Talk Now- Learn Malayalam - Beginning Level Description:

Talk Now! Learn Malayalam - Beginning Level review:
4 stars (Aday! Bring your banana chips and give this a try!) - Malayalam is not a language for which you can have a huge choice of learning tools. If you are a relative "gringo" with little experience in Indian languages, this may be a good program to get you started with the basics of talking. Lucky for English speakers - Malayalam is influenced the most by English after Sanskrit and Tamil. Unlucky for English speakers - there's a whole pile of linguistically different sounds involved in the other two parts of the language before English is ever even thought about. Get out your marbles and listen up - if you've got an open mind and a little bit of assistance, you might just end up knowing some Malayalam.The format is wonderful, with sections for basics, food, time, body parts, phrases and more. Each level allows you to go through and hear of all the pertinent vocabulary (this can set to play in a continous loop - a nice way of learning and practicing away from the constraints of the computer). There are games for each section in two different levels of difficulty, and keys that allow you to build memory clues. With each game you accumulate points, and the points are tallied towards a final goal at which you recieve special recognition. You recieve nice encouragement for all correct answers - if you learn anything at all from this, if will definitely be the words for "Yes" and "No"!The overall theme is suprisingly entertaining, without being condescending or childlike. It's very nicely designed, compared to many other language CD-Roms, and doesn't give you the idea that it's the same general template used for 35 different languages (except in one aspect, see below!) This was definitely designed with adult learners in mind, and for what - $19.99? - it has some really nice multimedia functions that keep you focused, including printable vocab lists.I originally had a problem loading TalkNow Malayalam to my computer, but the technical assistance people were helpful, via email, and the problem was easily solved. That was great.I did not give this a five star rating because of the following:The pronounciations are very fast, and there is no way to slow them down. The given vocabulary and phrases are only written in Malayalam, so unless you know to read the script, you are left alone to dissect the more subtle sounds, to which your ear may not be accustomed. Find a native speaker for guidance.Also, if you are a native speaker of Malayalam looking for a refresher, or someone wishing to read and write Malayalam, this is probably not a good scheme for you. It's more along the line of "learn some words and phrases before you travel there" knowledge. A good CD-ROM for more Malayalam intensive language study is available at www.vidyarambham.comAnd finally, the biggest suprise: Talk Now Malayalam is lead by your virtual guides, an extremely white, northern European couple whose images are always present at the bottom of the screen during the vocabulary recitations. (I imagine they're the standard TalkNow Language folks, but in this case it's very wierd!!) Their lips move to make you believe that these honkeys are speaking perfectly pronounced Malayalam, in voices that would only come out of their slight frames had they been posessed. Perhaps this was a bit of subliminal encouragement for all the WASPs who decided to take a stab at learning Malayalam to impress the cute programmer down the hall. Mind you, this is not a detraction from the lessons at hand, but overall the effect is hillarious. Hopefully it would just add to the fun of learning a new language. "If they could do it... darnit, I can to" :)While this program will not make you a candidate for retiring to Kottayam and ferrying a houseboat along some Kerala backwaters, you'll at least entertain native speakers, and at best win yourself some allies by any honest efforts made. Tie on a lungi and give it a whirl. Best of luck!