The Bottom Line
Inglés Before You Know It by Transparent Language provides an excellent drill tool for Spanish speaking English learners at an attractive price. The program uses a flash card system to provide a learning system with little learning curve. The program is quick and adaptable. Besides the extensive list or target areas, you can add your own phrases to personalize for your own use or in class.
Pros
- Flash Card approach that is familiar to all
- Spanish instructions, translations of phrases for Spanish speakers
- Ability to add phrases to already extensive list provided in software
- Flexible multi-activity approach providing constant repetition ensuring learning
- Excellent price
Cons
- Doesn't provide longer conversations in authentic context
- Won't appeal to those who don't like rote learning
Description
- Flash card system providing bilingual excellent rote-learning practice for key daily situations.
- Intended for Spanish speakers of English.
- Adaptable software perfect for key phrase learning in English for special purposes classes.
- Non-grammar based ideal for students who need functional English skills ASAP.
- Wide range of essential phrases for common daily situations provided with software.
- Learner paced instruction ideal for rote learning without a lot of pressure.
- Each phrase repeated many times to ensure memorization of phrases.
- Natural sounding pronunciation example provided for each phrase.
Guide Review - English Phrases Learning Software
Inglés Before You Know It is ideal for self-motivated learners. It provides a flash card system with many variation and drill possibilities focusing on phrases in target language function areas such as 'at the hotel', 'in the restaurant', 'emergency situations' etc. This program is all about learning phrases students need for a wide range of essential situations. Students read and hear standard English phrases while acquiring function-specific phrases going back and forth between English and Spanish. The program keeps track of progress.
For advanced use, users can develop their own situation libraries adding phrases in English and Spanish, speaking examples and images - this makes Inglés Before You Know It perfect for tailoring essential English for Special Purposes classes. This program is not intended for educators who abhor rote learning. However, for educators - like myself - who believe that rote learning does have a place in a learner's arsenal, this is an excellent package.
