Author Description

Although spoken by millions of people, languages such as Ukrainian or Turkish are not usually offered in schools or colleges in the United States. The Critical Languages Program (CLP) at the University of Arizona was created to meet the need for interactive instruction in less commonly taught languages. Building on the success of their first 6 CD-ROM products published in 2000, CLP* has developed an additional five products for Beginning Ukrainian, Intermediate Turkish, Intermediate Cantonese, Intermediate Kazakh, and Advanced Kazakh using the DVD-ROM format. Each DVD-ROM package contains the equivalent of a one year college course for the learner comprised of video dialogues and readings by native speakers, thousands of audio recordings, graphics, and extensive notes. Handy browser features enable users to easily review words and pronunciations, and to access five types of exercises— multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, audio flashcard, pronunciation, and listening dictation —which allows users to test and improve their knowledge of each lesson. Learners with microphone-equipped computers can record and play back their own voices, then compare their pronunciation with that of the native speaker. With the click of a button, learners can hear native speakers pronounce words or phrases and translations, facilitating quick comprehension. Each DVD-ROM contains the equivalent of a textbook and workbook with audio and video components, making it practical for either self-instructional or directed educational, government, or business purposes. Thousands of students worldwide are using the Critical Languages Series. It is also being used at the US Foreign Service Institute, the Canadian Foreign Service Institute, and at many colleges and universities. Works on Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7. For more information, visit the UA Critical Languages Web site.