Instant Immersion Spanish

Software Review

      AT A GLANCE

Instant Immersion Spanish has value for money stamped all over it. There are many different features rolled into this software package that would normally only be available in a more expensive software program.

Interactive games and lesson flexibility combined with progress tracking and speech recognition software make Instant Immersion Spanish a great option for learning Spanish.

The program falls down on technical support and no online chat with few word tools, but these can be located on the Internet to make up for what’s lacking in the software.

	PROS
	Variety of teaching tools
	Interactive games
	Flexible lesson delivery
	Progress tracking
	Good value for money
	Speech recognition software
	MP3 files
	CONS
	Technical support is lacking
	Lack of word tools
	No online chat

OTHER SOFTWARE REVIEWS IN THIS PRICE RANGE

The Instant Immersion Spanish program can take you from beginner’s level up to advanced. The focus is on communicative Spanish and it teaches the language through well organized and delivered lessons making use of many different teaching tools to keep the process interesting. There is limited focus on sentence structure so you may have to look elsewhere for support in this language learning area.

Useful tools such as the progress tracking mean that you can identify the areas that you need to work on improving. An excellent speech recognition software program means that you can develop your speaking skills with the help of native Spanish speakers. Bonus discs that come with the program add to the value for money. The program is generally easy to use once you get the hang of it, but a pitfall here is that the technical support available with this program is not as thorough as it is with some other Spanish learning software programs.

There are few programs in this price point that could rival the Instant Immersion Spanish course and most of the programs deficiencies can be made up for by supplementing other free Spanish learning websites.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

(features / teaching tools / support etc)

There are an awful lot of features that are included in Instant Immersion Spanish considering the price that it sells for. Inside the package you will find progress tracking, so that you can see how well you are progressing through the language points and you also have flexibility in your learning as you can choose which lessons to complete and within each lesson there are various options to suit different learning styles. There are additional resources that you can access through the website to complement your Spanish learning and you can put files onto your MP3 or I-pod device to take your learning on the road with you.

Teaching tools included with Instant Immersion Spanish are various, with perhaps the only downfall being the lack of online chat with native speakers to practice speaking. One of the best features in the program is the “Who is Oscar Lake?” mystery game where you have to solve the case using only Spanish. Speech recognition software helps you to develop good Spanish pronunciation.

The Instant Immersion Spanish package comes with nine discs that are broken into three levels and three bonus discs. The lessons progress logically through the language and build upon what has been previously learned using a range of visual and audio files. There are quizzes at the end of each disc for you to analyze your progress.

There are few word tools that are included in this package and a reason for this may be that the designers want you to develop a more organic understanding of Spanish rather than relying on translating the Spanish back into English. If you want more help in this area, there are several sites you can use as a supplement to the software for free.

One of the biggest downfalls of Instant Immersion Spanish is the technical support. The only available methods are through email support and FAQ.

LEARNING POTENTIAL

The Instant Immersion Spanish program has enough content to take Spanish learners from beginner level right up to advanced. It offers a variety of materials that practice reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, however, the lack of online chat means that some other programs win out on speaking practice.

The program focuses on building up communication ability and does not focus a whole lot on grammar and sentence structure. While this is a pedagogically sound foundation in the language, some learners might feel that they want more intense grammar instruction.

VALUE FOR MONEY

Instant Immersion Spanish punches well above its price point. There are heaps of features that are included in the package that you also find in more expensive Spanish software. For around $50 you get a Spanish program that can take you from beginner level all the way up to advanced and offers solid tuition in the language delivered in a flexible way with various games and quizzes. This is an excellent program for its price.