Magnum Language Italian Reviewer's Comments

Magnum Language Italian Pro is a good product that is basically the same as the #6-ranked product, TeachMe!. Magnum Language uses the same methods to teach Italian, namely text and audio. The program covers most of the fundamentals through four separate sections; Vocabulary Lessons, Grammar Exercises, Stories and Pronunciation. This makes the program very easy to navigate, but not nearly as comprehensive as the higher-ranked products. For instance, there is no real way to provide conversation practice to the user.

One of the best features in Magnum Language Italian Pro is the Books module. This allows people to learn Italian in the context of entire sentences and even the entire story. Following and filling in the story helps with word comprehension, grammar and vocabulary retention.

The speech recognition system is also useful for improving pronunciation because it gives specific feedback on the different parts of speech. It doesn’t seem to be quite as accurate in diagnosing problems as some other programs are, but the information is still useful.

Unfortunately, Magnum Language Italian Pro just doesn’t have as much to offer as our top-ranked products. There is no video, culture lessons, online chat with native speakers or MP3 player compatibility. It’s a useful program for learning the basics, but it probably won’t be able to go as far as other similarly-priced programs.