I first came across Pronunciator on Twitter last fall. It seemed an interesting concept but in looking into how it works, I discovered that it was far more than just a program that gave me the correct pronunciation of over 60 different languages.
With over 3 million lessons in over 3,000 language courses and over 45,000 hours of MP3 files, Pronunciator is a robust language learning platform.
Pronunciator runs on a paid subscription model. Everyone can have access to some of the content (in most cases just the first lesson) but if you want access to everything, you’ll have to pay to join – unless your public library has subscribed – which I think is pretty cool for Americans where every small town has a public library with Internet access. Otherwise, in order to get full access, you’ll need to join the paid subscription which is a monthly fee (learn more).
In order to introduce you more fully to the program, I was able to ask a few questions of the president of Pronunciator, Robert Savage.
In 200 words or less, what exactly is Pronunciator?
A global literacy tool with 3,000 language courses, making it the largest service of its kind.
A speaker of any of 50 languages can learn to speak any of 60 new languages. For example, a Persian speaker can study Japanese. A Japanese speaker can study Thai. A Thai speaker can study Russian. And so on.
Because of its focus on language literacy, it is used by:
- Second language learners;
- Native speakers with basic literacy skills, to improve their literacy level;
- Immigrants who are illiterate in their own language, before progressing to learning the dominant language of their new country.
What is the number one benefit a language learner will gain from using Pronunciator?
The ability to understand and speak a new language in everyday situations.
How does Pronunciator differentiate for different levels of learners?
Pronunciator is structured in building blocks, called “levels”.
Level 1, for example, teaches the 2000 most important vocabulary words in the target language.
Level 2 teaches the 100 most important verbs, in conjugation.
Level 3 puts the two together, to teach simple sentences.
Level 4 takes this a bit further, with phrases for tourists and travelers.
And Level 5 is a virtual conversation mode, where the learner can jump into virtual conversations that range from the simple to the advanced.
A typical 5-level course has nearly 10,000 online exercises and 354 hours of downloadable MP3 audio lessons, so there is enough to keep learners at any level busy for a long, long time.
What excites you about the future of Pronunciator?
That there are so many people in the world that Pronunciator can help. If your local library has Pronunciator, you can access all 3,000 courses completely free of charge.
Outside of Pronunciator, what is the number one thing the everyday language learner can do to help themselves learn another language?
Fall in love with a native speaker of that language.
Learn More About Pronunciator
Be sure and visit the site to learn more about Pronunciator. They have also made a great video tour which you can see below.
Follow Pronunciator on Twitter
Ready to get serious about learning another language?
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I love this sort of tool. The free part that I was able to access is vocab. I’m excited about the suggestion that libraries may pick this up. I benefit from our local libraries subscribing to Livemocha.
I found three shortcomings with this approach, from my limited experience. 1) I was looking at Farsi and it doesn’t have right-to-left support. I looked and Arabic has the same problem. A real shortcoming that they would have to fix. 2) The site claims, “Speak like a native.” However, the Farsi is literary pronunciation, not actual spoken language (even in the “conversation” exercise.) 3) The program really doesn’t do much beyond flashcards.
Overall, I found that the program looks like a flashier, more expensive version of Livemocha, only without the community that Livemocha offers.
Hey Richard,
Thanks for the comment. I suppose every program has its shortcomings. I think the beauty of the web is that because there is so much competion, everyone either has to keep improving or not make it. I am sure Pronunciator will continue to work out the kinks – or they will go away as folks go elsewhere.
Your site looks really great by the way. Everyone – stop by Richard’s site and say hello!
Aaron
Hey Aaron! This is a very cool idea. I like how simple the interface is, especially for introducing yourself to new languages. But it’s just a little pricey for my tastes. But perhaps their is extrinsic motivation that lies in putting down the cash for a program like this. Also, the president of the company’s advice to fall in love with someone as the best method to learn a language was clever, but I imagine that can also backfire too if it doesn’t quite work out
anyways, thanks for the steady flow of interesting reads!
Thank you for introducing Pronunciator, I hadn’t heard of it before. After watching the video clip it sounds like a great learning tool, especially for someone not living in the target language environment.
I was wondering if it’s possible to use only certain parts of the Pronunciator. The pronunciation grading sounded really good.
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