Strokes International (Italian) Review

Costs:

FREE Download of 3 complete beginner lessons!
Save 10% on all downloads
Buy individual levels on DVD-ROM for $136 or download for $123
Buy levels 1 and 2 for $205 or download for $184 (save 25%)
Buy levels 1, 2 and 3 for $274 or download for $246 (save 30%)
Free shipping to Switzerland, Germany and Austria, € 10 shipping within the EU or €27 outside the EU

Prices are subject to change. For the most up to date information, please refer to the actual website.

Features:

Complete and comprehensive Italian course from beginners to advanced levels including business Italian
All components covered; reading, writing, listening, speaking, vocab and grammar
100 lessons per level
Covers levels A1 to C1 of the European Framework for Language
Trainer exercises: Practice grammar, pronunciation, conversations and vocabulary
- Dialog trainer including 4 types of exercise:
  - Dictation
  - Translation
  - Listen and understand
  - Listen and speak
    - Each level contains 100 dialogs
- Grammar trainer: contains 450 exercises and 260 topics
Extensive reference section
- Audio dictionary
- Grammar explanations
- Verb conjugator
- Words and sentences in lessons linked directly to reference section
Personalized study plans: choose how you progress according to your individual learning priorities
Advanced speech recognition technology including pronunciation training and interactive dialogs
Track progress through recording your exercise scores
Flashcards: the tried and tested vocab memorization tool
Available on DVD-ROM or internet download
Great deals available when buying all levels as a package or purchase individually depending on your specific needs
Print lessons and export audio to CD or Mp3 allowing you to learn 'on the go'
Teaching language available in German, English or French

Editor's Verdict:

Those looking for advanced technology and extensive content with no thrills needn't look any further than Stokes International. The box set will take you from complete beginner to an advanced level or you can buy the levels individually depending on your existing understanding of Italian. Stokes International covers both business and everyday Italian as well as all components of a comprehensive language learning course. Users are exposed to reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocab and grammar, all aimed at getting you speaking confidently in a short amount of time. This way you will be able to apply your Italian as soon as possible, further consolidating the learning process. Furthermore, a variety of multimedia and innovative activities engage your brain in different ways which not only holds users' attention but also optimizes the memorization process. Each level consists of 100 lessons which you can print and / or export to CD or Mp3 in order to keep learning 'on the go'.

Compared to many competitors, Strokes International's user interface is far from flashy. It could even appear quite basic considering what you pay for this product. However, Stokes International pride themselves on this 'easy learning' approach. Although, potentially feeling a bit dry, (which may put off younger learners), if you are used to working with computers Stokes International will be very easy to use as opposed to some products which can be too flashy for their own good. Basically, the set up consists of a series of windows on your computer each containing different but related exercises, information and activities. Users can learn a lot of new words in a short space of time with Flashcards and memory games while the key grammatical rules are imparted through activities and exercises. We especially liked the speech recognition activities which allow you to practice what you have learnt in context as well as train your pronunciation; you can actually have an interactive dialog with your computer. We were also impressed with the Trainer Exercises which cover vocab, grammar, conversation and pronunciation and are fantastic for consolidating what you have learned.

The impressive and extensive reference section of Stokes International includes; complete grammar explanations of 260 topics; a dictionary with 6400 spoken words and 3200 example sentences; and a conjugations table with 1300 verbs. Although a lot of this is available free on the internet, what is great about Stokes International is that lessons link directly to the relevant part of the reference section making it easy to quickly and easily access the information you need without losing your place. Especially impressive is Strokes International's personalized study plan tool. Users can choose their individual priorities as an Italian learner and Strokes International puts together a personalized study program which aids access to and navigation of the extensive content on offer. Rather than a linear study program that will not necessarily suit everyone, the personalized study plan tool makes Strokes International a far more flexible option than many other products in this category.

Strokes International offer no thrills technology and content at a much lower price than most of the competition. If you have the drive to make Strokes International work for you and are not bothered about swish graphics and flashy extras this could well be the product for you. Due to the various levels available and personalized study plan it is very flexible. If you still have doubts, download lessons 1, 2 and 3 for FREE to check out their approach. You will even learn something along the way.

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Strokes International (Italian) Reviews