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  • Learning And Communicative Strategies August 23, 2012
    Communicative strategies are systematic techniques employed by a speaker to express his meaning when faced with some difficulty and the difficulty here refers to the speaker’s inadequate command of the language used in the interaction (Faerch & Kasper, 1983:16). On the other hand, the term learning strategies has been defined as “the higher-order skills […]
  • Review: Teaching Unplugged by Luke Meddings and Scott Thornbury August 13, 2012
    by Hall Houston About 8 years ago, I read an article titled “Teaching Unplugged” by Scott Thornbury in It’s for Teachers magazine. The article described a new approach to teaching languages that de-emphasized coursebooks and other teaching materials, and stressed real communication between students. This approach was loosely based on a Danish film […]
  • Living and Working in Japan: A guide for US Citizens May 23, 2012
    Japan is a stable, highly developed parliamentary democracy with a modern economy. Tourist facilities are widely available, except in coastal areas of Northeast Japan still recovering from the aftermath of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. Below is a comprehensive list of all the information you should read before visiting or relocating to […]
  • Experience a New Culture When you Teach English in China May 21, 2012
    The human desire to help others is an innate one. This is why, despite the negative aspects, people are still very attracted to the profession of teaching, notes Thomas Galvin. It has been regarded for centuries as a very noble job, and no doubt this will continue for centuries to come. Many teachers these […]
  • The Importance of Vocabulary Roots in AP English April 16, 2012
    The Advanced placement exams are very important for students, suggests Joseph Paul, as they look very good on the students’ report cards and also help them to get credit in certain universities which helps them to save a major portion of the tuition money demanded from students who have not cleared the exam. The […]
  • Business Translation: A Useful TEFL Sideline? April 8, 2012
    The use of translation in business is heavily underestimated and misunderstood. However translation has a big part to play in business and is rapidly becoming one of the most useful things an organisation can use to get ahead in the business world. Whether it be using in-house translators to transcribe documents, official papers […]
  • How to Judge the Quality of Language Learning Software March 21, 2012
    We all know that learning a language is a great way to enhance the look of your resume! Fortunately, there are lots of different options available to you to help you make that a reality. Out of the vast number of options available to you, the option that provides you with the most […]
  • The worst ELT interview questions… and how to answer them March 12, 2012
    Some friends of Naturegirl123 were talking about interview questions that they got. Here are some difficult ones to answer and suggested answers. What religion are you?/ Are you X religion? This could be a legit question if you’re applying to a religious school. If you have the same religion as the school, simply say […]
  • Invoice factoring as a way of financing your language school March 12, 2012
    You’re looking into alternative ways to keep the finances in order in your burgeoning language school. Why not consider invoice factoring? Please don’t think of invoice factoring as a loan because it’s actually something quite different to that: it is more correctly defined as the acquisition of a financial asset. What does that mean? […]
  • Language Classes… Heat Up Careers! March 9, 2012
    Whether you love the snow or can’t wait until the warmer days of spring, this is a time of year when we all start to get a little stir-crazy, suggests Charlotte Evans. Winter was fun back in December but now the cold temperatures and extra layers of clothing are starting to feel a bit […]

How to Judge the Quality of Language Learning Software

We all know that learning a language is a great way to enhance the look of your resume! Fortunately, there are lots of different options available to you to help you make that a reality.

Out of the vast number of options available to you, the option that provides you with the most flexibility and probably the highest quality of learning is the option to use language learning software. Language learning software programs are unique because they provide you with the teaching experiences of a tutor and a teacher in the comfort of your own home. This is a great benefit to anyone with a hectic schedule to keep.

A major headache that you’re most likely to face in your experiences with language learning software is in the beginning when you have to decide which software is right for you. You can make the right initial decisions by learning how to judge its quality.

Quality, it’s the inside that counts!

I am sure that most of you have heard the phrase, “never judge a book by its cover.” The same principle is used to judge the quality of language learning software program. Each program has a variety of features in which it uses to teach its students. These features can range form teaching methods, fundamentals covered, learning tools, customer support, and so on.

A major headache that you’re most likely to face in your experiences with language learning software is in the beginning when you have to decide which software is right for you.

So, the best way to identify a high quality language learning software is by becoming a judge. Take the time to learn more about you by asking yourself questions like “how do I learn best?” By answering this question you can identify characteristics that you need language learning software to have.

It’s important to add yourself to the overall equation because each person is different and each person needs different things to maximize their learning potential. After you answer some questions about yourself, you need to start picking part various software programs to see what they really have to offer you.

My favorite way to learn more about a language learning software program is to contact their customer support. The customer support personnel can become your own personal gold mine! You can ask these representatives anything you want to know about the software program and they will, in most cases, provide you with what you want to know. For instance, ask the company how their software program works? What do the lessons consist of and how are the lessons structured?

You can become a better judge of the software program’s quality by finding the answers to these questions. In addition, the customer support group can also provide you with tantalizing clues about the quality of the software program! For instance, how the customer support group responds to your inquiries in regards to speed and the quality of their answers. Try to find out how many different ways you can contact customer support if you need too. I found this to be a very good indicator of quality. The customer support department of a software program that I recently analyzed had five different ways to be contacted. In the end, I found this language learning software to be one of the best on the Internet.

These are a few ways that you can use to identify a quality language learning software program.

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