fluenz mandarin,levels 1&2 with supplemental audio cds and podcasts

CALICO Journal, 30(1), p-p 124-141. doi: 10.11139/cj.30.1.124-141 © 2013 CALICO Journal

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Software Review: FluenzTM Mandarin, Levels 1&2 with Supplemental Audio CDs and Podcasts VICTOR DIAS DE OLIVEIRA SANTOS

Iowa State University SOFTWARE EVALUATION OUTLINE

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Despite being relatively young in the CALL market, the FluenzTM language teaching software is rapidly joining the ranks of well-established and successful tools. FluenzTM came as a response to what its founders considered to be a CALL market dominated by language learning applications that showed a disconnect between the needs of language learners and the material presented to them. Many of these applications, according to the founders of FluenzTM, placed technology above learning, making use of advanced technological features without truly reflecting on how the technology might contribute to effective language learning.

Product Type Drill and Practice, tutorial

Language(s) Mandarin Chinese

Level

Beginner to Lower Intermediate

Activities Pronunciation, dialogue repetition, listening comprehension, transcription, vocabulary learning, matching, word recognition, spelling practice

Media format DVD-ROM with software installation and respective language levels; Audio CD; Online resources (podcasts and flashcards)

Operating System(s)

Windows XP / Vista / 7 Mac OS X 10.3 or above

Hardware Requirements

1 GHz processor or faster; 1GB of RAM; 16-bit sound card; built-in or USB microphone and speakers; CD/DVD drive; 1024 x 768 display resolution; video card.

Supplementary Software

None

Documentation

Activation code; 30-page explanatory booklet; user’s guide; quick-reference booklet with basic words and sentences.

Price

Levels 1 & 2 Set: $338 Levels 1, 2 & 3 Set: $398 (30 day, 100% money back guarantee)

CALICO Journal, 30(1) Victor D. O. Santos

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Members of the FluenzTM development team are bilingual. Sonia Gil (hereafter Sonia), one of the founders of the company and the human tutor that users see in the video parts of the FluenzTM Mandarin software, spent six months learning Mandarin in China. She did this in order to better understand the difficulties and struggles that an English speaker typically goes through when learning Mandarin: “Our programs are centered on the most important element of a great learning experience: an insightful teacher to guide us through the process, explaining in plain English how things work” (software booklet). Figure 1 Sonia, the tutor for the Mandarin lessons

FluenzTM makes use of what its developers have termed leverage learning, which involves comparing the syntax, phonology, and vocabulary of the target language (Mandarin, in this case) to those of English. Leverage learning, in these terms, can thus be understood as accelerated learning by means of direct comparison with English. Moreover, the developers of FluenzTM believe that failing to take account of students’ L1 in foreign language teaching completely ignores evidence showing that adults have lost the innate language acquisition abilities they once had as children (Bialystok & Hakuta, 1999; Birdsong, 2006a; Bley-Vroman, 1989; Mueller, 2005). The FluenzTM Mandarin 1+2 program makes use of advanced technology and computer graphics in conjunction with a format that makes learners feel as if they are having a private Mandarin class. As described below, there are also myriad opportunities for learners to practice the content learned in each lesson. The course is comprised of the following: a DVD with the actual software, containing the videos and exercises for 45 lessons (each lesson takes from one to slightly over two hours to complete); an audio CD containing eight tracks that review the content of the DVD lessons (each track should be studied at the end of roughly five DVD lessons); a podcast package (consisting of 15 audio files) that complements the audio CD tracks in terms of content and provides extra practice focusing on essential grammar and comprehension activities (such as dialogues) not covered in the Audio CD; and online flashcards. The structure of the 45 lessons contained in the DVD (see Figure 2) is basically the same for all lessons: steps numbered 1-3 and 17 below, and exercises numbered 4-16, 13 types in

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total, that users go through in each lesson in their order of presentation in the DVD. Each of these will be explained in detail. Figure 2 The home screen

1. Lesson-specific introduction by Sonia (video) 2. Lesson-specific dialogue in three versions: a) no subtitles; b) captions in pinyin1;

and c) captions in pinyin + subtitles in English 3. Discussion, explanation and thorough analysis of the language in the dialogue by

Sonia (video) 4. Repeat the words 5. Match the words 6. Choose the best image 7. Write the words you read 8. Write the phrase you read 9. Write the words you hear 10. Write the phrase you hear 11. Pick out the word you know 12. Basic Conversation (microphone required) 13. Advanced Conversation (microphone required) 14. Type the conversation 15. Match the phrases 16. Repeat the phrases 17. Concluding words by Sonia (video)

Each lesson usually focuses on one specific and relevant communicative situation and on the grammar and vocabulary necessary for engaging successfully in that communicative scenario. As shown in Figure 2 above, lesson 3 focuses on ordering coffee and water at the restaurant. In addition, through the FluenzTM website2, users have access to a series of flashcards corresponding to each of the lessons in the DVD. These flashcards allow the users to practice the vocabulary and structures associated with each DVD lesson.


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Documentation

The documentation that accompanies the FluenzTM Mandarin software includes the activation code, a colorful 30-page booklet explaining what motivated the development of the FluenzTM

software, a User’s guide and a small booklet containing a variety of relevant and useful essential Mandarin words and sentences (along with their translations in English) in both pinyin and Mandarin characters. The software’s website has a FAQ section and information for users who would like to contact the company either through email or over the phone. A live chat is available from 9am – 8pm Eastern time. Lastly, a forum allows users to interact directly with Sonia and other members of the development team, discussing glitches found in the software, making suggestions or asking for clarifications. The user posts made on the forum are usually promptly evaluated by the team and if changes are eventually made to the software, users can download the new updates from the FluenzTM website free of charge. EVALUATION

Technological Features

The software can either be installed to a local drive or run directly from the DVD. For testing purposes, FluenzTM Mandarin 1+2 was installed on a MacBook Pro laptop running Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6) without any problems. The complete installation took about 18 minutes. After clicking on the setup icon, users are asked to agree to the User Agreement. Apart from occasional breaks in the optional background music (these also occur sometimes when running from the local drive) and a slightly slower loading time for the video tutorials, running the software directly from the DVD does not lead to a lesser experience. The FluenzTM software ensures that the users take an active role in their learning, having to constantly attend to the software. This active attention is achieved in various ways. Most noticeably, the explanations of the linguistic content covered in the initial dialogue of each lesson is provided in the form of a video, in which Sonia herself (the tutor) directly interacts with her environment. Computer graphics allow the tutor in the video to easily manipulate words from one location on the screen to another and to add color to words and sentences “on the spot”, so to speak, according to their grammatical position in the sentence (Figure 3). These graphical features have great potential to appeal to visual and kinesthetic language learners alike, ensuring that they pay close and active attention to their personal tutor’s explanations.


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Figure 3 Use of advanced graphics to explain lexical and sentence structure

The dialogues in the lessons come in three different versions: a) without any subtitles, b) with captions in pinyin, and c) with captions in pinyin and subtitles in English. During the dialogues, users have the option of re-playing the current sentence and going back or forward in the conversation. In fact, users must press the corresponding buttons in order to advance the conversation sentence by sentence. The pedagogical implications of these design choices and the control over the software it gives users will be discussed below. An unusual, yet quite interesting feature of FluenzTM is the option of turning off/on the background music available at all times the software is active. The background music has a Chinese theme and might be welcomed by and enhance the learning experience of some learners3. In addition to the control buttons for replaying or advancing the audio dialogues, users also have access to navigation controls, allowing them to go back to a previous question/ exercise or move on to the next one. During all exercises, users can choose to access a virtual dictionary containing the most important Mandarin words used in the program along with their translations in English. It is also possible for users to conduct a search for specific words in the dictionary or access the lexical entries according to their first letter. During exercises that target writing practice (exercises 7-10 and 14 in the list of exercises above), the system allows users to activate/deactivate what is termed challenge mode. When challenge mode is on, the written input provided by users is only accepted if all the tone diacritics of the Mandarin words (spelled in pinyin) are correct. If the user wants the system to ignore the tone marks and thus render the writing practice less difficult, it is possible to deactivate challenge mode. The system itself provides users with keyboard shortcuts for writing the Mandarin tone marks. In two of the pronunciation exercises (4 and 16 above), users can see a translation of the Mandarin sentence/words simply by clicking on them (Figure 4). This function, in addition to the Words button mentioned above, saves users a substantial amount of time that might be otherwise spent looking for lexical terms in a dictionary (be it internal or external to the software).


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Figure 4 Translation function

By hovering the cursor over the lesson numbers on the home screen (Figure 2 above), users can see the communication events and grammar points targeted in a specific lesson at the bottom of the screen. As we can also see in Figure 2, the program keeps track of the last lesson and exercise a user has visited. It is important to note here, however, that the system does not keep track of which exercises or lessons have been completed or not. For all the exercises in which an answer must either be typed or selected by the user (exercises 5-11 and 14-15 in the list) a different sound is used to indicate correct or incorrect answers/choices. In addition, an Answer button is available in case the user simply does not know the answer and would like the system to provide it. With regard to what users are supposed to do for each exercise type, FluenzTM proves to be quite user-friendly. The program offers a Help function that informs the user as to what is required in each exercise. This function is available in both video (as a tutorial) and written formats for each of the exercise types (Figure 5).


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Figure 5 The Help function

An important point in which the FluenzTM software differs from some major CALL applications is in their use of technology for the speaking exercises. Whereas some programs make use of speech recognition technology in order to give users feedback on the accuracy of their pronunciation, FluenzTM does not attempt to do so. As Santos (2011) notes, the use of a speech recognition system that is far from optimal could “lead to entrenched pronunciation problems” (p. 192). FluenzTM does, however, allow users to record their utterances during the speaking/conversation exercises, in which users pretend to be taking part in a dialogue by playing the role of one of the characters in the dialogue they listened to at the beginning of the lesson. In spite of its great potential for fluency development, one problem concerns the recording feature of the Basic Conversation exercise: it is not possible to pause the recording. The only available buttons are record, stop (which stops the whole recording and does not allow for something to be recorded from that point forward) and play. In the Advanced Conversation exercise, one significant problem is that pressing the stop button does not actually stop the recording, but simply moves the dialogue to the next sentence. In sum, FluenzTM has quite impressive graphics and an attractive user interface. It also makes use of technology in a way that not only allows for good language learning and practice opportunities, but which also puts technology in the service of learning. The problem identified with regard to the use of technology (the problem with the stop button discussed above) only impacts quality in a minor way. Activities (Procedure)

In this section, we describe the activities and steps outlined in the list provided at the beginning of this review in their respective order as well as the tracks on the Audio CD, the podcasts, and the online flashcards. The FluenzTM software makes use of activities of a predominantly instructional type. Some of the activities also have a certain indirect communicative nature, as will be explained below.


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1. Lesson-specific introduction by Sonia

In this short video presentation (approximately thirty seconds), Sonia introduces the learners to the topic of the lesson and explains the relevance of that topic and its related grammatical structures/vocabulary for someone learning Mandarin Chinese. Quite often, Sonia also takes the opportunity to encourage users in their learning, acknowledging the existence of some difficult language areas but reassuring users that they will master all of the content on the DVD through practice. 2. Lesson-specific dialogue

These dialogues feature Lisa (an American woman learning Mandarin) and another conversational partner. They introduce users to key language in context, and users are exposed for the first time to the topic of the lesson and its related linguistic structures and vocabulary. FluenzTM recommends that learners listen to the dialogue three times: first without any written aid, second with captions in pinyin and, lastly, with captions in pinyin and subtitles in English. 3. Discussion, explanation and analysis of dialogue language

In this section of the DVD, Sonia explains and analyzes all the words and structures used in the dialogue, pointing out salient features, in what can be considered to be a very deductive approach. 4. Repeat the words

This is a classic drill exercise. Users see a series of sentences and words on the screen and are asked to repeat them. Users hear each word/sentence by playing the audio recorded by a native speaker of Mandarin. This is good pronunciation practice, especially for a tonal language such as Mandarin. As mentioned in the previous section, students also have the chance of seeing the translation of the words/sentences by clicking on them, which helps them with pair-associate learning. 5. Match the words

For this activity (Figure 6), learners have to match the Mandarin sentences in the left column to their respective English translation in the right column. This activity in fact practices passive recognition (Tight, 2010). If users do the exercise by trying to match the English sentences to their Mandarin equivalent instead, this could become active recognition.


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Figure 6 Match the Words

6. Choose the best image

In this activity, users see four photos, one of which matches the sentence or word (in the target language) shown on the screen. Learners have already encountered these words or sentences before and are simply strengthening their lexical knowledge, instead of having to learn the meaning of new words and sentences from pictures that could represent several different concepts. 7-10. Write the words you read; Write the phrase you read; Write the words you hear; Write the phrase you hear In activities 7 and 8, learners write the Mandarin translation for the English words and sentences indicated. This is an opportunity for learners to practice their spelling and strengthen the words/sentences they have already learned. In the case of the sentences, this also allows students to practice and to reflect on Mandarin grammar. It is important to note here that learners get feedback on the accuracy of their answer (through different system sounds for correct and incorrect answers). Activity 8 is also good for chunk acquisition and practice, which are integral parts of fluency. Activities 9 and 10 give learners the chance to practice their spelling skills, in addition to some limited listening practice. 11. Pick out the word you know

In Pick out the word you know, the user has to listen to a sentence and choose, from three written options, the one that contains a word heard in the sentence. This activity must be understood within the FluenzTM philosophy of helping leaners develop language learning strategies (see Teacher Fit section). Since in real life we will all participate in or listen to a conversation in which we will only be able to understand a few words, we must use that information in order to try and get a gist of what is being discussed. This exercise has the potential to help learners develop this strategy. However, given the fact that only one sentence is used, it might function more as a mere identification exercise than one in which learners actually have to use higher-level reasoning skills in order to arrive at the gist of a given discourse. Longer and more contextualized stretches of discourse would, in this reviewer’s opinion, be more beneficial to learners.


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12. Basic conversation

In this first of two conversation practice exercises, learners have the opportunity to practice the lesson dialogue by participating in it. As can be seen in Figure 7 below, users can play and record the lines from the original dialogue at selected times, while inserting their own voices in the dialogue at the appropriate moment (according to the user’s own time). This controlled practice helps learners develop fluency and solidify words and structures they have learned so far in the lesson. In addition, users have the chance to perfect their own pronunciation by comparing it to that of native speakers, whether they wish to record it or not. By recording their own voice, learners can also better evaluate how satisfied they are with their own Mandarin pronunciation. It should be noted that the dialogue lines (sentences) are all in the same color (black). Having the system keep track of and highlight the last sentence played would help learners better identify the current point in the dialogue. This exercise is, however, better described as a mixture of reading and pronunciation practice, since learners will certainly be very tempted to peek at the dialogue lines. The activity acts, nonetheless, as the perfect bridge and preparation for the next one, which approximates a more authentic speaking activity. Figure 7 Basic Conversation

13. Advanced Conversation

In contrast to Basic Conversation, learners in this exercise have no control over the pace of the conversation or their role in it. Users are assigned one of the roles in the dialogue and have the chance to record this dialogue, in which the other role is played by the system. Users also have the option of hiding the dialogue transcript and trying to remember the lines, which is quite useful for fluency development. Through this activity, learners have a chance to engage in a more authentic Mandarin conversation without resorting to visual support. This activity has excellent potential for getting learners to respond and act quickly by using the conversational chunks learned so far. However, given the fact that the pauses between the end of the learners’ response and the new line by the system can take up to ten seconds, this renders the exercise less useful for its original purpose. A reduction in this interval would be quite beneficial for helping learners increase their fluency. In addition, the previous controlled practice in Basic Conversation makes this long pause even less necessary and perhaps even detrimental.


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14. Type the conversation

In this exercise, learners listen to the lines of the dialogue one at a time and must type out the sentence(s) in each line after listening to it. This is another spelling exercise, even though it does involve some limited writing practice. In this activity, users also have the opportunity to reinforce the language learned so far. 15. Match the phrases

Despite the different name, this is exactly the same as Match the Words. 16. Repeat the phrases

Basically, this is the same as Repeat the Words, except that instead of single words, sentences are used. 17. Concluding words

In this last part of every lesson, Sonia reminds the learner of what they learned and practiced in the session, in addition to indicating what will be studied in the next lesson. In some lessons, Sonia takes the opportunity to provide words of encouragement and “boost the ego” of learners by making them aware of the various things they have already learned and just how far they have gotten. Audio CDs

The Audio CD for FluenzTM Mandarin 1+2 contains eight tracks. Each track on the Audio CD corresponds to a cycle of between 5-8 DVD lessons. Learners should listen to each track once they have completed the corresponding lessons on the DVD. The conversations on the Audio CD take place between Sonia and Yi Way, a native speaker of Mandarin and member of the FluenzTM team. Each track begins with a vocabulary and tones exercise, in which key vocabulary from the lessons is reviewed and learners practice distinguishing and producing the various Mandarin tones. Then, grammar is reviewed and practiced. The vocabulary and sentences are provided in English and have to be translated into Mandarin. The vocabulary reviews, which involve translations from English to Mandarin, are quite fast-paced and force users to think on their feet and develop fluency. Podcasts

The conversations in the podcasts take place between Yi Way and Eric Biewener, a FluenzTM development team member who learns Mandarin during the podcasts. This arrangement places Eric in the role of the leaner and the entire podcast “lesson” feels quite personal and relevant to the needs of real FluenzTM users. The FluenzTM podcasts review essential grammar and comprehension not covered on the Audio CD, making both elements complementary to one another. In addition, information and pointers about Chinese culture are provided and, in some of the podcasts, users are exposed to a longer dialogue between Yi and another native Mandarin speaker. These dialogues include words and sentences studied in the corresponding DVD sessions and words that have not been encountered previously, so as to give learners a chance to develop their context-driven inductive techniques with authentic Mandarin conversations. Eric or Yi pose both general and detailed comprehension questions to the listeners based on short excerpts of the dialogue and then help them zero in on the linguistic cues in the dialogue that can help them answer those questions. This is certainly a special asset of the FluenzTM software and methodology. At the same time that Eric and Yi help learners develop their listening skills, they analyze and translate the language used in the dialogue. At the end of these podcasts, the dialogue is presented again, line by line, with each line heard first in Mandarin and then translated into English.


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Online Flashcards

The flashcards can be studied on the FluenzTM website and are available for each lesson on the DVD. The flashcards can be studied in three different types (formats): Oldschool, Writing, and Supermix. Oldschool allows the user to first see the word or sentence either in English or Mandarin (this can be inverted with a click of a button) and then, after pressing a button, see the translation in the other language. Since the source language can be easily inverted, this allows for the practice of both active and passive recall, which involve two different levels of processing (once again showing a theoretically-driven use of technology). In the Writing type, users see an English word or sentence on the screen and have to write its translation in Mandarin (pinyin). In this type, learners can turn Challenge mode on/off (checking for tone accuracy). The user also hears the pronunciation of the Mandarin word if the input is accurate or if the user decides to have the system provide the answer. The Supermix type is simply a mixture of the two types discussed above. The flashcards can also be studied in three different modes: Linear, Random and Super Random. Linear mode means that the cards are presented in the order suggested by FluenzTM. In Random, the order in which the cards are presented is randomized to some extent, and in Super Random the cards are completely randomized. Users can combine any type with any mode and also revise words and sentences from more than one lesson by selecting all the DVD lessons they would like the cards to be drawn from (Figure 8). Figure 8 Online Flashcards

Teacher Fit (Approach)

The activities and design decisions present in the FluenzTM Mandarin 1+2 software show the high level of attention its developers have placed on creating a language learning software that is not only visually attractive and makes good use of technological features, but one that is also pedagogically sound. According to Krashen’s (1985) Affective Filter Hypothesis, certain emotions like anxiety and boredom can have negative effects upon the amount of language input a listener is able to


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understand. Ellis (2008) also points out that if learners feel that they are not progressing in their learning, this can negatively “influence the rate of L2 acquisition and the ultimate level of achievement” (p. 954). Sonia, in her videos, manages to reduce a possible affective blockage by constantly reassuring learners that in due time they will be able to overcome whatever difficulties they encounter and by constantly reminding learners of how much linguistic material they have already mastered, thus increasing the users’ self-esteem and confidence in their language learning potential. Fluenz’sTM pedagogical rationale for their leverage learning is based on a clear and explicit assumption: adolescents and adults simply do not learn languages the same way as children. This idea finds substantial support in the literature (Bley-Vroman, 1989; Ruben, 1997). Therefore, Fluenz’sTM leverage learning approach, in which the structure of the target language (Mandarin, in this case) is directly contrasted to that of the English language makes pedagogical and theoretical sense. One might claim that direct and explicit comparison with English is not necessary, since learners could still reflect on the linguistic characteristics of English even if the learning method they use took an exclusively inductive approach to language learning. However, there is a substantial amount of evidence showing that an explicit (deductive) approach to language learning has benefits over an implicit (inductive) one (Dekeyser, 1995; Spada, 2010). Chapelle (2001) also points out that “teachers have the responsibility of drawing learners’ attention to the need to be aware of the language that they are acquiring in such a way that they can take stock of where they are and plan for their own development” (p. 50). FluenzTM does, however, allow for some implicit learning to take place. When listening to the dialogues that form the foundation of each DVD session, learners are advised not to use English subtitles during the first two times they listen to the dialogue. Thus, learners have the opportunity to develop their own hypotheses before seeing the English subtitles and before watching the video tutorial with explanations provided by Sonia (exercise 3 in the list above). This allows learners with different (and sometimes opposing) preferences to benefit from using the software. The FluenzTM program includes what some researchers (Ellis, 2008; Ellis & Barkhuizen, 2005; Norris & Ortega, 2009; Skehan, 1998) believe to be the three elements important for balanced goal development in L2 tasks: fluency, accuracy and complexity. The development of fluency, which depends on the memorization of longer chunks of language is made possible by the constant exposure and practice that learners have with the language in each of the DVD dialogues. Santos, Verspoor & Nerbonne (2012) point out that the number of chunks present in learners’ written productions has a very high correlation with their proficiency level. The various exercise formats found in FluenzTM allow users to repeatedly practice those structures in a form of drill that, despite the negative connotations often associated with constant repetition of linguistic material, lead to the automatization of those structures. A focus on accuracy is achieved by several means, including the fact that the system only allows users to proceed in an exercise once a correct/accurate answer has been provided. Another way in which accuracy is emphasized is through the use of Challenge Mode for both the writing activities on the DVD and for the flashcard practice. In Challenge Mode, only accurate spelling of the pinyin words with the correct tone accents (diacritics) is accepted by the system. The level of complexity, which is understood as the amount of attention the task demands from learners, varies among the different tasks and exercises in the program. Some exercises, such as Repeat the Words or Choose the best image do not demand much attention from the learners. In contrast, activities such as Pick out the word you know and Advanced Conversation (especially if the transcript is hidden) demand a higher level of attention. All in all, FluenzTM exposes the users to tasks of varying levels of fluency, accuracy and complexity requirements.


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The amount of control (stopping, advancing, replaying) that the system allows the users also has theoretical support (Morley, 2001). The fact that learners must press a button in order to advance each turn in the dialogues, for instance, prevents users from assuming a passive role when listening to the lesson dialogues on the DVD. In addition, the option to have the captions and subtitles available while listening to the dialogues facilitates language learning and other cognitive processes users must utilize when practicing their listening skills (Bird & Williams, 2002). Moreover, Fluenz’sTM decision to provide three different forms of the dialogue and their recommendation that leaners watch them in a certain prescribed order shows the pedagogical concern with helping users develop better listening strategies. The same effect would probably not be achieved if the application provided a single form of the video and a button for turning captions and subtitles on/off. It must be said, however, that despite its numerous qualities, the FluenzTM software does have some minor problems that the reviewer believes should be addressed. One of these issues is related to the fact that the online flashcards do not make use of spaced repetition. The advantages, efficiency and effectiveness of spaced-repetition applications such as Anki4, are well-established. In the reviewer’s opinion, the use of the random algorithm does not provide any advantages that go beyond the prevention of the memorization of the order of presentation. This same benefit, and much more, can however be achieved through the use of spaced repetition. Another minor issue is that at no point in the program can the learner listen to a complete and uninterrupted version of the dialogue. Such an option would provide users not only with more authentic listening practice but also give them the chance to develop fluency and improve pronunciation with the practice of techniques such as shadowing, in which learners repeat the dialogue with a very small delay. Lastly, the background images shown during the dialogues are only slightly related to the dialogues and are the same for a given character, regardless of their specific lines in the dialogues. These so-called context visuals, however, have been shown to be of little value in improving comprehension of the dialogues that they accompany (Suvorov, 2009). The use of various pictures more directly related to the conversations would, therefore, be more authentic and provide the situational clues one would usually find when being exposed to the language through immersion. The use of unrelated (or only slightly related) pictures has, therefore, very little benefit for the listening activity. One last addition to the software that would be beneficial is the introduction of longer written dialogues (slightly extended reading practice) every five lessons or so, in order to give users the opportunity to practice reading in a way that goes beyond the exposure to single sentences taken directly from the lesson dialogues. All in all, the tasks, content and design decisions present in the FluenzTM software have a sound theoretical foundation and are quite beneficial for the development of foreign language skills and competence. Learner Fit (Design)

FluenzTM Mandarin 1+2 is a program made by language learners and for language learners. As such, the program seems to have the best interest of leaners at heart and focuses on providing users with good opportunities for language learning. As Chapelle (2001) notes, language learning potential is the main factor to be considered when assessing the quality of CALL tasks. The FluenzTM development team has made informed pedagogical and design decisions that are quite often, in other CALL applications, either ignored or simply left for users to figure


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out on their own. One of these informed decisions is to provide users with three different versions of the dialogues and actively suggest the order in which these should be viewed/listened to: first without any captions or subtitles, then with pinyin captions and, lastly, with both pinyin captions and English subtitles. What this does in practice is teach learners strategies that will prove beneficial for the development of their listening skills. Users who decide to ignore Fluenz’sTM advice can still access the English subtitles in the first listening if they wish, once again showing that users with varying preferences can benefit from the design of the software. Some users might be disappointed by the fact that FluenzTM does not make use of, or provide any information about, Chinese characters. However, what might be regarded by some as a weakness of the software is in this reviewer’s opinion one of its strengths. Given the fact that learning Mandarin can be quite overwhelming for most English speakers, the conscious decision by the FluenzTM development team to use pinyin instead makes the learning process easier, faster and more enjoyable for the majority of users. The program caters to both deductive and inductive learners. Inductive learners will benefit from not making instant use of the Words function (which allows users to check the meaning of words in the internal dictionary) and from first listening to the dialogues without captions or subtitles. More deductive users (who prefer direct explanations of how things work) will benefit from the explanations provided by Sonia and from making use of the Words button. The software also caters to visual, auditory and, to some extent, kinesthetic learners. By having learners control the flow of the activities, the program makes it harder for users to fall into a passive and non-attentive role. Kinesthetic learners will especially like having to constantly click in order to advance through the tasks and activities. Visual learners will benefit especially from using captions and subtitles, in addition to completing the activities that make use of videos and images. Auditory leaners will benefit especially from the extra practice provided by the Audio CD tracks and the podcasts. The ability to turn Challenge Mode on/off will be quite welcomed both by the more demanding students and by students who prefer to take their learning more lightly. The option to deactivate the accuracy check of the tone diacritics can reduce the anxiety and frustration of the latter learner group. Learners interested in developing more advanced communication skills, such as participating in a real communicative event with other speakers of the language, will have to find such opportunities elsewhere. This can, however, be achieved by participating in online forums available on the Internet. Lastly, the structure of the Audio CD tracks and the podcasts makes learners feel as if they are having a private lesson, giving the language learning process an intimate and personal feel. SUMMARY

FluenzTM Mandarin 1+2 is a language learning software that does justice to the CALL acronym. The software is user-centered and user-friendly, grounded in applied linguistics theory and findings. Moreover, most of the few shortcomings identified in this review can likely be easily addressed by the development team. The activities, structure, and design of FluenzTM provide evidence of the fact that pedagogy, theory, and a desire for successful learning lie at the core of the application. The program makes use of technology in order to facilitate language learning and manages to cater to diverse, and many times opposing, learning styles.


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SCALED RATING (1-low - 5-high)

Pedagogical Features: 5 Sociolinguistic Accuracy: 4.5 Use of Computer Capabilities: 4.5 Ease of Use (Student Teacher): 5 Overall Evaluation: 4.5 Value for Money: 4.0 PRODUCER DETAILS

FLUENZ TM 1000 5th Street, Suite 200 Miami Beach, FL, 33139 USA Phone: +1 877 358-3695 Media Contact: Eric Biewener Email: [email protected] Website: www.fluenz.com NOTES 1 Pinyin is the official system for transcribing Chinese characters into Latin script.

2 http://fluenz.com/commons

3 De Groot (2006) researched the effect of background music (in her experiment, part of the Bradenburg concerto by J. S. Bach was used) on paired-associate learning of foreign vocabulary. The results of the experiment indicated that the background music used increased the learning of infrequent words by 11.6% and the learning of frequent words by 5.8%. In addition, in no cases was there a detrimental effect of background music on learning observed.

4 ankisrs.net

REFERENCES

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The reviewer would like to kindly thank Ruslan Suvorov and Sinem Sonsaat (Iowa State University) for their valuable comments on some of the points in this review and also Zhi Li (Iowa State University) for providing information on Mandarin Chinese. Special thanks go to Lara Lomicka (University of South Carolina) for her comments on drafts on this review.


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REVIEWER’S BIODATA

Victor Dias de Oliveira Santos holds a BA in Linguistics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil) and an MA in Language and Communication Technologies from the University of Saarland (Germany) and the University of Groningen (Netherlands). At the moment, Mr. Santos is a PhD student in Applied Linguistics and Technology at Iowa State University (USA), where he specializes in Computer Assisted Language Learning and in Language Testing, in addition to teaching ESL classes at the university’s Intensive English Orientation Program. REVIEWER’S ADDRESS

Email: [email protected]

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