My French Coach DS - Learn French on your Nintendo DS
Ranked #17,632 in Education, #375,200 overall
Study up with My French Coach
My French Coach, as well as My Spanish Coach
, are two DS games that were meant to provide a good study tool for gamers. Professors of the language were contacted and active in the making of these titles to ensure that they'd be helpful. Coach language games use mini games to teach you vocabulary. As you collect enough points by doing the mini games, you can move on to the next lesson. Each lesson will cover introduce new vocabulary as well as mention cultural or grammatical facts.
Mini Games
There are a myriad of mini games, the most helpful being of course the flash cards. Featuring over 10,000 words - all of which can be accessed through the dictionary lookup if you want to use it as an electronic dictionary or phrase guide - the flash card mini game keeps track of your mastery in order to teach you more words. Other games are whack a mole, crossword, sentence builder, etc...
Voice Feature
The game also has some voice recognition if you want it to. You can compare your pronunciation with that of a native's. Considering that a lot of professinoal softwares don't even offer that, the fact that this can be found in a simple DS game is astounding.
, are two DS games that were meant to provide a good study tool for gamers. Professors of the language were contacted and active in the making of these titles to ensure that they'd be helpful. Coach language games use mini games to teach you vocabulary. As you collect enough points by doing the mini games, you can move on to the next lesson. Each lesson will cover introduce new vocabulary as well as mention cultural or grammatical facts.Mini Games
There are a myriad of mini games, the most helpful being of course the flash cards. Featuring over 10,000 words - all of which can be accessed through the dictionary lookup if you want to use it as an electronic dictionary or phrase guide - the flash card mini game keeps track of your mastery in order to teach you more words. Other games are whack a mole, crossword, sentence builder, etc...
Voice Feature
The game also has some voice recognition if you want it to. You can compare your pronunciation with that of a native's. Considering that a lot of professinoal softwares don't even offer that, the fact that this can be found in a simple DS game is astounding.
My French Coach - Available at Amazon
Customer Review
I play this every morning for about between 10 - 15 minutes. It also helps pass time when I have to wait someplace, e.g., barber shop, car dealership, etc. My vocabulary is now over 500 words and even my French tutor (a very picky and precise Parisian) started recommending it to her other students.
A Game of Popular Demand
An explanation of the high price tag
My French Coach is supposed to retail at 19.99$, yet various online stores will sell it for well above 50. My French Coach
is the only French learning game in the US for the Nintendo DS. As the game grew more and more popular, stores ran out and prices went up. Although you can check your local gamestop to see if they have a copy (to which you'll only pay the retailed 19.99$), the chances that any gamestop will have this game are slim - the game is rarely in stock due to its high demand.
Customer Comments
The game is also entertaining. What is nice is that being "conversational", this reivewer did not start with lesson one. Upon commencing, the game gives a "pretest"; based on those results, the player will start at a level that is right for them. For example, I started around lesson 18. It's worth mentioning, however, that one can go back to the initial lessons and it is good to do so for review.
For the price, it's a very good way to either learn a language at least conversationally and/or even sharpen language skills for those who are conversational or for those who took the language in school in years past. The reference section is very helpful for looking up both words and phrases
is the only French learning game in the US for the Nintendo DS. As the game grew more and more popular, stores ran out and prices went up. Although you can check your local gamestop to see if they have a copy (to which you'll only pay the retailed 19.99$), the chances that any gamestop will have this game are slim - the game is rarely in stock due to its high demand.Customer Comments
The game is also entertaining. What is nice is that being "conversational", this reivewer did not start with lesson one. Upon commencing, the game gives a "pretest"; based on those results, the player will start at a level that is right for them. For example, I started around lesson 18. It's worth mentioning, however, that one can go back to the initial lessons and it is good to do so for review.
For the price, it's a very good way to either learn a language at least conversationally and/or even sharpen language skills for those who are conversational or for those who took the language in school in years past. The reference section is very helpful for looking up both words and phrases
My French Coach: The Sequel
Although it was not released in the US, My French Coach did have a sequel. While the first game was for beginners, Level 2 was for intermediate level students. The only way to acquire this game is via import as it was only released in Europe. Don't worry, any Nintendo DS will be able to play this game no matter what country it's from. This includes the DS lite, DSi, DSi XL, etc....If there is no game right after this, it means that no one on ebay.com is selling the game, though there might still be international sellers.
Ebay: My French Coach Level 2
Learning French: More than just a game
It requires dedication
Learning a language takes longer than 10 - 20 minutes a day, reguardless of what advertising may say. To properly learn French you will need to do the following:
- Learn to read. French has strict rules and once you learn them, you can pretty much read any word. Get that out of the way first. A lot of professors won't go over all the rules, and that's why you find that pronunciation (for new words) does not seem to improve when comparing a 7th and 12th grader
- Find people to practice with. Speaking is an integral part of learning a language. If you can't find anyone, get a software that allows you to simulate conversations
- Listen. Don't be afraid to watch French movies and TV without subtitles once you've gone past the basics. It's ok to pick a movie that you have already watched in English or with subtitles, but eventually you will have to try watching without subtitles
- Read children's books. Import children's video games. The vocabulary will be easier, but will still provide you a challenge
- Do the dreaded translations. Learning should be kept as natural as possible, but sometimes you will need to pick out a text or song and just practice translating. Think of it like learning a new word in a hard text when reading in English. It's tedious, but it's part of learning.
French Learning Material
Learning a language requires more than just one source. A video game will only help you so much. Ideally you should have as many from the following list as possible:
- French Language Class
- Learning Suite Software
- Portable study tools (flash cards, games, phone apps)
- A dictionary
- French reading material, children level
- French videos and music Spelling, grammar, and reading comprehension books
Rosetta Stone French: An Amazing Suite
It will only cost an arm, a leg, and a kidney.
![Rosetta Stone V3: French Level 1-3 Set with Audio Companion [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TVRZkQ45L._SL160_.jpg)
Rosetta Stone V3: French Level 1-3 Set with Audio Companion [OLD VERSION]
Amazon Price: (as of 06/03/2012)
Yes, it's possibly the most expensive suite there is. Even more so when you consider that Rosetta French has 5 levels, and this review is only for the 3 level suite. The 5 level suite is even more expensive.
However it's well worth it regardless of how many levels of Rosetta you do. Rosetta uses images to teach you new vocabulary. This helps ease the transition into thinking less like a translator and more like a native. Old images are then used to introduce new words by focusing on a single difference between a set of 4 pictures. It may not be as "easy" as simply reading a textbook, as this process will sometimes require you to think about what's different in the pictures, but it does make language learning more natural.
Rosetta also has voice recognition so you can practice reading, and the program will simulate conversations from time to time. Listening and Reading are also important and will be tested together as well as independently for maximal learning. Yes, it takes a while and sometimes it'll get repetitive, but it is a good process.
In addition, if you're having trouble with a speaking part, you can go and practice on the side. When you do that, you will be able to hear your version and a native's version and see a graphical representation of the differences.
Other French Learning Suites
Decent French Learning Software for less than 100$
You shouldn't have to rob a bank to learn French
Other Language Games for the Nintendo DS
Because there's more to life than French
While there aren't as many language learning games avaialble in the US (in contrast to the huge selection available in Japan, and the slightly bigger selection available in Europe), the Coach series has been providing enough language games for many of us.
Language Learning Games on Other Consoles
- My Spanish Coach is also available on PSP
- My Word Coach is also on Wii
- Some of the other games (like My French Coach) also received releases on other consoles.....in Europe.
J'aimerais bien des commentaires
I would like some comments
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Pmona
Apr 21, 2010 @ 7:54 pm | delete
- This is an interesting and fun way to learn a foreign language. So much better than memorizing vocabulary and struggling through grammer.
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by WC1989
Yo and Hello! My name is Carolanne and I'm a math major at university. I run 2 ecrater stores. I also write online on squidoo, hubpages, associated content,... more »
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