Ease of Use:  

The main program, Transparent Language, is easy to use and self explanatory, simply select one of four books to learn the content contained. Some of the features such as flash cards, tests and others are found in Byki, the sister program and you must learn which features are where. Using the two programs is confusing when you first start, but with time and practice, knowing where to find your favorite features becomes easy.

Feature Set:  

German Complete Edition comes with a large variety of features to help make the learning process unique and complete. Start off by building your vocabulary with the three step flash card system which includes: “Preview it,” “Recognize it” and “Produce it.” Apply the vocabulary you have learned in reading and writing, along with recording your voice to see how well you speak compared to a native speaker. If things get a little dry there are always games to give you a break but continue to keep your mind working.

One of the features that stands out for added help is the “Slow Down” tool. With this tool you will be able to take a word and slow down the pronunciation so you can listen to every syllable as it is pronounced. The only drawback is that the feature for analyzing your voice doesn’t work as well as some of our other top rated products. Trying to compare your voice to natives is not as accurate as it should be so you don’t get the full experience that is needed from this feature.

Transparent Language has been able to evolve this software to match the busy lifestyle of the average person. Learning German on-the-go is as easy as putting media files on your iPod, MP3 player or by simply slipping in a CD and heading out the door.

Ease of Installation:  

The installation process is as simple as putting in the DVD and clicking install. There are multiple programs that will be installed from the one DVD so it does take a few minutes to copy files and install each program.

Help/Support:  

German Complete Edition offers FAQs and updates from their homepage along with email and phone support. You will find a tutorial that walks you through the basics of using the program and plenty of helpful hints as you go from feature to feature. The program also includes help which covers almost every problem that you can run into and gives a brief explanation on how things work.

Fundamentals:  

German Complete Edition covers all the fundamentals needed to speak, understand, and even write German. Included with this program are thousands of German word combinations that teach vocabulary grammar skills and pronunciation. The flash card section of Byki is one of the most common used features for learning vocabulary and will give you a good base when learning to write German. Transparent Language has included feature for reading, listening and comprehension to help anyone learn this more complex language.

Effectiveness:  

The German Complete Edition will take you from a beginner to an intermediate in all the fundamentals of German in no time. There are a few flaws that should be noted such as the need for better speech recognition, a more effective progress tracker and a larger section on how to form sentences. The time we spent using this program allowed us to see that with a little effort and a lot of time, Transparent German Complete Edition can be an effective tool in learning and retaining what you have learned.

For those looking to have a good time learning German on any type of schedule then German Complete Edition is the program for you. With a wide range of features in the program and online you will never be bored or run out of things to do. We found one major flaw with this suite, however. Even though Transparent offers a variety of programs, they don't offer any goal tracking tools. To learn German or any language, you must take an active goal-setting approach and challenge yourself daily.