Others say...

"I can speak French again!"
I was on the verge of a trip to Paris, and couldn't remember any of the French that I learned in High School. This Audio/CD-ROM set was a great refresher course. I would also recommend it to beginners as a low level introduction to some of the more important phrases and sounds in the French language.

"Good for review only. Not for beginner learner."
I found this really difficult to learn from. Since I had spoken French many years ago, I was able to remember some things. It was then that I realized this was actually quite effective for reviewing a language I was rusty in. And the voice recognition software was useful in refining my accent.
I did think the voice recognition was a bit picky. I thought I had a fairly good accent. But the software wanted it to be exactly how the computer voice pronounced it--even so much as requiring me to raise and lower my voice.
Overall, I would not recommend it to someone wanting to learn a new language. I would recommend it to someone wishing to brush-up or improve a language they're already familiar with.


"Instant Immersion French Deluxe CDs"
it would be helpful to have a base (know the pronunciation and a few words)

"Great for refreshing rusty knowledge"
I can see why a complete beginner would not like this software. I agree that it would be difficult for a beginner to use. The glossary and the grammar instruction are not placed in obvious locations. You end up having to 'stumble across' them. However, once you do find them, they are in fact pretty useful, providing pronunciation for all glossary words and useful examples of grammar. This software would definitely not offer the same benefits as a traditional beginning French class though.

As a supplement to a class, or for those who are rusty in their French, and/or who have grammatical knowledge but who have not had much experience in interacting with those who speak the language and need work on speaking and understanding, I think it's a fantastic resource. It's been at least 10 years since I spoke French, and I found it very helpful to me in regaining my knowledge and in improving my pronunciation. It's a definite winner for those reasons, but it lacks 'user-friendliness'.

"Very good."
I really like this software. The fact that it is based on immersion (you hear the language first, and then communicate) is a real advantage of this software. Immersion has been considered the best way to learn a language, that is why spending time in a country is the best way to learn a language. That is what happens with this software, but you don't have to travel to France! It is also very complete as it involves reading, speaking, listening,...
It is a great value as well as you receive a very complete package.