I don't know about you but I didn't do so well studying French at school. At the time I didn't really see the point. Of course later on when I actually wanted to learn French I regretted not paying more attention. At forty years plus I also didn't want to return to the classroom! Fortunately I discovered learn to speak French software.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm not against classroom learning of French - in fact I think it's a very good way to learn and I did have a little private tutoring. The problem for me, and I'm sure for many busy people, is finding the time on a regular basis to attend class. With private tutoring I could at least vary the times to suit myself but it is a very expensive option. A few hundred dollars doesn't go very far on one-to-one French lessons!
On the other hand a few hundred dollars can get you an astonishing variety of learn to speak French software. Prices start at just over $10.00 and although packages exist that will take several hundred dollars off you I don't think it's necessary to spend that much to get a good basic level of the French language.
There are far too many French language software programs for me to cover them all. A quick search will turn up literally hundreds. What I can try to do is tell you about some of the alternatives and what I see as the benefits.
Let's start with the benefits.
Learn to speak French software will allow you to learn at your own pace. Any time you have access to a computer you can learn some French. Some products in the middle price range - say around $100.00 - will also have French MP3s, sound files that you can copy to an MP3 player or onto a CD so you can have French lessons while you're walking around, on the train or driving.
Modern French language software incorporates a variety of systems to help you learn French quickly. Digital flash cards, memory games, involving and entertaining animations or movie clips. All these things keep your French learning varied, and if they keep you interested you're more likely to learn French fast. For the traditionalist you should also find transcripts of any audio that you can print out and read. Supporting your French lessons by reading the texts is always a good idea anyway.
The alternatives?
The number of French software alternatives will depend on your budget. It's probably not true of all cheap French software but at the bottom of the range those I've tried are quite limited. There are some good starters for kids but if you're looking to speak fluent French you'd be better off with something a bit more complex.
Unfortunately of course this means a bit more expensive. However, if you compare $100 spent on learn to speak French software with money spent on private lessons it soon seems a bargain and for your money you can get systems like Rocket French that boast that they will have you confident in the French language in as little as eight weeks. Some systems offer free trials too.
At the top end you can buy systems for several hundred dollars that if followed to their conclusion will teach you a great deal of French. Whether the additional expense is worth the detailed grammatical knowledge is difficult to quantify. If you're visiting France on holidays then you can probably get what you need in the mid-range but if you're intending to live here permanently it might be worth it. Unless you've got deep pockets you'll need to investigate each alternative carefully!
Conclusions?
So is learn to speak French software really the easy way to learn French? I would have to say that much as I enjoy a good read, books cannot compete with modern French language software systems. They can be not just educational but also involving and fun! There is no comparison with how we learned when I was at school. Whether your eighteen or eighty you will learn French faster.
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