Learn to Speak American

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Learn American
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Origins of the American Language
American English is English spoken in the United States. It is derived from the English spoken by the first British colonists and has taken some words from Native American, German, French, Spanish and Finnish.

Like English then, it is part of the large family of Indo-European languages, but, more specifically, is West Germanic in origin.

Until the 18th Century, British and American English were remarkably similar with barely any differences between them. However, it is different from English spoken elsewhere in the world, not so much due to specific elements but enough for the dialects of 'Standard American English' to be distinguished from Received Standard (British) English or Australian English.

How many people speak the American language?
There are 322 million speakers of English around the world, while the population of the USA is 285 million.

American-speaking Countries
American English is spoken across the United States of America, where there are differences in dialects between states, as well as in Britain and Canada.

Screenshots from Talk Now! Learn American CD-ROM

Talk Now American CD-ROM Details

This is an excitingly different language learning series. Talk Now! uses games and quizzes as a basis for making the learning process fun, easy and relaxing. There is no better way to teach an old dog new tricks and this fun element of the program means that your fears are forgotten as you absorb words and phrases without even realising you are learning them.

Talk Now! is the world's best selling language learning CD-ROM series for beginners, used by more than three million people to date. It's ideal for travellers, holidaymakers, business people, schoolchildren, students and families.

Anyone over 10 years of age will find the disc indispensable for improving listening, understanding and spoken language skills. There are nine topics: first words, food, colours, phrases, parts of the body, numbers, time, shopping and countries.

The games and quizzes included on the disc ensure that users have fun whilst using the disc, without realising that they're learning. The "intelligent" software feature remembers words you get wrong and targets your weak points.

NOW includes Apple iPod integration, which allows you to listen to Talk Now American wherever you are!

American Culture

There is no bigger melting pot of cultures than that of the US. It is a nation composed of an extremely disparate population, unified by the 'American Dream', the desire to make their way in the world and to enjoy the freedom and rights given to them by the ideals of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Though dismantling preconceptions can be difficult, there is little doubt that America is unique. Its scale and variety is both seductive and bewildering, with the quirks and idiosyncrasies of American life proving to be both exhilarating and confusing for outsiders.

Not forgetting … sports
American sports developed separately from the rest of the world and, consequently, home-grown games such as baseball, football and basketball dominate the sports scene. Soccer and ice hockey are runners-up. Urban America also invented the great indoors: aerobics and the gym, indoor skiing and rock-climbing.

American Music and Dance

The power of the American music industry can barely be forgotten due to its ubiquity. Though groundswell movements tend to drive American pop music, the influence of African American music, including the Blues, Jazz, hip-hop and rap on the world music scene cannot be exaggerated. Country and Western music is also popular among Americans, particularly in Southern states.

American Food and Drink

Thoughts of American cuisine tend to conjure images of junk food, McDonald's burgers and fries, and huge, huge portions. While fast food did originate in 1950s Southern California and big juicy steaks appear on most menus, American cooking is rather diverse. American cuisine is heavily influenced by all the cultures that exist in the US. For example, there is Cajun cooking from the Deep South, Latin American and Mexican food and Native American dishes.

Customer Testimonials

"This is an excitingly different language learning series. Talk Now! Uses games and quizzes as a basis for making the learning process fun and relaxing." - PC Answers

"I bought your Learn Malay CD today - I've only just begun, but I wanted to say how much I am enjoying it. I studied Malay from a book all day yesterday, making some 25 pages of notes on grammar and vocab, but I remember more from your CD from just an hour!" - James Bryce

Full list of Talk Now Language CD-ROMs available to buy online in the UK.