Auralog – Industry Endorsements and 3rd Party Reviews
Homeschool Industry Endorsements:
“This is a great product for all types of homeschoolers ….We feel this product is
the best foreign language program we have come across.”
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine®
“If you are looking for a computer software program to use for yourself or your
children in order to learn a new language, TELL ME MORE® is the best product
out there.”
Celeste Welch, Christian Character Matters, www.christiancharactermatters.com
“I was impressed with the clarity of instructions and ease of navigation. This
program presents a fun atmosphere for learning the skills critical to language
learning.”
Beverly Hernandez, About.com Homeschool Guide www.homeschooling.about.com
“What I really like about this program is the fantastic variety and flexibility of
multi-media activities. The program tracks individual student progress. It can
be set to “guided” mode (by pushing a single button) so the student is directed to
follow a certain progression. Even then, the student can still choose to work
with a lesson (or any part of a lesson) out of sequence.”
Cathy Duffy, publisher of 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum
“…And if the whole family joins in the learning, you will all be well on your way
to speaking another language before you know it!”
Dr. Anne Margaret Wright, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine®
“TELL ME MORE® is the best software option available. [It] is a superior package
that will inspire you to improve your skills, no matter what your starting level.
With the finest speech recognition tools, goal-setting abilities, and support –
TELL ME MORE® is clearly the leader in…language learning.”
Top Ten Reviews
“The TELL ME MORE language programs are wonderful – thorough, easy-to-use,
and convenient. Perfect for anyone wanting to learn a foreign language from the
comfort of their own home. Homeschool.com loves the TELL ME MORE®
programs!”
Rebecca Kochenderfer, Senior Editor, www.homeschool.com
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Customers’ Testimonials
“The program is going great! We love it. It’s comprehensive, and it keeps our
interest because of the variety of lessons…It is definitely the best program I’ve
seen, and we’ve used.”
Darlene, Homeschool Parent
“I ended picking up TELL ME MORE® software at a homeschool convention and
I am not kidding when I tell you I can't get my son off the computer when he is
doing his Spanish lessons. He really enjoys it and I love the full immersion
method. The program is so easy to navigate. I saw my friend Rosetta Stone and
she was discouraged because setting it up was so complicated that I convinced
her to return it and buy mine.”
Fanny, Homeschool mother
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Reviews:
TELL ME MORE Foreign Language Homeschool Edition:
TELL ME MORE is a foreign language computer program. This program includes four CD Rom’s
covering multiple levels: Complete Beginner, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced as well as a
headset and an audio CD. This program completely covers languages such as German, Spanish,
Japanese, French, Russian, and Italian. Each language is available for purchase separately.
To start using the program, you must first choose one of three learning modes: Guided Mode, Dynamic
Mode, and Free-to-Roam Mode. In Guided Mode you will find all of the lessons in a strict order. In
Dynamic mode the student sets the goals and the program works on the individuals needs of the
student. In Free-to-Roam mode, the student can choose between grammar, pronunciation, culture,
vocabulary lessons, or writing (typing) the language. These modes make this program a great tool for
people with some knowledge of the language to be studied, as well as one who is just starting out.
Although the manufacturer suggested age for this product is 11 and up we feel that anyone in third
grade could use this program quite successfully if motivated. Auditory and visual learners would
especially enjoy it because the words and sentences are spoken by a native speaker; and through the
use of an animated 3-D head making the mouth movements of the various sounds. This animated head
is very helpful as it shows all the movement in the mouth, palate, and face to help the student make the
sounds exactly. This program also has the ability to “listen” to the student with voice recognition
technology and tell the student whether they are speaking correctly. This is a real help when no one is
around that can speak and listen with the student; or for a family to whom the language is new.
This program was made especially for the homeschool environment. With the ability to track several
students and the ability for parents to access the content of the program with or without the answers,
whole families will benefit from this program.
This is a great product for all types of homeschoolers; unschoolers, classical schoolers, and unit study
folks alike would appreciate this program. TELL ME MORE programs could even be used as a unit
study on the country and language as it includes cultural lessons as well as geography.
In purchasing this product, people should take heed of recommended computer configuration.
We feel this product is the best foreign language program we have come across.
Product Review by Colton Dumont, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC
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Tell Me More Reviewer's Comments:
Our number one ranked product and "TopTenREVIEWS Gold award Winner" is Tell Me More
from Auralog. Tell Me More is by far the best foreign language learning product available,
offering unsurpassed speech recognition, a generous Feature Set and personalized tracking
and learning systems to help you reach your language goals successfully.
Tell Me More is designed to grow with you as your understanding of the language increases,
giving you the tools needed to learn the language well enough to communicate with native
speakers effortlessly.
• Ease of Use:
Tell Me More is extremely easy to use and can be set to three separate modes: Guided Mode,
Free-to-Roam Mode and Dynamic Mode. Each mode offers different advantages and teaching
methods; you can pick the one that best fits your learning style.
• Feature Set:
We were surprised that most language software boast about speech recognition abilities, yet
only Tell Me More includes the required headset and built-in microphone to use the feature.
Tell Me More offers several workshops, including one on grammar and vocabulary.
Understanding grammar is critical to learning a foreign language; this program offers several
exercises to teach you grammar rules, verb conjugations and key vocabulary.
Tell Me More has also developed the most impressive speech recognition program we have
seen. This feature evaluates your pronunciation and automatically detects and corrects
errors. Included also is a 3-D animation that illustrates precise lip and mouth movements to
help you learn superb pronunciation.
• Ease of Installation:
We had no problems installing Tell Me More. Even though there are four discs, installation was
simple.
• Help/Support:
Tell Me More help section is extremely good. Auralog has a button on each screen that gives
you access to content-sensitive help, so information is relevant to your task in the program.
•
Fundamentals:
Tell Me More covers all the fundamentals-from grammar to culture-for a firm command of the
language. This program also offers an unsurpassed cultural learning experience, including
information on things like geography.
•
Effectiveness:
Simply put, Tell Me More offers you everything you need to learn, including ways to stay
motivated and better keep your eye on your goal.
•
Summary:
Tell Me More is the best choice for anyone who wants to learn, retain and improve their
language skills. With the finest speech recognition tools, goal-setting abilities and fantastic
customer support, Tell Me More is clearly the leader in language learning.
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http://www.cathyduffyreviews.com/foreign-language/tell-me-more.htm
TELL ME MORE, Homeschool: foreign language courses, From Auralog
TELL ME MORE language learning programs focus upon conversational mastery through their
use of multimedia learning methods. Programs are designed by European authors to meet the
needs of education, business, and consumer markets.so they include dialogue and vocabulary
from a broad range of situations. Programs are available for Spanish, French, Italian, German,
and English. Programs in a slightly different format are also available for Arabic, Chinese,
Dutch, and Japanese. I reviewed the Homeschool Spanish course for this review.
Homeschool Versions of the Complete Courses for each of the five languages I listed first are
configured similarly with five CDs: four to run as computer programs/lessons, and a fifth
that’s strictly for audio practice. The first CD, called Complete Beginner, contains installation
files plus “beginner level lessons.” The three other program CDs are labeled for beginner,
intermediate, and advanced levels. Arabic is arranged differently but also covers four levels.
These packages do not correspond to typical high school level courses, although they do
arrange content by topic as do many textbooks, i.e., greetings, numbers and the alphabet,
animals, adjectives, food, entertainment, etc. While the publisher says that each level
corresponds to one year or more of learning the language, I would consider the entire
Complete Beginner program closer to the equivalency of three years of language study.
I place “beginner” level lessons in quotes above for an important reason. The Complete
Beginner level assumes the student’s familiarity with rudiments of pronunciation,
grammatical structure, and some vocabulary, so it fits well as a supplement beginning with
the second semester of a typical first-year Spanish course. You will need another resource for
introductory level material since TELL ME MORE will be too difficult for a first semester
student unfamiliar with the language. (If a student has already been exposed to Spanish and
is comfortable with the immersion method, he could use TELL ME MORE without previous
formal study.)
From that point, you might be able to use TELL ME MORE as your primary or only resource
for second and third year courses. There are over 950 hours of learning, in the complete
program for Spanish!
The level of difficulty increases from level to level, but a student might skip around some,
using lessons that correspond with vocabulary and topics covered in a textbook or another
course. Grammatical concepts are also covered but not as intensively as in traditional
courses.
What I really like about this program is the fantastic variety and flexibility of multi-media
activities. The program tracks individual student progress. It can be set to “guided” mode (by
pushing a single button) so the student is directed to follow a certain progression. Even then,
the student can still choose to work with a lesson (or any part of a lesson) out of sequence.
The program can also be set for “free roaming” which is just like it sounds—the student can
go anywhere he or she chooses. However, I think, initially, most students would be overwhelmed with the choices. Note that there is an activity guide included that explains all
these choices, as well as a quick-start guide.
Just a few of the activity choices—there are up to 37 for each lesson--are picture/word association, vocabulary matching, pronunciation practice (with feedback), crossword puzzles
(great for vocabulary drill), dialogues where the student actually participates with a
microphone and headphones, grammar explanations, writing from dictation (feedback
provided), and video clips with comprehension questions. The variety should motivate
students to work on language study far more than most programs that use only a few types of
activities. A grid shows student progress at a glance.
In addition to the “guided” and “free-to-roam” modes, there is a third option, “dynamic mode.”
Dynamic mode is best for someone who already has significant knowledge of the language. It
allows the student to set learning objectives, then selects activities according to those
objectives as well as according to the student’s performance on activities as he or she
progresses. The dynamic Mode evaluates your progress as you work and adjusts your
activities based on the results of previous exercises just as a teacher would. Students can
switch between modes at just about any time they wish so this isn’t an irrevocable decision.
When they do this no prior information is lost, so switching won’t inhibit tracking
Another option that might interest some learners is the total immersion approach. The
language in which instruction and directions are presented can be set to Spanish rather than
English. I don’t recommend this for any but advanced students.
All activities have helps of some sort—e.g., definitions of words show when the mouse is
placed on the Spanish words, and a check feature “circles” incorrect letters in crossword
puzzles but allows the student to make changes and continue working. Correct and incorrect
answers are shown so students can easily figure out what they missed.
Grammar instruction and vocabulary lists are included so this is not strictly a conversational
program like so many other computer-based language programs. Students also are required
to type in answers on the computer for some exercises so they get actual writing practice that
includes writing complete sentences. Foreign letters are included in a box on the screen so
students can simply select them rather than having to figure out how to create those letters
on their own keyboard.
The fifth CD is intended for drill and practice, and it will play on any CD player. Audio files of
TELL ME MORE can also be exported onto your hard drive, and then burned to another disk,
or exported to a MP3 player. Students listen, repeat, and sometimes write in response to the
CD. Some of the vocabulary practice is very elementary on this CD, but the instruction is
entirely in Spanish, and it is spoken at both a speed and level too advanced for the intended
students. Also, an occasional Castilian Spanish accent/pronunciation is sometimes
confusing. (Note: The TELL ME MORE software includes both Latin American Spanish and
Castilian Spanish.) The audio CD is not a critical part of the course so you can skip it if it
doesn’t seem useful.
A special feature for homeschoolers is a link to a website where the entire content of the
lessons is provided in PDF files. There are versions of these files both with and without
answers that you can print out. Some of the lesson content is for spoken exercises,
vocabulary practice and other exercises that don’t require written answers. In those cases, the
material is useful only for your reference. Other exercises can actually be handed to students
for review and practice work. The amount of writing required is likely still less than that of a
traditional textbook course, but it is significant compared to other computer-based courses.
Keep in mind that it is duplicating what is already presented on the computer.
There are a few negative points as far as the overall program. The vocabulary and instruction
for all the language courses seem to lean more toward adults than high school students, even
though the publisher says courses are designed for ages 11 and up. Some of the navigation is
a little tricky. In my opinion, icons are not easy to interpret, and while there are onscreen
instructions for each activity, they are sometimes a little confusing or incomplete. Still, it only
takes a little trial and error to figure out how to proceed through an activity. The quick start
guide and detailed user manual might be helpful if you have any trouble.
In addition, some dialogue lines in the Spanish program are spoken so rapidly that they are
almost impossible for a student who has not heard much Spanish to decipher—just as reallife
spoken Spanish is very difficult for beginners to decipher. This problem doesn’t occur very
often, but it’s frustrating when it does.
On the plus side, the voice recognition feature works quite well (much improved from earlier
versions of this program I had reviewed). Some pronunciation activities have graphs indicating
how close to the accurate pronunciation is achieved each time. Also, separate phonetic
exercises show 3D animations of how sounds are articulated by the mouth so students can
work on proper enunciation. This should be especially helpful for students who struggle
getting pronunciations correct.
Overall, I expect these programs will make valuable supplements for language study, especially for students working independently. They provide opportunity for conversational
practice with feedback and evaluation, a key to developing the ability to actually speak the
language.
These programs run on Windows 95 and higher systems with at least 64 MB RAM and a
sound card. Microphone and head set come with the complete program, but you can use
speakers and a separate microphone instead of the headset if you prefer.
Instant Key:
Learning Styles: all
Suitable for: independent use--supplement to foreign language course for first year,
then serves as complete course
Need for parent/teacher instruction: low
Prep time needed: 0
Religious perspective: secular
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Awards:
 
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