Fluenz German 1+2+3+4+5 for Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad & Android Phones, Version 3

Prior to coming across Fluenz, I have been using, at one time or another, the following language-learning software programs to learn how to speak, read, and write German: Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, and Rocket German. This program wins hands-down over its competition. Why do I believe this? Read on! Learning Method: Unlike Rosetta Stone, whereby you are essentially using glorified flash cards to assemble sentences that will do little for you in your day to day dealings [I.e. "The cats are large", "The sky is blue"], with Fluenz, you are actually learning usable phrases and terms. In time, you see patterns amongst the sentences and can form you own. Yes, you will learn a LOT of vocabulary words from Rosetta Stone, but no sense of sentence structure, usage of the German noun articles and how they are applied and when. Pimsleur, to some extent, helps you detect patterns in sentences as well, but good luck on those articles I mention [i.e. den, das, die, der, etc..] In Pimsleur's case, you are left to your own devices, for the most part, on why certain words are placed where in the sentence. This is a BIG deal when using the German language, and cannot be overstated. They will give you a crumb every now and then, but Pimsleur is counting on you to discover the patterns on your own, without understanding the WHY. Rocket Languages gives you a dialogue scenario, and dissects it for you, line by line. You are to repeat the phrases [provided you pause the program - as the instructors speak very very fast] and for the most part, again left to your own devices to figure out the nuances. Fluenz, on the other hand, uses a more personable approach. The lessons are provided in a video format, followed by intense exercises called workouts. Do these two or three times, and you are likely to have all the material down pat. Another nice thing is that Fluenz [like Rosetta Stone] reinforces the material in different formats [i.e. written, spoken, visual and audio], but in a manner that reinforces the key points of the lesson that was in the video. Key points are not necessarily focused on new terms [although you DO get to learn new words with each lesson], but most important, the nuances that are so important to understand in order to effectively speak, read, and write German. Ease of Learning: Rosetta Stone, with their flash card approach, in my opinion, is pretty easy, but gets pretty boring pretty quickly. Not being able to apply your new found words in a practical situation makes it pretty tedious and works against you. Pimsleur arguably gives you a lot of bang for the buck, but the hardest to learn from, especially if you do not thrive on audio-based instruction. You will learn many words and phrases in a relatively short amount of time. The program is ingenious, to an extent, but given that it is strictly an audio program, with no visual cues, nothing anecdotal to enhance your enjoyment, it can be downright tedious at times. I really had to drag myself up so get myself through Pimsleur I, II, and III. I'm glad that I did it, but it was really a test of wills at times. Rocket German is probably the most humorous of all four, peppered with tongue-in-cheek humor. And having a written transcript of the lesson was very helpful. Arguably, it may be the simplest to learn from amongst the others, but then again, if you cannot establish patterns in the dialogue in which to build upon, what's the use? Again, you are merely memorizing and translating dialogue, without necessarily understanding the sentence structure. There is supplemental material on their webpage to accompany said lessons [and somewhat helpful at that]. But this is the core of their program - memorization. The Fluenz program was relatively easy to adapt to, as they use a linear format and each lesson builds upon what you have learned previously [like Pimsleur]. But the personable approach, via video, as well as the workouts makes it easier for you to learn the German language. Final Thoughts: Fluenz is not without its issues. It has been said that one's strength can also be its weakness, and in the case of Fluenz, one may say that this applies as well. Should a video have had errors in it [i.e. mispronunciation], you will know right off the bat, because there are little gaps here and there. In the case of the German instructor, she butchers some English words as well as she clearly reads off cue-cards. For me, like another reviewer echoed, this is not a deal-breaker. I can still tell what the instructor is trying to convey, and the lessons are excellent in themselves. You can tell a lot of time and effort was put into the instructional portion of the lessons. Besides, she speaks far better English than I do German, no doubt about it. I would rather have the video lessons forsake clean production in the interest of accuracy, and these guys strive for it. Second, it really would be nice for Fluenz to develop a smaller, downsized version of their program for a portable device, such as the iPad. True, they do provide you with podcasts and flashcards, but they are not as effective or convenient as the Rosetta Stone offerings. But one has to remember that this is a relatively small company, with limited resources, and the main product is what you are going for. Finally, some will be off put by the cost of the program, on par with Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur. But in hindsight, had I known this was around at the time I purchased Rosetta Stone, I would have saved my money and bought Fluenz instead. Pimsleur is effective in its own right [again, if you thrive in an audio-only based environment], but pretty costly for just audio files. Rocket Languages is the cheapest of the lot, far cheaper, in fact, but again, basically memorizing dialogue and getting a chuckle or two in between. For myself, Fluenz's program makes learning German [as much as it can be!] actually fun to learn, while providing you with a solid foundation on how the language is used properly. I found myself plowing through the lessons, as I couldn't wait to go onto the next one after completing the previous one. A program that can generate that level of enthusiasm only makes it easier to learn from. I hope you found the above helpful. If you have any questions, I will check the comments section from time to time. Viel Glück!

I've been using Fluenz since it first came out, learning German, French, and Spanish using the system in part. It is the best computer instruction program out there, and the best structured. There are no "textbooks", and there is a LOT of practical guidance to conversational language. The Spanish and French packages are professionally done, well acted, and easy to listen to... This one, unfortunately, is not. The "Native German Speaking" actress, who is the main tutor throughout the series, is, I'm sure, quite a nice person. However, she is awful at reading her lines and "acting". Sonia and Co. could've pulled virtually any other native speaking German out of a hat and gotten better results. It makes it quite hard to pay attention and actually get through the tutorials due to the misreads, awkward pauses, scripted hair tosses, and other generally distracting things. Now, that said, if you can overlook this person and stay awake (I found it hard to, but only during THIS particular Fluenz course), you can learn fairly good basic conversational German MUCH BETTER than with any other product out there (especially the "Stone"---I have no idea why anyone would purchase that poor excuse for a "language program") other than simply moving to the native country and living fully immersed in it with a private tutor. Here's hoping for the "Upgraded" version of German, with extra 6-10 levels, supplanted by a new, more polished, less distracting actor/actress. Hope you're listening, Fluenz.

Fluenz German is the best computer software for learning German. Is it the only product you need to learn to speak, read, and write German? No. However, it is essential in a language learning package. Think of it like this. A student earning a degree in German will not learn everything from one textbook. He or she will take several classes using several different textbooks. A different approach will be utilized to speak, read, and write. I am in the wine business and in order to advance my career, I know I need to learn a few foreign languages to speak with German, French, and Italian winemakers. Between high school and college, I have four years of Spanish in a traditional classroom setting. My Spanish skills are still very limited even though I earned nothing less than an A- in all classes. But with career advancement as a motivator, I knew that I needed to become at least conversational in a few languages. I chose German as the first language to tackle because it is considered the most difficult of the languages I wish to learn. If I can become at least get to a conversational level, then I would feel like I have the ability to learn the other two language. Fluez German offers the best software for learning German grammar. It's no secret that German grammar is more complex than English. Articles take different forms based on the tense of the verb and gender of the noun. Fluenz offers a step-by-step explanation of the grammar with plenty of writing practice to follow the lesson. With a strong understanding of grammar, forming sentences is becoming much easier for myself. Unlike Rosetta Stone, explanations are given in English. Rosetta Stone's philosophy of complete immersion is not practical for someone living in an English-speaking country and only learning a foreign language for about an hour per day. With explanations given in English, I actually understand the grammar and how to form my own sentences. What Fluenz does lack is a strong speaking component. I do wish that a software program at this price had a speech recognition component similar to Babbel or Rosetta Stone. Fluenz offers the ability to record yourself as one person in a conversation and listen to the entire conversation afterward. Then you can make a comparison with your speech and the speech of a native speaker. I wish that software would have the ability to just listen to my speech and inform me if I am close enough to a correct pronunciation. This is a component available with Rosetta Stone and Babbel, and I wish it were available with Fluenz. Additionally, I feel there isn't enough of the speaking practice. This is where Pimsleur as an all-audio program is the best. However, this shortcoming in Fluenz is minor and the software is still worthy of a 5-star rating. This program is an investment and I am so thankful I made the investment. Combined with Pimsleur and Babbel, I feel like I have a complete package for learning German. I was able to obtain Pimsleur German I, II, and III from my local library so that component was free and definitely the best product for learning how to speak and understand speech. However, Pimsleur is very limited in explaining grammar. Fluenz provides these explanations and I can formulate sentences with ease now. I also signed up for a Babbel free trial. Within a few days I received an email offering a 6-month subscription for the price of 3 months (approximately $26). I also occasionally use Duolingo, but find it best for strictly learning vocabulary and not much else. Duolingo is a free app so why not, right? Fluenz German makes learning this tough language less intimidating. Even in the early lessons, Fluenz admits that German is hard. But with a little hard work comes great rewards. This product is definitely essential for a self-learner of German. I thought I was a lost cause when it came to learning a foreign language. If I can get to the level of fluency that I am at now, I know that anyone can with a little hard work.

As "software" this product is pretty bad. The content is ok.

Great

Very thorough German course. You will never be fluent with this course, probably more like a B1 on the CEFR scale. Limited vocab and very College orientated approach. They talk relentlessly about conjugated verbs, infinitive verbs, dative cases etc. You can tell that they were college educated. After listening to their explanations, I was still confused, so bought Michel Thomas German. He was able to discuss German Grammar more casually in a way that made sense.. Don't be put off by that, I am still happy i bought it. Currently at lever 4 of 5 CD's and still believe that I have learned a lot but consider buying other German products as an assistant. It does get very boring at times as the format never changes, however the flashcards on their website is a good review area. All in all worth the effort.