Learn Anywhere! on Playaway Digital Language Courses

Are these new All-in-One Audio Language Courses worth it?

The foreign language market is crowded with so many different courses and formats, that sometimes it can be difficult to get a handle on what's really any good.  Some are computer based, some CD audio, and still others are books.  Here we have a novel approach - Penton Overseas, Inc., coupled with the Playaway audiobook concept has introduced a full 10 hours of lessons contained on a single 'mp3' player in the Learn Anywhere! series.  Each device has about the dimension of a credit card and is triangular in shape - thinning from a little more than 1/2 and inch at the battery end (it takes 1 AAA) to less than a 1/4 inch.  Each unit requires headphones, or a suitable 1/8 inch audio cable. 

Operation is basic - you start by pressing the 'speech bubble' button, which goes to the last lesson you were on.  Other buttons include a chapter fast forward, standard fast forward, bookmark, volume, and speed.  The speed button is a useful addition to actually slow down the progression of the audio - to make it easier to catch the translations.  The German unit I had proved to be defective - the fidelity was terrible - lot's of hiss, and the German words were almost unintelligible.  I was ready to give up on the series altogether.  But, after picking up the Italian player, which was crystal clear, I realized I had a broken unit.  Based on the Italian unit, the quality of the sound is quite good.

The concept is good, and the product functions well - but what about the lessons?  Unfortunately, this is where the goodness parts ways with convenience.  The audio lessons are simple - read the word or phrase in X language, give the English word or phrase, move on.  As you would expect, the words and phrases are categorized, and progressively build upon on another as you go on.  The problem is that there's no emphasis on, well, anything.  Over and over again, lesson by lesson it's the same - lather, rinse repeat.....  As a comparison, the excellent Pimsleur courses (some Pimsleur courses are available on the Playaway device) guide and encourage repetition throughout the course.  Also, the lack of any accompanying written material is a shame.  It's always helpful to visualize the written language along with hearing it.

Pros:

• Nice concept - players are small, audio quality is good (German unit was defective, I hope)
• Good battery life.
• Bookmark feature is nice.
• Available at many libraries.

Cons:

• Lessons can't hold a candle to Pimsleur, or even other audio that includes written material.
• Pricey.  $44.95 direct from website.

In all, these would be good for someone visiting the country - that wants to learn a bit of a language before traveling, but someone serious about learning a foreign language should look elsewhere.

-Katheman