Learn a language your way with BBC Active Languages

BBC Active Languages makes learning French, German, Spanish or Italian from scratch much less of a foreign process, whatever you're looking for. Their in-depth courses will help to develop your fluency through authentic dialogues, teaching you to speak your chosen language in the way it is actually spoken. To give you a greater 'feel', each course includes information about local customs and culture too. As an added plus each of the featured courses benefit from the regularly repeated supporting TV programmes on the BBC Learning Zone.

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BBC French, Spanish, Italian and German courses.

BBC Active Talk French (Other languages available)

Talk is the BBC’s best selling course aimed at the absolute beginner and provides a simple grounding in the basics with a step-by-step approach with audio that allows you to develop your listening and speaking skills.

This product is available in the following languages:

French
German
Greek
Italian
Japanese
Mandarin Chinese
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish

Please indicate your choice using the gift text box in the checkout.

£17.49, $33.00, €25.00

Prices above include shipping and handling when ordering from the UK. Shipping will be charged when ordering from outside the UK.

BBC Active Talk 2 French (Other languages available)

Talk2 helps you progress to the point of being able to take part in increasingly sophisticated conversations.

This product is available in the following languages:

French
Italian
Spanish

Please indicate your choice using the gift text box in the checkout.

£17.49, $33.00, €25.00

Prices above include shipping and handling when ordering from the UK. Shipping will be charged when ordering from outside the UK.

BBC French Experience 1

This highly successful course has now been revised and updated to include the euro and other key changes in France and French life. French Experience constitutes a complete, self-contained course, linked to the content of the BBC TV series The French Experience.

The French Experience 1 is designed both for independent learners and for those studying in classes. From the very beginning, it encourages you to develop your listening and speaking skills with confidence. Each of the 20 units is sub-divided into manageable learning blocks so you can make rapid progress with the language. Personal learning strategies are provided and regular review sections help you monitor your progress. An accompanying 20-programme TV series is regularly repeated on the BBC TWO Learning Zone.

The book and audio encourages you to take part in conversational activities designed to develop the ability to understand and to speak French. You could attain the level achievable in most first qualification courses, which would take you to roughly GCSE standard.

In the press

"The most stimulating course of all those tested... The French Experience has the most extensive grammar coverage of all and teaches you about French culture - well worth the cost." -Independent on Sunday

BBC French Experience 2

This highly successful intermediate course has now been revised and updated in a new edition, to include the euro and other key changes around the French-speaking world. The course focuses on standard French but also introduces intermediate learners to the richness and diversity of the French spoken in New Caledonia, Vietnam, Senegal, Tunisia, Quebec, Belgium, Switzerland and Guadeloupe.

The fully illustrated course book is divided into ten units. Each unit contains dialogues, authentic texts, explanations of key language and a wide variety of activities including extended reading and listening passages.
This course will enable you to reach the same standard as most second qualification courses, such as A-Level.

BBC Sueños World Spanish 1

A popular course for beginners, Sueños World Spanish 1 is designed to meet the varied needs of adult learners, whether learning at home or in a class. From the very beginning it encourages you to develop your listening and speaking skills with confidence and provides many opportunities to practise reading in Spanish. Using the extensive range of media available, from the course book to the audio CDs to the popular accompanying television series and free online activities, Sueños World Spanish 1 can help you reach the equivalent level of a first qualification, such as GCSE.

In the press

"Having looked closely at different parts of the Sueños World Spanish course, I am staggered by the scope of it." - Language Learning Journal

BBC Sueños World Spanish 2

This course is ideal for those who have completed Sueños World Spanish 1 or for anyone who has completed any beginner's course or has some basic Spanish.

Divided into ten units with a full reference section, including grammar summary, answer key, transcripts and Spanish-English glossary, Sueños World Spanish 2 course book presents new language and revises first-level language in a carefully structured, step-by-step approach. Each unit contains lots of authentic reading extracts, activities and cultural information.
Recorded in Spain, Latin America and the USA, this innovative and stimulating course will help you develop listening and speaking skills with confidence, taking you to the rough equivalent of A Level or NVQ Level 2.

In the press

"Having looked closely at different parts of the Sueños World Spanish course, I am staggered by the scope of it." - Language Learning Journal

BBC Italianissimo

Italianissimo 1 is a fully integrated language course that will give the adult beginner a comprehensive and lively introduction to the language and people of Italy.

Covering areas such as introductions, basic socialising and making requests, Italianissimo 1 is based on authentic location recordings - and also features grammar explanations that follow a unique twin-track approach to meet different learner need. Italianissimo is designed to meet the varied needs of adult learners at home or in class. It is suitable for those who want to concentrate on communications as well as for learners who want to understand the language and grammar in greater depth. As well as conversations, each unit in the 288-page course book contains key phrases, language patterns, exercises and vocabulary. At the end of each level a grammar section, additional exercises and a review help you to check your progress.

The course encourages you to develop all your skills so you should gain confidence in conversational Italian over a wide range of topics. The course could enable you to reach a standard roughly equivalent to that of a first qualification, such as GCSE level.

In the press

"Highly commendable ... since it has been on the market, there has been a high uptake of the course among beginners in Italian." - Tuttitalia (Italian Journal of the Association for Language Learning)

BBC Deutsch Plus

Deutsch Plus, the popular course for beginners in German, is designed for adult learners in a range of situations. Whether you are studying in a class, at home, for business or leisure purposes, you will find the course carefully structured to introduce you to the language in a meaningful and interesting way. The book contains a wealth of cultural information is included enabling you to develop your language skills in context. The audio on the CDs has all the listening material you need to follow the course and consists of authentic dialogues and interviews, as well as useful explanations and tips. There's also the option throughout the course to take part in conversations that will help to reinforce speaking and listening skills, and build your confidence. Focusing on listening, reading, writing and speaking skills, Deutsch Plus 1 can help you reach the equivalent level of a first qualification, such as GCSE.