French Language Software, Vocabulary Program, Home Study Course » Language Software Info http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org The best software to learn French. Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:00:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 French Language Learning Software – When You Really Need to Learn French Quickly http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/french-language-learning-software-when-you-really-need-to-learn-french-quickly http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/french-language-learning-software-when-you-really-need-to-learn-french-quickly#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 00:38:08 +0000 If you need to learn French quickly, French language learning software is difficult to beat. In fact about the only thing faster would be intensive one-to-one French lessons. Personal lessons are without doubt the best option but the are potentially severe drawbacks. First you have to find a good teacher – not always easy. Then you have to fit them in with your schedule. Then there’s the cost – considerable for private tuition.

If you don’t need to learn French fast then you can start by looking at those sites that offer learning French for free. There are plenty of them about, and while some are a bit annoying with the amount of advertising they throw at you, there are others which provide really useful content.

The trouble is, even the best have a limited range of useful information. If you want to learn French to a high standard it’s very difficult with the kind of unstructured free French lessons that you find on the internet. Some of these sites do a very good job of providing useful phrases for all kinds of situations but they aren’t going to be able to teach you fluent French quickly.

Free sites are good for a bit of fun – for French that might get you a cup of coffee or a train ticket. Conversational French requires a more structured and comprehensive approach.

I’m not for an instant suggesting that French language learning software is dull. Far from it. If you’re going to learn French quickly it needs to be engaging, involving and entertaining. If it bores you you’ll get nowhere fast! Modern French teaching systems take advantage of many of the benefits of your computer to provide sound, interactive role play and advanced memory techniques so you can make rapid progress.

There are other advantages. When you compare French downloads with the French language CDs you’ll notice that the downloads will give you big savings. Over 50% in some cases. Cost shouldn’t be the defining factor when you are looking for the best system, but it does no harm when the best doesn’t mean the most expensive! There’s also accessibility. Find your French software, download it, start learning. No waiting for the mail, just get going. Some of the better ones even offer money back guarantees.

If you’re not in any hurry, try the free French lessons online. Explore a bit and find the good ones. If you really want to learn French quickly you need to spend a few bucks and find good French language learning software.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/french-language-learning-software-when-you-really-need-to-learn-french-quickly/feed 0 Is the Michel Thomas French Course the Right Choice For You? http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/is-the-michel-thomas-french-course-the-right-choice-for-you http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/is-the-michel-thomas-french-course-the-right-choice-for-you#comments Thu, 20 May 2010 01:42:21 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/is-the-michel-thomas-french-course-the-right-choice-for-you Have you become frustrated with your efforts to learn French? Have you invested in text books, online courses or even classroom-based French lessons but not achieved the results you were looking for? I know exactly how you feel as I was in the same situation but I’ve found a solution in the Michel Thomas French Course. However, the Michel Thomas Method is quite unconventional and may not be for everybody…but is it right for you?

Read on to find out.

The Michel Thomas French Foundation course consists of 8 hours of audio on CD or in downloadable audiobook format. The course features the world renowned language teacher and psychologist Michel Thomas teaching French to two students. You become the third student in the classroom. The theory behind Michel Thomas’s method is to help you to learn French as you learnt your native language.

1. You’ll love it if you’re lazy like me!

Think back to when you were learning French in school. Did you enjoy the lessons or did you find them to be boring and repetitive? I didn’t enjoy them at all but I found the Michel Thomas French course completely different. One of Michel’s rules is that you do not memorise anything (so no parrot-style repetition here!), you do not write anything down and you do not use textbooks. Just relax, listen to the course and speak aloud in French. Trust me, you will rediscover how enjoyable learning can be this way!

2. I highly recommend it if you’re about to go to France on holiday or on a business trip

Now, of course you are not going to be fluent after only listening to 8 hours of audio material but what the Michel Thomas French course gives you is the confidence to speak. In my opinion Michel is an excellent teacher and he really takes the fear and complication out of learning French. After completing the course, you will want to approach French natives in order to test out and practice your new language skills.

3. Reasons it may not be the right choice for you

The Michel Thomas French course may not be right for you if you prefer more conventional language learning methods such as textbooks, slideshows, repetition, note-taking, etc. The methods used are nothing like you would have been taught in school so if you’re not open to trying something different it may not be suitable for you.

Also, if you’re looking for an audio course that you can listen to whilst driving in the car then this is not suitable due to the need to pause the recording at regular intervals whilst you think through and speak aloud your answers.

To conclude, I love this course. For me it’s made learning French fun, something which I never thought was possible. I actually find it quite addictive and have since moved on to the advanced course and am continuing to practice and improve my French. I hope it works for you too!

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/is-the-michel-thomas-french-course-the-right-choice-for-you/feed 0 Is the World Becoming Spanish Speaking? http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/is-the-world-becoming-spanish-speaking http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/is-the-world-becoming-spanish-speaking#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 23:50:03 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/is-the-world-becoming-spanish-speaking Learning Spanish is necessary to keep pace with popular culture as Hispanic influence on culture in the world is strong and is increasing.

Stimulating the brain, by learning languages for example, reduces your chances of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. Multilingualism enhances mental abilities in people. It can improve your memory and slow age-related decline. Studying languages makes you smarter! Your reasoning skills improve as you learn to view things through a different aspects. Learn a second language as it stimulates creativity.

Who does not enjoy eating good food, listening to good music, reading books or watching movies. Learning a language will be one of the most satisfying and enjoyable things you can do. Whatever your reason: Intellectual, sentimental, Practical, learning Spanish is something that you will enjoy and will benefit you for a long time to come.

Travelling to a Spanish speaking country and only speaking English, will confine you to popular tourist resorts where most speak some English. If you speak Spanish you will find yourself being welcomed in a way that would never happen if you spoke only English as Spanish people are very hospitable.

If you study Spanish you will understand English better. Spanish is derived from Latin, the language of the ancient Roman Empire. Many English words are also of Latin origin. When you learn vocabulary in Spanish you will expand your English vocabulary. The grammar of Spanish is similar to English, but you will learn how it is different. You can look at almost any word and immediately know exactly how to pronounce it. Spanish is very nearly phonetically perfect. This makes Spanish one of the easiest languages to learn. Learning a third language eg French, Italian, will be easier knowing Spanish will as these languages are also Romance Languages.

So to Learn Spanish Language for business is a must.

You can better communicate with Spanish speaking business people, employees and co-workers. More than 360 million people whose mother tongue is Spanish is a potential customer for your product or service? In The United States of America and Canada. The fastest-growing market segment is Hispanic consumers. If you are multilingual, you have more career choices and are more marketable and than your monolingual adversary.

With more than 410 million people speaking Spanish, it is the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world. English, Mandarin and Hindi have more speakers. Spanish outranks English as a native language. Spanish is the mother tongue in 21 countries. It is an official language on four continents and. The rate of growth and number of Spanish speaking people makes learning Spanish essential. Only English is more popular in Europe than Spanish. There are nearly 40 million Spanish speaking in the United States. With the big growth of the population (over 40%) being among the Hispanic people, a big increase in Spanish usage in the United States is imminent. A Lot of interest exists among US citizens. This interest will only grow as the Hispanic population of the United States reaches 50 million over the next five years.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/is-the-world-becoming-spanish-speaking/feed 0 4 Resources Where You Can Learn to Speak and Write French http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/4-resources-where-you-can-learn-to-speak-and-write-french http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/4-resources-where-you-can-learn-to-speak-and-write-french#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 14:47:39 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/4-resources-where-you-can-learn-to-speak-and-write-french With all the choices out there, which ones are best to learn how to speak and write French? The four resources chosen here have special benefits and features which make them stand out from the crowd. Rosetta Stone has to be the top pick, mainly because it has a solid reputation for those trying to learn foreign languages. It is user friendly and learn through both written and oral French language lessons. Mispronounce a word? Rosetta Stone will catch that as well and uses a type of instruction called immersion, the next best thing to living in France and picking up the language firsthand.

My Languageexchange.com has been featured in Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine and allows users to talk to someone who is from France or speaks the language very well. The benefits of this resource are that students get to learn not only textbook French but slang terms and real language used by everyday people in France. This could be a huge benefit for anyone wanting to visit the country, work in French translation services or simply be able to read and write in French.

Other resources well worth checking out include Instant Immersion French and Tell Me More French Performance (version 9 is the most popular). The Tell Me More series is costly but offers 24/7 service online, like having a private French tutor. It also has at least 10,000 exercises, more than enough to keep any student learning as much of the French language as desired. Instant Immersion French adds several fun additions for those who want to learn how to speak and write French. These include an interactive DVD as well as a very cool, lively mystery game. In fact, there is a new game offered at every level and this particular French program can be individualized.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/4-resources-where-you-can-learn-to-speak-and-write-french/feed 0 Most Influential Cultures in Our Language http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/most-influential-cultures-in-our-language http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/most-influential-cultures-in-our-language#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 03:42:02 +0000 English, French, and Spanish cultures were the most influential, but subsequent groups of immigrants from other countries became equally as influential. The settlers interacted and mixed with non-English-speaking immigrants from other nations, and those unions developed and spread diverse accents across the United States.

Immigrants from the same country of origin often tended to cluster in specific geographic areas and thus contributed to the development of regional accents. Language and accents are always changing because of social, cultural, political, and economic influences, such as globalization and the transnationalism of the 21st century. In the United States, however, the myth persists of a nonaccented, standard English.

According to Lippi-Green, this relates to the way myths function to control people with superstition and fear. A standard view of English ignores the region, country, level of education, culture, religion, and socioeconomic class of the people who speak it. Standard English is understood as a uniform vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and pronunciation, often identified as “educated English.”

It is actually not any of those things. There is really no homogeneous or generic English accent, yet many people associate regional and national accents with negative stereotypes and bias constructs. Language teachers sometimes contribute to reinforcing these stereotypes by portraying “nonstandard” regional and national accents as belonging to categories of inferiority and superiority.

In business communities, people may adjust their accents in order to fit into the socially prescribed speech of a particular environment in which accents can be a burden or an advantage. For example, a person from the southern United States desiring to work in a law firm in New York City may adjust his or her accent in order to fit into the cultural context of New York City, as well as that of a corporate law firm.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/most-influential-cultures-in-our-language/feed 0 Five Reasons to Study Spanish – Why You Should Learn This Language http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/five-reasons-to-study-spanish-why-you-should-learn-this-language http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/five-reasons-to-study-spanish-why-you-should-learn-this-language#comments Sat, 24 Apr 2010 02:03:06 +0000 Each person might have different reasons to study Spanish, but one thing is the same with everyone who tries to learn this language – the lessons will be beneficial. After all, since when has learning a foreign language been a bad thing?

Some of the most common reasons to study Spanish and how doing so can benefit you are discussed in this report. So, if you’re still having second thoughts whether you should learn this language, here are some factors that can help you decide.

1. Your job or profession requires you to learn the language. For those whose job entails communicating with Spanish-speaking people, learning the language is an added advantage. You can’t rely on interpreters and in using gestures forever, you need to learn how to communicate with Spanish speakers on your own. Your environment will provide you with an advantage since you will be able to hone your verbal skills without having to look for a place where you can practice.

2. It will expand your personal knowledge and enhance your employment chances. If you’ve just graduated or in the process of looking for a job, knowing another language aside from your native one will definitely help you in looking for a high-paying and high profile job. Because of the globalized status of most industries, most employers are now looking beyond applicants’ academic degrees and are also considering other things that an applicant can offer to the company.

3. It’s fun. It would be great to be able to learn Spanish and converse easily with Spanish speaking groups and individuals. It will be cool and you will feel a certain self-worth if you can cope with different situations, even when you’re in foreign territory. It’s very gratifying to be able to understand other people who talk to you even though they don’t speak your native language.

4. You will be able to learn about a culture different from yours. Being able to speak Spanish will help you understand better the culture and customs of people who speak this language. It will be interesting and you might even find it useful if, in the future, you decide to visit a Spanish-speaking country or even move there permanently.

5. Spanish is a worldwide language. After English and French, Spanish is the next language used by majority of people around the world. From professionals to entertainers to regular people, this language has become a popular one, with more individuals deciding to learn it and use it as their primary language.

Your reasons to study Spanish might be different from those of another person; but one thing is for sure, you will greatly benefit from your decision to learn this beautiful language.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/five-reasons-to-study-spanish-why-you-should-learn-this-language/feed 0 How to Learn French in One Hour a Day – My Rocket French Review http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/how-to-learn-french-in-one-hour-a-day-my-rocket-french-review http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/how-to-learn-french-in-one-hour-a-day-my-rocket-french-review#comments Sat, 03 Apr 2010 02:38:58 +0000 I started learning French as a third language when I was 14. Ever since I started studying it, I fell in love with French. It’s just such a beautiful language and rolls off the tongue so nicely!

After I finished with school, I no longer had a tutor or classes to attend to be able to keep improving on- and learning french. I was of course not willing to give up learning it, so I had to find alternative ways. I knew that there were private tutors available who I could pay, but they were very expensive ($50 an hour) and if I was going to spend a few hours a week learning French, I would need to rob a bank to be able to afford that.

Another option was to move to a French-speaking country for a few months to learn the language, maybe get a French girl-friend too. However, this was not possible because I had my work, friends and family so I could not just leave the country.

I decided to buy a few French books and magazines and at the same time buy a learn french software program. I did some research online and found quite a few products for sale promising to offer fluent french within weeks. Some of these packages were close to $1000 which was a bit over my budget. My previous french teacher from high school recommended a product called Rocket French to me, and eventually this is what I ended up purchasing (for a very reasonable fee of $100).

I have been using it a few days a week for the last two years and I am really happy with my results and with that purchase. I know that many people will say that it is not possible to learn a language from home or from a computer software program, but I am telling you otherwise.

Whatever language it is that you have been wanting to learn since you were little, all you need to do it make the decision to do it. You need a software language program and you need one hour a day, that is all. Don’t sit around wishing that you could afford a tutor or that you could go and live in another country.

Taking action is the step that you need to make, today.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/how-to-learn-french-in-one-hour-a-day-my-rocket-french-review/feed 0 Choosing a French Learning Environment – It's All About People http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/choosing-a-french-learning-environment-its-all-about-people http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/choosing-a-french-learning-environment-its-all-about-people#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:45:26 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/choosing-a-french-learning-environment-its-all-about-people What’s in a French learning environment?

If you want to start learning French… well first of all, good for you! It’s a great language, it’s my language, I love it, and it offers many hidden treasures. But I digress.

If you want to start French, a good idea is to start setting up a learning environment. Thanks to our technology-driven world, this environment can contain a variety of tools to help you get better at French:

French Books. Yes, books. Kids, those are the dust-gathering, non-interactive things made of paper in that old building called a li-bra-ry. Remember, paper? Yes, sometimes books are a great way to discover new language, new cultures, new worlds. Give it a try, but choose wisely. We’ll come to that in a minute.

French Audio resource: CDs and podcasts: My German teacher used to tell us that “every language is a music, every mouth is an orchestra”. Let’s practice: listen, repeat what you heard. Try again. And again. And again, until you accent improves, just like a musician does scales every day. Audio resources are great for that kind of French learning.

French Video / Video podcasts (or vlogs): Moving pictures are great, as they can give us so much extra information about what’s going on in the story – super useful for vocabulary. Extra context always helps. Plus, it’s like watching TV, only the smart way.

French learning software: even more context, audio text, interactivity, the whole shebang!
Interactive software is a great tool for learning and practising French.

Learning is all a big conversation anyway

All these tools are great, but think about it: in the end, it’s just all about people talking together. From French learning books to software, these are all tools for human communication, after all. It might be a conversation across geographical boundaries, across time even, it might be directed, formalised, toward a specific goal, but in the end, it’s just a conversation after all.

So, when building your learning environment, consider that you’re actually going to listen and speak with people, not just practice with objects and information.

Who do you want to talk to? What sort of personality does that spanking new French learning software have? Does it even have a personality? What about that book? Does it seem like the people who wrote it had fun, or did they just put something together for money, without thinking about who they wanted to talk to (you)?

Do you really want to practice with a system built by people who don’t care about you and your needs?

By thinking about learning French in terms of a conversation, and choosing your French learning environment accordingly, you will maintain motivation, maybe meet actual people, your learning will be more efficient and natural, and you’ll have great fun.

PS: for information, a few good French learning podcast are learn French with Alexa, the FrenchPodClass, and Easy French Poetry.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/choosing-a-french-learning-environment-its-all-about-people/feed 0 Where is Italian Spoken? Just Italy? http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/where-is-italian-spoken-just-italy http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/where-is-italian-spoken-just-italy#comments Sat, 27 Mar 2010 08:51:01 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/where-is-italian-spoken-just-italy Everyone knows that Italian is spoken in Italy. Many people learn Italian, insinuating it’s a popular enough language that must be spoken in more than just Italy. Otherwise, why would so many people want to speak Italian if just one country spoke it? Right? So, where is Italian spoken? In some countries is has been declared a national language, but many other courtiers have a strong presence of Italian speakers, making it useful to know the language.

A “national language” usually refers to a language that has government recognition for being the country’s official language. Some countries do declare more than one language to be the official language. Italian is the official language of

Italy
Switzerland
San Marino
Vatican City
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Croatia (Istria County)
Slovenia (Istria)

This doesn’t mean Italian is the only language allowed in these countries. It just means the government sees Italian as a widely spoken language and should be recognized for it.

Where is Italian spoken besides where it is declared the official language?

There are noticeable immigrant communities (sometimes called ‘little Italy’) and descendants in Canada, United States, Argentina, Australia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Brazil, Germany, France, Belgium, United Kingdom, Luxembourg and Monaco that all speak Italian. Other countries that people are known to speak Italian in are Libya, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Greece.

Where is Italian spoken right around the country of Italy?

Some African nations have given official status to the Italian language, as they were once colonies of Italy, but hardly anyone speaks Italian in these countries. Italian never spread in Africa mostly due to the colonial period being too brief to have any real impact on the African culture. This is similar to how few Vietnamese speak French even though Vietnam is a colony of France.

Italian is spoken in the southern region of Switzerland, along the Italian border. Many Swiss learn Italian as a second language, but also be aware that there are many places in Switzerland where Albanian is more widely understood than Italian since many people emigrated from Albania.

As you can see, there a many other places besides Italy where people speak Italian. This goes to show how truly global the world is becoming. National languages could be a thing of past since some countries are so diverse that they haven’t even declared one. One could even say asking where is Italian spoken today is a mute point because Italian speakers are virtually everywhere thanks to easily attainable overseas travel and the internet.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/where-is-italian-spoken-just-italy/feed 0 8 Tips For Speaking With a French Accent http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/8-tips-for-speaking-with-a-french-accent http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/8-tips-for-speaking-with-a-french-accent#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:13:47 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/8-tips-for-speaking-with-a-french-accent The top 8 things to think about when doing a French accent.

You never know when a credible French accent is going to come in handy. This woman found that it helped boost her sales. Follow these steps and you’ll sound like a Parisian in no time at all.

1 The first step of learning a French accent is to learn how to pronounce the R-sound. Think of it like this: Imagine you have a hair stuck in the back of your throat and you’re trying to get it out. How would you sound? Hrrr, hrrr, hrrr. That’s a sharp, “aggressive” sound, so you need to take away the “H” in front, to make the R soft-sounding. It will sound almost like gargling. If you know how Spaniards pronounce J, you’re onto something. Not the Mexican way of saying J which is almost the equivalent of an English H sound. The Spanish J is too harsh and sharp though, so remember to soften it.

2 Time and again, the French (and many others) prove unable to pronounce the English “th”-sound. Now, there are two TH-sounds in English: The TH in “there” or “though” is soft, while the TH in “with” or “think” is more sharp. Make sure you understand this difference in English. The French pronounce the TH-sound in “there” as a Z or even sometimes DZ: “Dzere are no more bananas”. The sharp TH, the one in ‘thing” and “theater”, is often just pronounced without the H: “I tink I can do anyting”.

3 Remember that in French, the stress is almost always on the LAST syllable, not second to last which is common in English or Spanish. So instead of saying “remember”, say “remember”. Also, extend the E’s if they are in the last syllable of a word: “remembehr”. If pronounced with a French accent, the word “remember” should rhyme more with “in the air” than with “surrender”. Get it? Good.

4 Where English speakers might say Ahh or Uhmm when they otherwise do not know what to say (e.g. while you are thinking), such as “I, uhmm, think you may have chlamydia”, the French would use their “Euh” sound (not pronounced like “eew, that’s gross”) Although there are no letters in English which represent this sound, it is comparable to the I in girl (which, when you think about it is very different from the I in, say, “fill”, which in turn is different from the I in “file”) or the O in “world” (which is different from the O in for instance “go”, or the O in “forty”). Try saying the words “world” and “girl” without pronouncing the whole word (i.e. stop after wo- and gi-). These two sounds are almost the same, right? That vowel which is represented by I in girl and O in world is the French way of saying something hesitantly.

5 The H is always silent. Words such as “hamper”, “honey” and “holiday” become “amper”, “oney” and “oliday”.

6 O is not rounded off like in English where you would pronounce it OH, but rather becomes a British English or New York AW. Americans would pronounce this AH (AH-some, AH-full), but the British would say AW-ful, like the O in “more”.

7 Make the I’s sound like EE’s. Thin becomes “theen”. Thin should rhyme with “mean”, not with “pin” as it otherwise would.

8 As a last note, the syntax, that is the structure of a sentence, is different in French from in English. In French, when you say “What did you do this weekend” you would say “Qu’est-ce que tu as fait ce weekend” which literally translates into “What is that which you have done this weekend?”. Obviously, this is complicated, even to the French themselves, so they colloquially would just say “T’as fait quoi ce weekend?”, which literally translates into “You have done what this weekend?” Notice that the verb “to do” comes before the person “you” in English, but after it in French. When it comes to questions, the French put the person first, then whatever the person does comes second, which is opposite of English. Thus, where an American might say “Have you done your homework?”, a Frenchman might say “You have done your homework?”

Let’s sum up by pronouncing a whole English sentence as a Frenchman with poor English skills would (syllable stress in bold): ” I have not remembered to do my homework for more than a month” becomes ” I ave not rememberd to do my omeweuhrk for more dzan a mont”

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/8-tips-for-speaking-with-a-french-accent/feed 0 Making the Most of French Translation Services http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/making-the-most-of-french-translation-services http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/making-the-most-of-french-translation-services#comments Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:11:25 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/making-the-most-of-french-translation-services French language has been one of the most popular official working languages of many international organizations like the United Nations, European Union and the Red Cross. Such widespread use of French by international organizations involves writing of business proposals and plans, holding meetings and arbitration in French language. With such ample operations involving French language, the need for a French language translator becomes very obvious and essential.

A professional French translator’s work is not merely performing English to French translation or vice versa. Perhaps there is much more to do and since the competition is very high in the translation service industry, a professional French translator needs to present something that looks very original, nice and at the same time professional. In addition to this, the translator must also capture the style, meaning, format and cultural tone of the source text. Consequently, there are many other factors that must be considered while selecting a French translation service provider, so that he or she meets your French language translation requirements.

First and foremost, make sure the French translator or French translation service provider you choose always take into account the various flavors of French language that is commonly used. For example, the standard French, which is generally known as ‘Parisian’ French is spoken by local communities whereas the French-Canadian format is popularly used for business operations in Canada. Therefore, the French language service provider that you select for your language conversion should be well versed with all variations of the language. They must deliver culturally appropriate content, which can be collectively understood by the entire French population or French business delegates.

Moving on, if you want to attract more customers towards your business you should make sure that the professional translation service provider has an ethical code of conduct. This is important because at times translator come across confidential documents or information, which they should never use against the client. Having said this, a professional French translator needs to be always well versed with the latest communication tools in order to stay ahead in this fast-moving technical world. While translating technical documents, it is very important for a translator to understand the specific target market or audience and then use French language accordingly.

Finally, professional French translators must always be ready to adapt to changes. If a translator stops learning, he/she might not be able to coupe with the progress made in the industry and thus will not be able to service clients efficiently. So, hire those professionals who have a good blend of business knowledge along with French language proficiency.

You can recognize a good French translation when you see it, but before you can see the translation, it is important that you choose the proper French translator or French translation service and finally make the most of it.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/making-the-most-of-french-translation-services/feed 0 Languages And Kids http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/languages-and-kids http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/languages-and-kids#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:51:50 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/languages-and-kids A child’s brain is like a sponge it soaks up information at an alarming rate. This is how a child can learn to speak different languages as early as they start to talk. If you should teach your kid to speak three or four different languages from birth, by the time they learned to talk they would have learned all three or four languages as fluently as they would one.

As a matter of fact there is an undocumented case of a girl in Russia Andrea Putoski back in 1938 was taught, by various family members and friends Russian, Mandarin, Spanish, English, French, Cantonese, Italian and Portuguese, and was fluent in all eight by the time she was 5. Now she was not a child prodigy or gifted with high intelligence, no, she was of a little over average IQ, a fairly regular child, who just so happened to have people around her at the time who were interested to find out just how many languages she could have learned, just for the fun of it.

The only reason a lot of our children don’t speak multiple tongues is simply due to the fact their parents and guardians responsible for them don’t speak multiple tongues. If brought up in such a situation a child would simply absorb the tongue effortlessly, just as they would with taking in one language. It would be nice and a easier world to live in if we all were taught several languages at birth, it would make for a more closely knit global society.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/languages-and-kids/feed 0 Learning a Language As an Adult – 5 Top Tips http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/learning-a-language-as-an-adult-5-top-tips http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/learning-a-language-as-an-adult-5-top-tips#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:51:24 +0000 It’s a well-known fact that adult learners of languages have a much more difficult time of it than children do, for the simple reason that children’s brains are far more malleable when it comes to language learning. In fact somewhere after the age of eleven, the native-language learning centre of the brain gets badly “fried” in the hormonal onslaught of puberty and an older teenager or adult can never recapture the ease with which children can learn a new language. Sad, but true.

A lot of foreign language teaching for adults centres round “conversation topics” or “learning verbs” but without context these techniques can be stultifying and it’s so important that adults keep their motivation to learn.

For example, what better way to get de-motivated than by a “conversation topic”? This technique might introduce you to eight greetings, all in lesson one; you know the sort of thing: “Hi! Hello! How are you? Nice to meet you! G’day! Good morning! Good afternoon! Good evening!” You hear and see these phrases repeatedly and then you practise them in role-play and (hopefully) remember them.

Or another great de-motivator, “learning verbs” might introduce you to, say, French irregular verbs by teaching the present indicative of aller – to go, all in one lesson; for example: “je vais – I go, tu vas – you (informal) go, il/elle va – he/she/it goes, nous allons – we go, vous allez – you (plural or formal) go, ils vont – they go.” Then you practise, or chant, the verbs by rote and (hopefully) remember them.

The trouble with both of these approaches is that this is not how language works or what it’s for. Language is a tool for communication. As a social tool, it strengthens relationships. As a practical tool, language gets you what you need and allows you to influence others. And it’s a tool which you learned as a small child as a complete package, exactly in the context in which you needed to use it.

So, recognising this difficulty for adults, here are my five top tips for learning a new language when you’re over the age of eleven.

1. Learn in a naturalistic context

Context is everything. Stories told in the new language are an ideal way to learn because they allow you to talk about realistic situations which develop in an natural way.

2. Learn a little bit at a time

Get a course which is structured to introduce you to the new language in a gradual and logical way. Overload is demoralising and de-motivating.

3. Give yourself plenty of mental “hooks” to hang the new vocabulary onto

Try to combine the sound and written shape of a new piece of vocabulary with a visual clue, such as a picture or actual object. This is rather like how you learned to speak in the first place and is one of the few childish things that survives into adult language learning.

4. Practise regularly

Little and often habituates the brain to the new language.

5. Practise in a structured way

If you’re trying to learn, say, a new part of the French verb: aller – to go, try to find a course which lets you practise using it in context until it feels natural and you produce it automatically, without having to think.

These five tips will help you learn a new language – and, crucially, internalise it. In fact, they’re some of the key principles on which Alcuin Languages courses are based.

Susan Valdar is the founder of Alcuin Languages, a specialist provider of Distance Learning, Home Study & Correspondence Language Courses for adults and teenagers based in Kent, UK.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/learning-a-language-as-an-adult-5-top-tips/feed 0 American Sign Language – Resources to Help You Learn ASL http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/american-sign-language-resources-to-help-you-learn-asl http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/american-sign-language-resources-to-help-you-learn-asl#comments Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:49:48 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/american-sign-language-resources-to-help-you-learn-asl American Sign Language is considered a natural and true language. A person who is able to speak ASL in addition to another natural true language such as English, Spanish, French, etc. is considered to be bilingual, just like any other person who speaks two languages. ASL classes are relatively easy to find. They are taught at many schools and universities across the country. Classes are also frequently found at community centers, churches and in some workplaces.

For people not able to attend sign language courses, there are many tools available to help them learn ASL on their own. Books and DVDs are great initial resources for anyone interested in learning sign language. Books that teach about ASL contain step-by-step photographs or illustrations detailing how to complete each sign. There are reference dictionaries with a multitude of hand signs, books written to help beginners learn to sign for the first time, as well as more advanced books for teachers and interpreters who are familiar with signing but want to stay abreast of the most current teaching methods. Signing Illustrated, by Mickey Flodin, is a popular book of beginning sign language. Unlike a dictionary of hand signs, this book is formatted by subject, not alphabetically. The idea is that it is simpler to learn new signs by category rather than learning them in alphabetical order. The index at the back of the book can be used to guide the reader to specific words as necessary.

Children often learn sign language more easily than adults. There are many books written specifically for children. These books typically contain finger signs for the alphabet and hand signs for everyday objects that are easily recognizable by the young reader. In addition to the many books directed towards children, there is an entire market of DVDs designed to help kids learn to sign in fun, interactive ways. A series titled, Signing Time, consists of thirty-minute DVD programs focused on a central theme. Children learn to sign while watching an engaging program on television.

Technological advances have thrust ASL learning opportunities into the Internet spotlight. Online websites offer free video dictionaries with models demonstrating each sign. Many sites offer teaching resources such as downloadable guides and worksheets and the ability to create personalized quizzes for students, all of which can be printed for use in the classroom. Some websites offer complete printable workbooks, lessons plans, and practice cards. as well as downloadable PowerPoint presentations. There are online communities with the goal of helping people studying ASL to find mentors to guide them. These sites have forums where people can discuss ASL learning methods, post information about local classes being offered, and look for support.

Each of the resources mentioned above can be easily obtained and utilized to help you learn to communicate using ASL. A superb supplement to these resources is a set of flash cards. Homemade or store bought, flash cards are one more useful tool to further your ASL skills. Flash cards can be used to help people of all ages become more familiar with hand signs. Cards typically have a photo of a person demonstrating an ASL sign on one side and the meaning and description of the hand and arm motions on the reverse side. Practicing with flash cards is an excellent method to help commit signs to memory.

For the tools you need to learn ASL, browse through our online sign language resources, and begin or continue your journey through the wonderful world of ASL.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/american-sign-language-resources-to-help-you-learn-asl/feed 0 It's So Easy to Learn French Fast – No Effort at All! http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/its-so-easy-to-learn-french-fast-no-effort-at-all http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/its-so-easy-to-learn-french-fast-no-effort-at-all#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:55:32 +0000 If you’ve decided to learn the language, then it stands to reason that you want to find out how to learn French fast!

And if you’ve spent some time surfing the Internet, you could be excused for thinking that you will be fluent in days, and be able to pass as a French citizen when you are going through immigration at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. That’s right – they promise no effort, no cost, and instant results!

But you know the truth. The reality is a little different. It takes time and practice to completely grasp any language, including French. And unless you are moving to France and will be able to immerse yourself for a few months, you will need invest in your learning. You have choices – classes, tutors, learning French online tools, etc.

With all the choices, it’s hard to decide how to proceed. Don’t let that stop you. Don’t be a procrastinator! Don’t let indecision turn into no decision.

I’m asked all the time what the best approach is. I’ve tried most of them. The answer depends on a lot of factors. Factors like how much time you have to spare each day, what your particular learning style is, and where you live. The first two are obvious. Where you live can also be a big factor. Do you have access to French speaking communities, or movie theaters showing French movies, or other French-themed events or venues?

This is important, because the most important aspect of learning a language is being able to simulate immersion. You need to hear the language being spoken. You need to participate in conversations.

My answer to the “best way” question is always the same. I tell people they have to develop basic conversation skills in the language as quickly as possible, and then use those basic conversation skills to develop their grasp of the language. You will not learn the language by simply studying text books!

I find that in most cases, learning French online tools are best. Purchase a package which incorporates the usual grammar, vocabulary, and verb tools. But, and this is most important, make sure that it also does a good job at simulated immersion.

Choose wisely and you can be conversational in eight weeks, assuming one hour a day with the program. It is not without effort, but it can be achieved relatively quickly.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/its-so-easy-to-learn-french-fast-no-effort-at-all/feed 0 Oh, the Drama of Teaching French – Part 1 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/oh-the-drama-of-teaching-french-part-1 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/oh-the-drama-of-teaching-french-part-1#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:06:17 +0000 admin http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/oh-the-drama-of-teaching-french-part-1 Teaching French can be an exhilarating experience…. when all goes according to plan. Our students are learning to speak French fluently, participating actively in all of our French activities, easily initiating and continuing animated conversations with each other, asking questions and responding in grammatically correct phrases and sentences. They exit our classrooms continuing to converse in French all the way down the hall to the next class!

Not exactly your experience you say? Well then… time to awaken from the dream and get ready for the reality of teaching French in most classrooms. The truth is that getting students to participate orally can be a challenge. There are always some who are eager to try out new vocabulary and phrases, but many students are not such risk takers. They are shy about trying French pronunciation, they avoid answering questions for fear of making a mistake or they don’t want to be in the class at all and simply refuse to participate! This reluctance can definitely put a kink in the best French lesson plan.

How Do We Encourage Speaking French?

There are many French activities and games that encourage students to try speaking French, but I have found that the most effective method is to add a little drama to the lessons. During the introduction of new vocabulary and phrases, use gestures, body language, facial expressions and props to help communicate meaning. Adding visual clues to the oral French helps make connections to meaning and aids in retention of the new vocabulary. Where appropriate, add as much humour as possible to the presentation. Even the most reluctant learners will often respond to visual humour.

Let the Students Act Up

This sounds a little off for successfully teaching French, but it isn’t quite the way it sounds. Getting the students in on the act allows them to enjoy oral participation without some of the stress. Start by inviting some of the bolder students to join in short animated interactions at the front of the class to demonstrate new vocabulary and phrases. Once the new material has been thoroughly presented in these mini skits, have the experienced students lead small groups to try the same conversations. In small group setting, the shier students will feel more comfortable attempting the new phrases. The next step is to ease them into presenting their rehearsed dialogues for the class. As they gain confidence with small skits, work into the presentation of short plays.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/oh-the-drama-of-teaching-french-part-1/feed 0 Some Best Ways to Learn a Foreign Language Out of Many http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/some-best-ways-to-learn-a-foreign-language-out-of-many http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/some-best-ways-to-learn-a-foreign-language-out-of-many#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:39:24 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/some-best-ways-to-learn-a-foreign-language-out-of-many Best ways to learn a foreign language differ from one language to other. Each language has a particular way of learning, which makes one learn the language with ease and also faster. There might be numerous ways to learn a foreign language, but let us discuss some of the most important ways which play a vital role in making us understand the language faster.

Now, let us discuss few examples regarding the ways and techniques to learn. If a person is interested in learning Japanese language, then one must first learn its script, which helps in learning the language without any complexity. In the similar way, if you are interested in learning French language, you should first learn how to pronounce the alphabets as they are very similar to English language. Thus, these are few examples to learn and understand different foreign languages using different methods which help us better.

Other unknown languages are sometimes a must. If you are a student and want to study abroad, you have to pass certain competitive exams such as TOEFL, IELTS etc. Each country has its own language for its medium of instruction. To study in countries like Germany, it is a must to learn German language without which living becomes very difficult and sometimes almost impossible. There are different ways to learn a foreign language such as by reading, writing, listening and speaking. According to many, listening and speaking are the best ways which makes us learn the language faster.

Best ways to learn a foreign language are now thought at many universities. Many colleges and universities are now following the custom of having any one other language as a part of their curriculum. This becomes much easier for students. The best way that can be suggested is to enjoy while learning a language, rather than considering it as a burden. These are some of the best ways to learn a foreign language out of many.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/some-best-ways-to-learn-a-foreign-language-out-of-many/feed 0 Want to Learn French? What's in a Big Brand Learn French Language Software Name Anyway? http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/want-to-learn-french-whats-in-a-big-brand-learn-french-language-software-name-anyway http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/want-to-learn-french-whats-in-a-big-brand-learn-french-language-software-name-anyway#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:37:25 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/want-to-learn-french-whats-in-a-big-brand-learn-french-language-software-name-anyway If you are looking for the best way to learn French, you can’t escape the big advertising campaigns of the big brand names in learn French language software. You see their advertisements everywhere. On TV, in magazines, in airports – you simply can’t avoid them! They have one goal. They want their name front and center in your mind as you make your decision.

You might say to yourself that this is a good thing. It leads you to think that they are very successful, and therefore their products must be the best.

However, think about this example. General Motors and Chrysler have been spending huge amounts on advertising over the past decade. Just like the big learn French language software companies, they wanted to be front and center in your mind.

These two big car companies were spending a huge percentage of their operating budgets on advertising. They were spending so much on advertising that they were cutting down on product development budgets. Essentially, they were trying to convince you to buy a sub-standard product with huge advertising campaigns. And both of them needed to be bailed out by the government because of the economic downturn.

Ford, on the other hand, had been spending on developing their products and managed to work through the difficulties without assistance because they had continued to develop products which met new customer demand and they had read the market better than their competitors.

Why is that relevant? The lesson is that bigger is not necessarily better. The other lesson is that some companies choose not to invest in their products, and instead use big advertising campaigns to promote an out-of-date product and milk it for everything they can. They even have a name for it – a cash cow!

I am not accusing anybody of anything here. I am simply pointing out the reality. Sometimes when you pay a premium price, you are not paying for a better product. Take learn French software packages for instance. The most expensive products on the market are no better than some of the more economical choices.

Indeed, some of the less expensive products have invested more in product development, and have more modern online tools incorporated. They are less expensive only because they have not embarked on huge advertising campaigns.

As you make your choice, you should bear this in mind.

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/want-to-learn-french-whats-in-a-big-brand-learn-french-language-software-name-anyway/feed 0 Oh, The Drama of Teaching French – Part 2 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/oh-the-drama-of-teaching-french-part-2 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/oh-the-drama-of-teaching-french-part-2#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:20:04 +0000 admin http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/oh-the-drama-of-teaching-french-part-2 In part one of the article, we discussed one method of easing reluctant students into oral participation using simple skits and dialogues. For me, teaching French became the most enjoyable when the students were able to advance to preparing and performing short plays entirely in French. This allowed the students to use the language in a “real life” type of interaction.

Why Plays?

Acting in short French plays gives students the opportunity to rehearse and perfect snippets of the French language and use actions, body language and props to make themselves understood – all necessary skills in learning to communicate.

Of course the first step in preparing a drama presentation is reading the script together. It is easier to maintain focus on the reading when students know that there is a purpose for the task. I also find it helpful to use scripts that have familiar story lines and characters such as; fairy tales, fables or T.V. shows. When these elements are already known, introducing new French vocabulary and phrases can be much easier.

Once the students have rehearsed the story sufficiently in the read- through, they can break off into groups, assign roles and prepare their own rendition of the play. The actors should be reminded that gestures, body language and facial expressions are essential not only for communicating meaning but also for entertaining the audience. While the goal is to allow students time to practice and perfect their lines in French, it adds to the enthusiasm when groups are also asked to have props, costumes and perhaps some symbolic scenery. As much as possible students should be speaking French during the preparations. A short list of useful questions and phrases could be posted for reference to help students to communicate.

Monitor the Progress

This type of French activity leaves the teacher free to go from group to group to monitor the progress and help with any difficulties that the students may encounter. When the students become comfortable with the idea of presenting plays, each group could be assigned a different script to prepare. At some point, it would be beneficial for groups to write their own scripts.

Plays can be presented in the classroom or polished for a stage presentation to a larger audience. If your audience does not understand French, scripts can be prepared with a narrator’s part in English so that the story line can easily be followed even though the dialogue is in French.

Teaching French through drama can add an element of play and often a touch of humour to learning the language. What better way to grab the interest and enthusiasm of all of the students who will readily participate orally in French?

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]]> http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/oh-the-drama-of-teaching-french-part-2/feed 0 Learn Chinese Language Tones – Learn How to Make Your Synapses Chinese! http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/learn-chinese-language-tones-learn-how-to-make-your-synapses-chinese http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/learn-chinese-language-tones-learn-how-to-make-your-synapses-chinese#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:23:39 +0000 http://www.frenchlanguagesoftware.org/learn-chinese-language-tones-learn-how-to-make-your-synapses-chinese Do you struggle with Chinese tones? If so, you do need to know the answers to the following questions:

Which parts of the brain help you to understand speech?

Is there any difference if you hear English or Chinese language?

How should this affect your learning of Chinese language?

Chinese Language and Your Brain

Researchers recently analyzed brain scans of English speakers and Mandarin Chinese speakers. They discovered that when English speakers heard English, their left temporal lobes became active.

However, when Mandarin Chinese speakers heard their native tongue, there was a buzz of action in both the right and left temporal lobes! Why? The reason lies in the way the brain processes the information that our five senses supply.

Scientists have concluded with reasonable certainty that different regions of the cortex apparently help one to hear words, see words, and speak words. The left temporal lobe is normally associated with piecing sounds together into words; the right with processing melody and intonation.

Learning Chinese Tones

So why when Mandarin Chinese speakers hear their native tongue, both the right and left temporal lobes become active? Because in Mandarin Chinese the correct intonation is essential to the meaning of any word! On the contrary, English (or Italian, French, Spanish, etc.) is not a tonal language, then there’s no need to use the right temporal lobe.

In Mandarin Chinese the same “syllables” can be pronounced in four different tones (plus the neutral tone), so that, for example, the syllable “ma” pronounced in the first tone would mean “mummy”, in the second tone would mean “pitted”, in the third tone would mean “horse” and in the fourth tone would mean “curse”.

It means that if you by mistake change the tone of the word for “mummy”, you might call her “horse”!

How should this affect your learning of Chinese language?

I know by experience that a lot of students are inclined to take Chinese language tones lightly.

Please don’t.

Make a conscious effort to focus your attention not just on words, but on melody and intonation. Don’t let your right temporal lobe sleep!

My exhortation is: teach your brain to learn Chinese language tones waking your right temporal lobe up!

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