Living Languages

Living Languages Review

Living Languages offers various programs, including CD programs along with course books, an online program for a one-year time period, and a combination of these. This program seems the most consistently highly rated self-study language program available, both users of the book and CD packages, as well as the Platinum package. This seems somewhat surprising because there are more famous language softwares out there.  Reviewers seem to consistently comment on the value for the price, the high-quality material, and some comment that it is usable with learners in all age groups. This company offers a few packages in several languages including Arabic,English, French, German, Italian,Spanish, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. The high ratings mention the following factors:

  • Engaging exercises that require users to understand language (vs. exercises that are simply repeating)
  • Clear material with a variety of exercises
  • Material for learners of all ages (whereas some programs aren’t fun enough for children or mature enough for adults)
  • Material for learners of all levels from beginning to advanced (versus advertising for all levels, but really presenting material only suitable for beginners, for example–this is a problem area for many softwares but apparently not for this one!)
  • The price for what you get
  • The online tutors. While many users like the tutoring, users who purchase the CD and book packages with no tutoring also rate the program favorably.

Pricing and Packages include a variety of options for users, plus a lot of free material. Here are the packages:

Essential Edition: This course is for beginners–and it is included in the larger courses listed below.

1 Book (10 lessons, additional review exercises and dialogues, glossary and grammar summary, and a notebook for space to practice.
3 Audio CDs: Vocabulary, dialogues, audio exercises, and more—learn with the book or on the go, anytime, anywhere.
Free Online Learning in the Language Lab: Flashcards, games, and interactive quizzes for each lesson.

Complete Edition: This course teaches beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels.

3 Books: 46 lessons, additional review exercises, extensive glossaries and grammar summaries—plus, a notebook for space to practice.
9 Audio CDs: Vocabulary, dialogues, audio exercises, and more—learn with the book or on the go, anytime, anywhere.
Free Online Learning in the Language Lab: Flashcards, games, and interactive quizzes for each lesson.

Online Courses: This package offers online materials and lessons, but no hardcopy books or CDs. Access is granted for one year.

1-year subscription
46 lessons with vocabulary, grammar, audio conversations, and cultural information
Games and puzzles
Access to live e-tutoring sessions with native speakers (at no extra cost)
An online community of experts and learners
Progress tracking

Platinum: This packages offers everything in Complete, plus a language specific mobile app, a web course, and e-Tutoring included.

Online Course (1-year subscription)
3 Course Books
9 Audio CDs
Apps Included
Personal E-Tutor
Online Community

iPad and iPhone App: These are included for free in the Platinum package. These are the same as the Language Lab materials, plus a Grammar lesson, Conversation lesson, and more games than those in the Language Lab lessons. You can get a free lesson, and then if you wish you can unlock the 3 courses (46 lessons total) for $15.99. Here is what is included in the first lesson on the App:

Vocabulary 1:  14 Flashcards that show a photo and a French word. You click the audio to hear the French, and flip it to see and hear the English.
Grammar: This is a brief explanation of a grammar point, along with audio examples users can click.
Vocabulary 2: 20 Flashcards that show a photo and a French word. You click the audio to hear the French, and flip it to see and hear the English.
Conversation: This is a dialogue. You see a speech bubble for each speaker that contain the French words in writing. You can click each one to see the English translation written. You can click to replay the dialogue or individual speech bubbles.
Games: Fill in the blank, matching English to French phrases, Multiple choice, and Word Search that matches phrases. (Other games used for subsequent lessons include Sentence Builder in which the user puts words into the correct order and Memory Match, which is similar to Concentration.)

All users–including those who haven’t purchased material have access to the Language Lab. This area is somewhat similar to the Byki system offered by Transparent Language. The Language Lab for French, for example, displays 10 beginner lessons, 20 intermediate, and 16 advanced. Each lesson has two sets of flashcards (one called Vocab 1, and another called Vocab 2), a matching game, and a word find that requires users to find the French phrase that matches the English one provided. You can even track progress in the Language Lab for free to set aside words you’ve mastered and focus on those you haven’t.