward to our time with Fluenz everyday, and seeing Nora and Sonia again. It sounds silly, but having real people talking to us, even on a prerecorded video, makes everything feel so personal and encouraging, and makes understanding and retaining the information presented much easier than reading it out of a book or off a computer screen. The accompanying Audio CDs and free Podcasts are a nice addition, especially for strengthening aural comprehension skills, and have the same personal feel of the lesson videos.

And the free online Flashcards are ideal for long-term retention and understanding. We love Fluenz! I am learning German because my son decided he wanted to learn. I did loads of research before buying anything and loved the Fluenz demo. I decided to buy it for myself because it was so affective, and fun. I never expected to use it with my son, as he is not in the intended age range, but he tried it and also loves it.

The lessons are so well presented and easy to follow without 'dumbing down', and the workouts are so good at reviewing new and old information without becoming repetitious and tedious, that my son and I are having no problems learning German with Fluenz. We look forward to our time with Fluenz everyday, and seeing Nora and Sonia again. It sounds silly, but having real people talking to us, even on a prerecorded video, makes everything feel so personal and encouraging, and makes understanding and retaining the information presented much easier than reading it out of a book or off a computer screen. The accompanying Audio CDs and free Podcasts are a nice addition, especially for strengthening aural comprehension skills, and have the same personal feel of the lesson videos. And the free online Flashcards are ideal for long-term retention and understanding.

We love Fluenz! I rarely write reviews but I had to for Fluenz Spanish. They have hit language instruction for adults dead on. I have been struggling with Spanish on and off since high school.

French Numbers

I learn a little, lose interest in the learning method, and never get past the basics. As a police officer I feel I should have functional Spanish conversational skills and the 'should' is turning into 'need' every year, both to serve others and also to protect myself. I had tried Rosetta in the past and it was OK, but after several weeks I felt I had not learned anything useful.

Honestly, I got good at understanding a little and guessing the rest. After a renewed commitment to learn Spanish for good, I researched my options and decided to try Fluenz. GOOD CHOICE!!

The style of teaching is easy, builds upon itself, and drills down on both learning and retention. I committed to treat this like a college class and do one session, plus review the last session, 4-6 times a week. I have learned and retained more than through any other self instruction method. If you have tried others and have given up - TRY THIS!! I was considering a Rosetta Stone purchase but went with this product because of all the great reviews. I watched the free tutorial on Fluenz's website and ordered it immediately.

After studying in Rome for a year in college (2001), I tried to keep up with the language but had trouble just reading the words in textbooks or trying to get together with groups of native speakers to practice. I was hesitant to spend so much money but I figured it cheaper than signing up for another class and easier to do in my free time because I could set up the computer anywhere, anytime. When I completed disc 1+2 of Fluenz after 3 months (breezed through because I'm not a beginner), the rules of grammar made even more sense and I spoke better than I ever had. I am constantly thinking in Italian now and constructing better sentences.

I already have a wide knowledge of vocabulary (which is limited on the discs but that's what an Italian/English dictionary is for) so it's easy to exchange one word for another from the basic sentence structure the discs provide. I'm excited to complete the next three discs. I read great things about customer service and find them all true. They have been very attentive.

I visit the commons frequently to practice flashcards and find that helpful too. My only complaint is that this program didn't exist a decade ago when I was actually living in Rome! UPDATE: Just finished disc 3 after 1 year (total from starting with disc 1). Love the program.

Can't say enough good things about it. Very effective way to learn a language although I still need to push myself further by signing up for a conversation class at a local college to practice what I've learned.

I always had a mental block learning romance languages but found germanic languages a bit easier for me. After I resolved that I needed to learn some Spanish, I did some research and ultimately decided on Fluenz. I have not regretted it. The mental block I had with Romance languages in a traditional class lessons or Rosetta Stone was overcome with Fluenz's method. I found it a lot easier to remember words and concepts, which I attribute to the 'jump in and start practicing' approach. We all learning different. Fluenz has worked well with me and helped me overcome the issues I've had with Spanish.

I will also note that I rank Fluenz's customer service very highly. They're a small company but their response time is usually faster than some of the larger companies I've dealt with.

They work with you to resolve any issues. Also, upgrades to the software are included in the purchase price. As a consumer, these polices make me more comfortable recommending the software to other people. I've been using this product for a few weeks and find it very helpful. I did a lot of research of Fluenz versus Rosetta Stone and decided to go with Fluenz because of my learning style. It is very interactive and makes it enjoyable to learn.

You're not just sitting there looking at words then finding out what they mean. They have videos, practice converstations where you hear the conversation in Spanish, then see the conversation in Spanish with english subtitles. It hammers in words by using different methods, visual, typing, matching English with Spanish phrases. I've been using it on a Mac and PC (can install on up to 3 computers) and have had no problems with the software yet, although I'm only in Lesson 1. The main lady in the video can be a little annoying with her talking so much about how great the program is. But she's still effective nevertheless.

There are hours and hours and hours of videos and they are done professionally with nice subtle background music rather than have everything quiet. It also allows you to speak back and record how you say the words which was interesting in playing the recording. I'd highly recommend this product for anyone that's serious about learning Spanish.

I've taken Spanish since 8th grade. Now, I'm in a field of work that has me moving to Costa Rica and Bolivia for 2.5 years. I need more Spanish! I was reluctant to purchase the software after knowing some Spanish already, but needing some help. But I have to say, I love this!!

The way the lessons are set up make it so easy to follow along. Everything is practical (which is what I need)! Basics are thrown in to every lesson, but the meat of the material are the things adults need to know and use.

For example, rather than spending a lesson on animals, colors, foods, and other nouns Fluenz teaches taxi services, hotels, business, phone conversations, dining. And by learning those things you learns colors, foods, and animals but in a more practical way with scenarios. This product was definitely worth the money. I had only used the Berlitz software before this and though that software has a lot of tools, you never really feel like you're grasping anything. Fluenz, on the other hand, is very engaging and teaches you the language from the ground up. Lessons are all listed in numerical order so you won't get confused about where to begin. Each lesson begins with a basic conversation that increases in difficulty with each segment.

Sophia, the program tutor, then breaks down the conversation so that you learn not only vocabulary, but sentence structure as well. What's interesting is that you see her sitting there explaining things to you as opposed to just listening to a voice. It's a very important aspect of the program that's sure to keep the user engaged. I would definitely recommend this to a friend. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS To use English or not to Teach a Foreign Tongue?

Fluenz says yes, trumps Rosetta Stone. By Deborah Yao AP Business Writer Manarola, Italy July 21, 2010 (AP) DIFFERENCES IN APPROACHES: Rosetta Stone believes in fully immersing the student in the language, without using any English to explain phrases. Fluenz believes adults learn best when they can relate the grammar and syntax of a foreign language to the structure of the tongue they already know.

THE VERDICT: Fluenz's approach is much better. Hearing English while going through Italian words helps with learning and retention. On a trip through southern Italy years ago, I was embarrassed to discover that all along, I had been mispronouncing 'tabacchi' — tobacco shops that sell bus tickets and other sundry.

I'd been saying 'ta-ba-chee' rather than 'ta-ba-kee' until a storekeeper impatiently corrected me. Determined not to make the same faux pas, I brushed up on Italian using two language-lesson programs ahead of my visit to Cinque Terre and Tuscany in early July. I found the Fluenz software from a relatively new company by that name better than the venerable Rosetta Stone Totale program. The two programs had opposite approaches. Rosetta Stone Ltd.' S software believes in fully immersing the student in the language, without using any English to explain phrases.

By contrast, Fluenz believes that while full immersion might work with children, adults don't learn languages as instinctively. Fluenz believes that adults learn best when they can relate the grammar and syntax of a foreign language to the structure of the tongue they already know — in my case, English. I like Fluenz's approach much better. I like the comfort of hearing English as I go through Italian words, to help me pronounce them and understand what they mean. Fluenz helped me make the word associations I needed to learn the language faster. For instance, in learning the word 'lui,' which means 'he,' the smiling female instructor on the computer screen told me to think of a guy named 'Louis.' The instructor also gave tips on how to pronounce Italian properly.

For 'Sandra,' which is pronounced 'sun-drah,' she told me to open up my mouth for the first syllable. These were the tips and mental bridges to the Italian language that were missing in Rosetta Stone. Rosetta Stone's lessons used all Italian words and sentences, which you match to pictures — of a woman eating or children reading. This approach worked well initially, until it got to more complex sentences and phrases. I'm still not sure what some of them meant.

The look and feel of both programs also differs. Fluenz used the video of a friendly instructor to welcome me to the program and ease me into the lessons. Rosetta Stone went straight to the lessons, which might be fine for some folks, but I felt a bit rushed. Both programs offer language exercises after each lesson to pin down what you've learned. There were a variety of tests: You match Italian words to the pictures or type in the words yourself, among others.

You weren't graded but the programs tell you if you've made an error. Rosetta Stone also offers the option of talking to a native speaker for no additional cost. There are group sessions you can join throughout the month. You pick an online meeting time that's convenient for you. But both programs fall short in failing to introduce conjugation and grammatical rules, so that I could construct my own sentences. Perhaps it's just my preference, but as a speaker of Tagalog, Taiwanese and English, I'm not satisfied with simply memorizing sentences as I've had to with Rosetta Stone and Fluenz. It boils down to why I take these lessons.

For a casual tourist or business executive, memorizing a smattering of phrases is probably good enough. For more serious linguists, there's no substitute for a formal Italian lesson.

I fall somewhere in between. Rosetta Stone Totale costs S999 for a year. Lessons can be accessed online through RosettaStone.com, and the price includes audio CDs and a headset to practice five levels of Italian on the go.

There is no software to download. Rosetta Stone also makes cheaper sets available, without the language coach and a few other perks such as an online community of learners.

The one with all five levels costs S699. In this case, the software comes on CDs that you can buy online or in mall kiosks. Fluenz offers two levels of Italian for $357 combined. The program comes on DVDs and works on Windows XP, Vista or 7 and on Mac OS X 10.3 or higher. Besides the DVDs, you get an audio CD to review what you've learned. Fluenz also has software for French, Spanish and Mandarin, while Rosetta Stone offers 30 other languages, including Swahili and Turkish. In the end, I had more fun learning Italian using Fluenz.

The software's female instructor introduced each lesson and sought to evoke the excitement of Italy by sharing imagery such as sitting in an Italian class in Milan near the Duomo, or cathedral. Such mental motivation goes a long way toward keeping me interested in the lessons. She also encouraged users to keep learning by telling us we can do it: 'Italian is your friend,' she said. 'I hope you go to Italy soon.'