| Learn Italian Now! 9.0 comes with two CDs, one of which has various key sections--useful "survival phrases", fun activities, conversations and practising speech against the voice of a native speaker. The other CD has a thorough grammar tutorial. This combination is certainly a valuable one for people who are serious about learning a language, and the product is clear and easy to use: in role-plays, phrases are highlighted in a box and their English translations placed underneath, while the voice recognition software allows you to measure your own voice against that of a native speaker and the games hone the things that have been learned. Sections are tailored to various activities, such as getting around, going out and business situations, while at any point you can call up a grammar tutorial that will explain a topic in more detail. The section on survival phrases will be of much use to those who have already reached a basic level. There are several practice dialogues based on common situations--in the hotel, the bar, the airport, etc.--with some examples that demonstrate a wicked sense of humour. Although some of the advice borders on the infantile ("When you decide to travel outside the USA, you will probably need a passport"), much of it is useful and rounds out a well-composed package for someone starting out on the road to using the language overseas. --Toby Green |