Comments on: FrenchPod is a PLS http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/ networks, languages, and learning 2.0 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:44:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Ken Carroll http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-3320 Ken Carroll Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:05:20 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-3320 Dave, It's very simple - don't buy it. Spend your money on grammar lessons and good luck to you. Ken Dave,

It’s very simple - don’t buy it. Spend your money on grammar lessons and good luck to you.

Ken

]]> By: Dave http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-3285 Dave Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:34:08 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-3285 Sorry, I'm not very impressed with it for the price. As a suplement to a real french program for a much lower price it would be great but it seems rather cheaply made, no use of video, and the grammar area is a joke. The emphasis is completely on a few short audio clips and limited vocab. The grammar is the most important part of any language and even the areas they've actually bothered to finish are so glossed over its not impressive -- yes I know the present tense is about the present would you like to teach it to me? Guess not. If you are just going to tailor your own program there are better ways and for the price it's not woth it. This site will not really teach you French, only suplement a real course. It lacks any structure meaning its biggest sales pitch is its biggest weakness. Sorry, I’m not very impressed with it for the price. As a suplement to a real french program for a much lower price it would be great but it seems rather cheaply made, no use of video, and the grammar area is a joke. The emphasis is completely on a few short audio clips and limited vocab. The grammar is the most important part of any language and even the areas they’ve actually bothered to finish are so glossed over its not impressive — yes I know the present tense is about the present would you like to teach it to me? Guess not.

If you are just going to tailor your own program there are better ways and for the price it’s not woth it. This site will not really teach you French, only suplement a real course. It lacks any structure meaning its biggest sales pitch is its biggest weakness.

]]> By: Peace http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1985 Peace Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:55:39 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1985 i think the French Pod is quite cool, cause some of the language is quite easy to learn. but as you go it get harder each time. but its very helpful. i think the French Pod is quite cool, cause some of the language is quite easy to learn. but as you go it get harder each time. but its very helpful.

]]> By: Here Comes Everybody » Blog Archive » The context of mobile learning http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1666 Here Comes Everybody » Blog Archive » The context of mobile learning Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:22:37 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1666 [...] of her own learning and moulding the system around her own needs. This is the idea behind the PLS and this is what infroms our notions of mobile learning going [...] […] of her own learning and moulding the system around her own needs. This is the idea behind the PLS and this is what infroms our notions of mobile learning going […]

]]> By: Here Comes Everybody » Blog Archive » Is ItalianPod the future? http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1434 Here Comes Everybody » Blog Archive » Is ItalianPod the future? Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:09:54 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1434 [...] up, though it’s clear that they could certainly benefit from these innovations. I think a PLS, for example, would provide a lot more value to a university student than the old, static language [...] […] up, though it’s clear that they could certainly benefit from these innovations. I think a PLS, for example, would provide a lot more value to a university student than the old, static language […]

]]> By: Carsten Ullrich http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1355 Carsten Ullrich Fri, 30 May 2008 11:45:21 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1355 Hank, that is a good answer. It is good to hear (and clearly visible from your product) that you want to generate revenue by taking your customers serious. That's not the norm, though, other industries (with established user bases) prefer to lock their customers in and make their life difficult. Hank, that is a good answer. It is good to hear (and clearly visible from your product) that you want to generate revenue by taking your customers serious.
That’s not the norm, though, other industries (with established user bases) prefer to lock their customers in and make their life difficult.

]]> By: Hank Horkoff http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1354 Hank Horkoff Fri, 30 May 2008 07:43:46 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1354 Carsten Ullrich has a thoughtful response to Ken's post here: http://bloggingullrich.blogspot.com/2008/05/praxis-languages-personalized-learning.html I would respond directly to his post, but China doesn't like Blogger and Blogger doesn't like anonymous commenting, so: Carsten, Appreciate the post. There are a number of good ideas here for our development going forward. I grant there is an aspirational element to the concept of the PLS, but the direction is clear - to provide open, best-of-breed tools for the language learner in an online environment of multiple, incompatible lesson objects and tools. I do want to challenge one point. Your wrote: Currently, PraxisLanguage PLS is similar to any other LMS: its functionality is restricted to whatever a central authority deems important. I would respond that we are neither in the corporate, nor education spheres. We are a for-profit entity that only generates revenue by providing value to users. In our case, the paying student is the ultimate authority on what the nature of our learning toolkit looks like. We ignore that at our peril. Carsten Ullrich has a thoughtful response to Ken’s post here:

http://bloggingullrich.blogspot.com/2008/05/praxis-languages-personalized-learning.html

I would respond directly to his post, but China doesn’t like Blogger and Blogger doesn’t like anonymous commenting, so:

Carsten,

Appreciate the post. There are a number of good ideas here for our development going forward. I grant there is an aspirational element to the concept of the PLS, but the direction is clear - to provide open, best-of-breed tools for the language learner in an online environment of multiple, incompatible lesson objects and tools.

I do want to challenge one point. Your wrote:

Currently, PraxisLanguage PLS is similar to any other LMS: its functionality is restricted to whatever a central authority deems important.

I would respond that we are neither in the corporate, nor education spheres. We are a for-profit entity that only generates revenue by providing value to users. In our case, the paying student is the ultimate authority on what the nature of our learning toolkit looks like. We ignore that at our peril.

]]> By: Hank Horkoff http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1353 Hank Horkoff Fri, 30 May 2008 07:26:11 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1353 @Henning, We have started using the term PLS to make it clear where we want to take the platform - to become an open language learning toolkit for the student. We very much believe in giving the student freedom - ala a Personal Learning Environment - but also give them learning management tools and structure where appropriate. The PLS platform is the first step along a new series of rollouts designed from the perspective of a student with multiple (probably too many to make sense of!) learning options & tools online. Look for 2 new tabs ('Groups' and 'Reviews') in the Community section over the next month to further push this idea. @Henning,

We have started using the term PLS to make it clear where we want to take the platform - to become an open language learning toolkit for the student. We very much believe in giving the student freedom - ala a Personal Learning Environment - but also give them learning management tools and structure where appropriate.

The PLS platform is the first step along a new series of rollouts designed from the perspective of a student with multiple (probably too many to make sense of!) learning options & tools online. Look for 2 new tabs (’Groups’ and ‘Reviews’) in the Community section over the next month to further push this idea.

]]> By: Carsten Ullrich http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1352 Carsten Ullrich Fri, 30 May 2008 07:10:53 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1352 To what extend the Personalized Learning System is consistent with the visions behind Personal Learning Environments or whether it is even "personalized" is debatable. But without any doubt the PLS is among the most impressive language learning environments I have seen. I wrote quite a long post about my impressions about the PLS and its potential, too long to post it as a comment: http://bloggingullrich.blogspot.com/2008/05/praxis-languages-personalized-learning.html To what extend the Personalized Learning System is consistent with the visions behind Personal Learning Environments or whether it is even “personalized” is debatable. But without any doubt the PLS is among the most impressive language learning environments I have seen. I wrote quite a long post about my impressions about the PLS and its potential, too long to post it as a comment:
http://bloggingullrich.blogspot.com/2008/05/praxis-languages-personalized-learning.html

]]> By: Henning http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1351 Henning Fri, 30 May 2008 06:36:32 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/05/28/frenchpod-is-a-pls/#comment-1351 Hm. The new version indeed brings a nice new look and the new comment function is really a much appreciated leap ahead. But in how far does this justify the bold sentence "Both ChinesePod and SpanishPod have also been upgraded to PLS status"? Don't get me wrong. I really love the CPod approach. But changing the headline from "Home" to "Me" and a slight regrouping of functions do not make a qualitative difference for me which would be in need for a new category (PLS?). Hm.
The new version indeed brings a nice new look and the new comment function is really a much appreciated leap ahead.

But in how far does this justify the bold sentence “Both ChinesePod and SpanishPod have also been upgraded to PLS status”?

Don’t get me wrong. I really love the CPod approach. But changing the headline from “Home” to “Me” and a slight regrouping of functions do not make a qualitative difference for me which would be in need for a new category (PLS?).

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