Audiomagazines for Language Study

ABOVE: Audiomagazines from Champs-Élysées, Inc. contain 60 minutes of programming in German, Italian, French, or Spanish on a CD or tape cassette

Listening to the radio or watching TV is a great way to improve your fluency in another language. But unless you have great shortwave reception or unlimited satellite television channels, it can be hard to find programming in most European languages--and even if you're able to tune in shows in German, Italian, French, or Castilian Spanish, it may be hard to fit those programs into your own schedule.

The solution? If you can't move overseas, consider subscribing to a German, Italian, French, or Spanish "audiomagazine" from Champs-Élysées.com. Each monthly issue includes:

• A CD or audiocassette with 60 minutes of lively news commentary, features, pop songs, and other recorded material. The programming is like that of a radio show, so you can hear different voices and accents speaking (or, in some cases, singing) in a contemporary real-world environment.

• A magazine containing a full transcription of the recorded programming, a glossary, and notes (in English) to help you understand the context of the recorded material.

• A study supplement or worksheets that you can use to quiz yourself on what you've heard.

Thanks to the CD or cassette format, you can listen to foreign-language programming while you're commuting, cooking dinner, or soaking in the bathtub. But convenience is only half the story: When you're in a mood for serious study, you can listen to the audiomagazine while reading the transcript, or you can review the English-language notes before playing your CD or tape. Such repetition will improve your comprehension.

Champs-Élysées, Inc. has published foreign-language audiomagazines since 1984, and subscriptions are available worldwide with payment in 18 currencies. For more information, including a Macromedia Shockwave demonstration with audio, visit Champs-Élysées.com.

(Note: I don't get referral fees or commissions from Champs-Élysées.com; I simply think they've got a great product line for students and travelers who want to maintain and improve foreign-language skills.)

Sample issues:

Next page: Schau ins Land (German)
 

 

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