The best language learning software for you depends on a number of things:

• What are your goals?
• What are your needs?
• What is your budget?
• What time frame do you have?

There are so many language learning tools available that it can be very difficult to choose which one is right for you.

The four most popular brands of high-quality language teaching software are Rosetta Stone, Tell Me More, Fluenz, and Rocket Languages.

You can find brief language software reviews here, so that you can decide which is the best one for you.

 

Rosetta Stone

 

The main philosophy behind Rosetta Stone is that you should learn a new language just the way a child learns its own native language. This means that it will be based on a lot of visuals and immersion, and NO EXPLANATIONS OR TRANSLATIONS IN ENGLISH! It is like learning to swim by being thrown in the water, which is really how we all learned how to speak our first language.

Many people swear by Rosetta Stone and, indeed, they have sold their products to millions of people around the world, so they must be doing something right. There are tons of resources offered, and an impressive 30 languages, from Arabic to Irish, from Hebrew to Hindi, Filipino (Tagalog) to Persian (Farsi), and much more.

Rosetta Stone comes at a premium price. However, you can pay a lot less if you order beginner’s packages, which just contains the first 2 levels, for example.

Rosetta Stone has its critics, however. People, like language students, who want to learn grammar rules and written language nuances will not get what they need from Rosetta Stone.

Rosetta Stone has probably been best described as being most appropriate for a businessman who needs to learn to communicate in a foreign language as quickly as possible, and does not mind paying a premium. It has been used extremely widely, though, and many other people and institutions see much value in it.

To decide for yourself, you can purchase a copy and read customer reviews by clicking on the link below:

 

 

TellMeMore

 

TellMeMore is less well-known than Rosetta Stone, but it is rated very highly. In fact, TellMeMore has won more awards from around the world than any other language program. It is used by 10,000 academic institutions and 300 other top global organizations including the US Government, the FBI and the Toyota corporation.

TellMeMore developed as a direct competitor to Resetta Stone, and so they offer an intensive language learning system, providing 2,000 hours of instruction and 10,000 types of exercises, covering reading and writing, grammar, culture, vocabulary and more. They have sold  7 million copies worldwide, and were the first company to offer speech recognition technology to assist language learning.

They are pricey as well, but they do offer you a lot more content than Rosetta Stone. In fact, some people have complained that they may offer a little too much, and you can get lost in it all.

The TellMeMore people have recognized this, and they have three different navigation types to help you get through all the detail they provide for you: Free-to-Roam, the Guided Mode and the Dynamic Mode (automatically adjusting the course on an analysis of your strengths and weaknesses as you progress).

TellMeMore is probably best if you have some bit of a foundation in the language already. If you are at that level, then this will really boost your language knowledge to an amazing degree. If you are a student that needs to deal with the written language, then this is ideal.

TellMeMore has 9 foreign language software offerings: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Dutch.

You can read customer reviews and purchase a copy by clicking the link below:

 

Fluenz

 

Fluenz is a relatively new company which has succeeded in marking a distinctive niche in terms of its superior design and quality. In some ways, it can be seen as the “Apple” of the language learning software world.

They offer 6 languages currently: Spanish (Latin American), Spanish (Spain), Mandarin, French, Italian, and German.

They explicitly set themselves apart from Rosetta Stone, as well, by emphasizing the importance of learning through explanations in English by a great one-on-one tutor. Their argument is that teens and adults do not learn like children, and that being guided by tutors to fit everything together into a whole is important.

They also design their programs from the perspective of an English speaker, anticipating what an English speaker will see as most difficult or challenging, rather than assuming that you are starting from a blank slate.

Fluenz has achieved exceptional success, and has developed smart phone applications as well. Their language training software is currently being used by elite US Navy units, senior UN and UNICEF staff, Fortune 500 executives, and at the Harvard Business School.

You can read customer reviews of the various Fluenz courses and purchase copies here:

 

Rocket Languages

 

Finally, Rocket Languages is the new kid on the block in terms of language learning software, but it really punches above its weight.

If you are a complete beginner, Rocket Languages is the best starting point, in our view. Not only do you get a lot of features, such as games, pronunciation software, culture lessons, tests, learners forums, individualised help and support, and other learning techniques, but you can take the lessons with you on your iPod or MP3 player as well.

To top it off, they provide all this for an amazingly low price. Rocket French, for instance, put out the following comparison chart:

It was named PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice for Language Learning, and its customers have overwhelmingly positive reviews.

They offer 12 language courses: French, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Mandarin, English (for Spanish speakers) and even American Sign Language.

There is a even a free version that you can get with Lifetime Membership to test out whether their language learning system is right for you. You can read reviews and get more information by clicking the link below:

 

 

Recommendations for the Best Language Learning Software

 

These four language learning programs can be considered the best in their class, and our language software comparison sought to clarify the main differences. For a summary of recommendations, I would say that if you are a student formally studying languages, then TellMeMore is best for its completeness, thoroughness, and intensive language courses.

If you are a working professional or a traveller who doesn’t mind paying a premium for language learning software, Rosetta Stone is for you.

If you are a stickler for beautiful design and high-quality, and definitely want English explanations, then Fluenz is the right choice.

And, finally, if you are an absolute beginner on a budget, then Rocket Languages is a no-brainer as the best language learning software for you.

 

Interesting Links:

If you want to browse around a little more before buying your own software, check out the BBC Languages Website for high quality free links from a very trusted source.