Pimsleur

Pimsleur is a research-based learning system that focuses on audio as the primary teaching medium (with only a handful of visual cues thrown in). It's significantly different from Rosetta Stone in this regard. It has, however, been demonstrated to be useful, and it is not subject to any of the fads or 'attempts to be quirky or distinctive' that a lot of learn French software tries to avoid.

It includes a lot of sample dialogues, which is great if you're trying to learn French for a certain topic or setting. It lends itself nicely to conversational French because of its audio format, and it does an excellent job of integrating the vocabulary you study into usable phrases and discussions.

The disadvantage is that there are no visual signals, and it can seem stuffy and monotonous at times. It's also reasonably priced, so take advantage of the free trial to see if audio learning is right for you.

Website: offers.pimsleur.com

Reasons to buy

• Great for listeners
• Tried and tested method

Reasons to avoid

• Expensive
• Can get repetitive