Review: Learn German Intermediate

One of the most important aspects of the digital age was supposed to be digital learning. After a long wait, language learning for holidays abroad, or as a hobby, is also making the big step up from audio cassettes.

Learn German is billed as an intermediate CD. Its offer of interactive learning is a cost-effective option, since it doesn't require a teacher. It is designed for people wanting to improve their basic listening and speaking skills, and we’d say the questions are at a good GCSE level.

The CD includes 11 quizzes, consisting of 120 aural questions. Typically, the user has to listen to the question and select an image that corresponds to the answer. A program to record spoken German is a little basic, as it doesn't offer any analysis or guidance on your speaking skills, but a head-to-head program, where you try and outwit a fellow pupil, is a lot more fun.

Native German speakers guide the learner through the course and an English speech bubble is always available to explain what's going on. The quiz questions and answers are never translated, however. This was disappointing because even when we chose the right answer, we didn’t necessarily understand the entire phrase.

There is only one section dedicated to written content and it's necessary to self-mark again, using a pen and paper to write down the answers, and comparing them with the program's answers on screen.

Although the graphics and the program overall feel dated, a small splattering of interactive graphics does keep things interesting.

It's probably possible to work through all of the CD in a couple of hours and this reflects the lack of original content. This shouldn’t matter too much since you will want to redo many of the tasks to get to grips with the language. Because you have to continually interact with the software, it's necessary to pay full attention to the task at hand.

The software allows you to have different profiles, which means several people can use the same program and compare each other's progress.

This CD will help with comprehension but the program won’t improve your written skills and, annoyingly, it ignores all aspects of grammar. The price is fair and reflects the fact that the CD is just one small part of a much bigger road to effective learning.

Also consider
Rosetta Stone 
An alternative but more expensive way to try language learning

Translution Pro 
If learning a language is too much work, use this program to translate for you