Cheap Learn Swedish Now! 9.0 (Software) (Macintosh, Windows) Price

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Customer Reviews of Learn Swedish Now! 9.0

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 It also has an ugly Mac OS 8-era interface that looks horribly outdated on Mac OS X. I've run into some other minor technical problems: The application help uses Apple's Help Viewer, but the grammar reference uses QuickHelp, which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 På svenska, Rosetta Stone, and a good dictionary.

Unique teaching method, some technical issues
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).

Incredible
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.