"Review of Learn Spanish Now!"

If I rated this product solely on the basis of content, it would receive more than 3 stars. Unfortunately, I have to also rate a product on the effectiveness of its teaching approach. Although this product has many hours of content, like most software based foreign-language learning products, it fails to provide an effective method for learning how to speak Spanish.

To read this whole review of Learn Spanish Now! please visit Amazon.com

Learning Spanish Like Crazy is my number one pick. The course is audio-based. From listening to some of my students that I have recommended the course to, it seems that this course helps you develop a Latin American accent that is almost perfect. Although the teaching method is a lot like Pimsleur's teaching method, I found that the speakers in Pimsleur weren't lively enough and would eventually cause the student to grow bored which results in the student studying less. The speakers in Learning Spanish Like Crazy were more fun to listen to.

The vocabulary in Pimsleur was also limited and dated. Learning Spanish Like Crazy covered more vocabulary than Pimsleur and the vocabulary in Learning Spanish Like Crazy was also more like the everyday Spanish that Latin Americans speak.

The reason why I am not giving this course 4 1/2 or 5 stars is because at the present time, LSLC is only offering one level. When I contacted the company I was told that level 2 would be released in the Spring of 2006 and the company has plans of releasing a Level 3 and possibly a Level 4. You can order Learning Spanish Like crazy at their website LearningSpanishLikeCrazy.com. At their web site, they offer a $97 instant downloadable version and a Premium CD package with almost 50 CDs for $347.00. But the premium package only has about 15 CDs from Learning Spanish Like Crazy, and the remaining CDs are from FSI (Foreign Service Institute Spanish).

You can also buy the Learning Spanish Like Crazy CDs (without the FSI CDs) at Amazon.com for $217.00.

Pimsleur Spanish I also gets 4 stars. The Pimsleur teaching method is one of the best teaching methods if not the very best. Pimsleur also gives the student several of levels of Spanish lessons for the student to improve his or her Spanish, including three comprehensive levels (15 hours each) and a plus level. With the Pimsleur method you will be able to recall almost everything that you learn. But I am not going to give Pimsleur 4 1/2 or 5 stars for couple of reasons. Unlike Learning Spanish Like Crazy, the vocabulary was dated and a little too formal. A great deal of the the vocabulary is not the vocabulary that Latin Americans use in everyday speech nowadays. It's certainly not the vocabulary that my college-educated friends and my non-college educated relatives use in our everyday conversations. But don't consider that a major drawback of Pimsleur Spanish. Latin Americans will still understand you with the Pimsleur Spanish vocabulary and will appreciate your effort to speak Spanish.

You can order Pimsleur Spanish I for $217.35 at Amazon.com

Rocket Spanish also received 3 1/2 stars. This a new course that was just released in 2005. The instructor on the recordings is Mauricio Evlampieff, a native of Chile. Mauricio uses a brilliant teaching method that makes the learning-Spanish experience most enjoyable. He incorporates flash card games and other methods to make the learning experience easy and fun.

Despite Mauricio's fun and easy learning approach, I am only giving Rocket Spanish 3 1/2 stars. Mainly because the course is limited to beginner level Spanish and offers little for the intermediate or advanced student. In any case, if you are a beginner or the type of person that loses interest easily when learning unless you are having fun, then I highly recommend Mauricio Evlampieff's Rocket Spanish.

Rocket Spanish offers a 25 CD version of the course for $299.95 and a digital downloadable version for $99.95.