Voted Best Answer
Apr 11, 2012 - 06:32 PM
The short answer to your question is no. Based on my experience, Fluenz is is an important tool to lay the framework of the gramatical structures of the language and to introduce you to many concepts and phrases. There are many aspects to attaining fluency. Anybody who says they can sell you a program to make you fluent quickly is lying. I absolutely advocate making fluenz a part of your toolbox in your learning, but you will also need to populate this toolbox with some other important things.
Arguably there are three components(with many sub-components) to language learning, Understanding (Listening and Reading), Speaking, and Writing. The hardest to master will almost always be listening understanding. Fluenz is a great program, but it mainly consists of short dialogues with 1 or 2 speakers throughout the program, speaking at a relatively slow pace. Many people on these forums seem to have become frustrated, for example, when they have completed several levels of French and are then unable to understand a French movie.
It's just a fact that many of the activities required for fluency can't be replicated on a computer. You will need to read books, read newspapers, listen to a LOT of spoken interaction from various speakers of varying accents(TV, radio, podcasts), and finally, practice talking to native speakers.
I absolutely love fluenz. It has taken a tried and true learning approach, much like what you would encounter in a state department class, and turned it into an easily accessible and functional program. I could easily download the Foreign Service Institutes spanish program for free and it would cover much of the samer material, but to be honest, I like the look, feel, and presentation of the fluenz software. It just makes it easy.
So for some advice on what you should do, here is my 2 cents.
-Get a Spanish reader. I recommend 'Easy Spanish Reader' with Audio CD. Start by listening to the story on the CD. Then read the story until you get every single word. Listen to it again on CD while reading along. Do that several times until you can understand each word just by hearing them. This will increase your reading and listening comprehension.
-When you are done with that, move on to some short stories. Always keep a dictionary close by.
-Watch at least an hour of spanish language TV a day. Make sure you vary your programming. The idea is to hear a wide range of speakers with varying accents. Download podcasts like 'Notes in Spanish' or 'Showtime Spanish'. Short conversations that are explained in varying detail.
-Watch your favorite movies Dubbed in Spanish.
-Use a supplemental Flashcard program to make your own flashcards of vocab and sentences you are likely to encounter in real life. You may think you know the words, but the idea is to be able to recall them as quickly as you think.
-Keep a daily journal in spanish. Start with a paragraph, move on to half a page, and then do a page...every day. Record yourself speaking on your webcam to master your accent and to get comfortable with hearing your voice in another language.
-Listen to spanish music. You may not understand every word, but this helps you develop an ear for the language.
-TALK TO REAL PEOPLE. Talk as much as you can. Use people who live close to you, chat on livemocha.com, or use skype. This cannot be replicated by a compute program.
Arguably there are three components(with many sub-components) to language learning, Understanding (Listening and Reading), Speaking, and Writing. The hardest to master will almost always be listening understanding. Fluenz is a great program, but it mainly consists of short dialogues with 1 or 2 speakers throughout the program, speaking at a relatively slow pace. Many people on these forums seem to have become frustrated, for example, when they have completed several levels of French and are then unable to understand a French movie.
It's just a fact that many of the activities required for fluency can't be replicated on a computer. You will need to read books, read newspapers, listen to a LOT of spoken interaction from various speakers of varying accents(TV, radio, podcasts), and finally, practice talking to native speakers.
I absolutely love fluenz. It has taken a tried and true learning approach, much like what you would encounter in a state department class, and turned it into an easily accessible and functional program. I could easily download the Foreign Service Institutes spanish program for free and it would cover much of the samer material, but to be honest, I like the look, feel, and presentation of the fluenz software. It just makes it easy.
So for some advice on what you should do, here is my 2 cents.
-Get a Spanish reader. I recommend 'Easy Spanish Reader' with Audio CD. Start by listening to the story on the CD. Then read the story until you get every single word. Listen to it again on CD while reading along. Do that several times until you can understand each word just by hearing them. This will increase your reading and listening comprehension.
-When you are done with that, move on to some short stories. Always keep a dictionary close by.
-Watch at least an hour of spanish language TV a day. Make sure you vary your programming. The idea is to hear a wide range of speakers with varying accents. Download podcasts like 'Notes in Spanish' or 'Showtime Spanish'. Short conversations that are explained in varying detail.
-Watch your favorite movies Dubbed in Spanish.
-Use a supplemental Flashcard program to make your own flashcards of vocab and sentences you are likely to encounter in real life. You may think you know the words, but the idea is to be able to recall them as quickly as you think.
-Keep a daily journal in spanish. Start with a paragraph, move on to half a page, and then do a page...every day. Record yourself speaking on your webcam to master your accent and to get comfortable with hearing your voice in another language.
-Listen to spanish music. You may not understand every word, but this helps you develop an ear for the language.
-TALK TO REAL PEOPLE. Talk as much as you can. Use people who live close to you, chat on livemocha.com, or use skype. This cannot be replicated by a compute program.