From...

May 4, 1999
Web posted at: 10:40 a.m. EDT (1440 GMT)

by Gregory Frame

(IDG) -- What's your prime worry when you're about to make a trip abroad (aside from whether you'll be able to drink the water)? If you're like me, you fret over whether you'll be able to communicate. I know that my high school Spanish has faded to a very dim memory. But as with a lot of other problems these days, you can now get some help through your PC.

In fact, I recently did a head-to-head review of two language packages for business travelers: Transparent Language's 31 Languages of the World and The Learning Company's Berlitz Passport to 31 Languages. (See "31 Languages," link below) Both programs were affordable and quick and easy to use. Overall, however, I preferred the Transparent package.

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Count 'em: 51 languages

Transparent recently announced that it had expanded its program to cover 20 more languages -- a whopping total of 51. So I decided to take another look.

Okay, take a deep breath: Along with the obligatory Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese, the company now adds Albanian, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Basque, Bengali, Brazilian, Bulgarian, Canadian French, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Irish, Korean, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yiddish, and Zulu.

I suspect that should cover most of the languages you're likely to need on your next business (or pleasure) trip. Since this program still costs a mere $29.95, it won't add much to your travel expenses.

As with its predecessor, Transparent Language did a great job teaching the basics in a relatively short time -- while keeping the frustration level low. The content is far from superficial, however; there's plenty to keep you busy. What I really liked was the way 51 Languages covered a broad range of real-world topics.

My best non-native language is French, so as I did with the program's predecessor, I spent most of my time with the French module. I found no change between the module in this version and the one I previously reviewed: It was every bit as comprehensive -- indicating that Transparent added new material without slimming down the existing modules.

Dive right in

Transparent's approach is consistent with most current language-teaching theory: total immersion. So this package throws you headfirst into the target language. The interface is intuitive, putting all the controls at your fingertips. Click on a word or phrase on the screen and you get immediate spoken feedback; direct translations, meanings, and root words appearing in separate boxes. A grammar box displays the part of speech and offers links to more grammatical information.

The program also has a Notes and Check Words box, which lets you build a custom database of words you find hard or that interest you. Everything is cross-referenced and context sensitive. Click a word in the Check Words box, and the main lesson scrolls to the word, used in context. Once you get good enough to play around a bit, you can put yourself through conversation tests that you can record for later playback.

Lack of slang is the weakness

As with 31 Languages of the World, the biggest omission here is the lack of slang. Just a little slang can make the difference between your being able to fit right in or being forced to remain an outsider. But for $29.95, this program is a great value. Look at it this way: It costs you about 50 cents a language to get the basics you need for almost any common trip.