Software
Review of: |
 It’s
a fact of life. One thing leads to another! Share my most recent experience.
Following through on a wish to learn more about my ancestors, I picked
up genealogy software. Since I am only a third generation American, it
did not take long to find myself tackling Polish/German vital statistics
records, family letters in Polish and quickly realizing that further productive
searches would be aided immeasurably if I could read Polish. I go back
to that time in our history when the Americanization process demanded total
commitment to the English language. Not that I am bereft of knowledge of
any Polish, but I would not want to try to buy car from a dealer in Gdansk.
A quick search revealed the existence of universal type translators, one of which is Polish. That is, you input one language into a program and ask for a translation into another, and Voila! There it is. Not only is this fast but labor saving. I don’t have to learn the language. So I thought. Working with such a program which for now will be nameless, showed me quickly that if you don’t know what the thing is saying in translation you could probably get yourself into a lot of trouble with foreign correspondents. It was totally useless for any meaningful correspondence. This is how we come to today’s topic, Learn Polish Now!, by Transparent Language,Inc. out of Hollis, NH. Polish is a recent production. Previous presentations include Spanish, French, German, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, and English (for Spanish speakers). These are updated in separate, individual Version 7s. New languages added with a Version 7 title in addition to Polish are Irish and Arabic. Its selling point is learning a language by immersion even though that may be only 15 minutes a day. Remember learning a language in school by rote memorization and countless grammar drills? You forgot most of it after the final examination of the course. Well, Language Now! says you’ll learn much more thoroughly and pleasantly by experiencing a language in a natural context. On opening the box, one finds two CDs. The main title, Polish Now, and a bonus CD. More on the Bonus later. The back of the plastic case holding the main CD has a glaring mistake. In big,.bold letters it notes, "YAK! There is a better way to learn Polish!" Yikes, there is no such word as "yak" in Polish. What was meant was "TAK" meaning "yes". This is also the message on the big outer box. That happens to be one of the few Polish words in my very limited vocabulary. This, fortunately, is not indicative of the program itself. It was quite simple to load. It can be used in Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0; 486 (or better). Requires 16 MB of RAM ; 35 MB disk space; sound card, speakers, VGA 256 color monitor and 2XCD-ROM drive. It can also be applied to Macintosh. The Bonus CD has two parts to it. One is a 50,000 Berlitz Interpreter Word Translator. I find this slightly disruptive of my interest to concentrate on one language. The Berlitz program does not cover Polish being restricted to English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. It’s nice to have but doesn’t do much to attain my goal. Now, if you are into one of those languages, the Berlitz program will prove invaluable. The second feature on the Bonus CD is a Multilingual Word Processor. No, it does not do instant translations but it does provide a whooping load of fonts one might encounter for a large number of languages. You can find keyboards for 30 sub-group languages within the following language groups:
"Thousands of top high schools and universities rely on Language Now! To help students learn, use and really enjoy their language."If you have the will to do the required immersion, what can you expect from Language Now!? It is totally interactive. The Polish version provides four Titles: The Most Common Words in Polish, Survival Phrases in Polish, A Polish Family Heritage, and Discovering Poland. Each one of these may be opened on a screen as shown on the "Discovering Poland" title.. The Polish paragraph on the left may be read word by word by a native speaker by pressing the bullets under that paragraph. Or, one may have the native speaker read by sentence or whole paragraph. You get an instant translation of the material in that box in the "Segment meaning" box below. Meanings may be obtained for any segment of the material you highlight. If you need music while you study, run the video program on the right. As the video unfolds, a native speaker reads the material traversing across the left view box. Practice sessions in pronunciation may be done in a conversation practice session. Here, a native speaker reads a word and you repeat it into a microphone. (Also provided as part of the equipment with the package). A monitor lets you compare how close you get to the native speaker. As you get braver to meet challenges in your new language, you can tackle several interactive games. The program uses a half-dozen such games to sharpen your skills. Each has a separate function; vocabulary and spelling, syntax, and structure. At this stage (very early) I don’t have the facility to engage those games. If you’re a masochist and miss grammar drills, there is a section for you, too. Given your dedicated time for immersion, with Language Now!7.0, you have the tools for the fastest, easiest, most automatic and most enjoyable language-learning experience. Prices vary. The manufacturer’s listed price on its web page (www.transparent.com) is $89.95. Locally, although offerings are not as extensive as those of the manufacturer, you can pick up 7.0 versions of German, French, Spanish, and Russian for $49.99 with a $20 mail-in rebate. It may be possible for the local store to order a title not on its rack for the same $49.99/$20. deal. Huddled with your Language Now! 7.0 in the cool of your computer sanctorum might be a good way to spend the coming "dog days".
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