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How do I know which course is right for me?
First of all select the language you want to learn. A list of all the available courses for that language will appear. Look at the level of each course to see if it matches your needs. See the question 'What do the different course levels mean?' to understand what you will be able to do at the end of the course.
Remember that unless you already have some knowledge of the language you want to learn, you will need to start with a beginner course before you will be able to follow the more advanced levels.
What do I do if you do not have a course that matches my level?
Take a look at the descriptions of courses either just above or just below the level you are ideally looking for. Levels are always only approximate descriptions (see the question ‘What do the different course levels mean?’) and you may find that you can still benefit greatly from a course that is either really challenging or good revision for the level you have already achieved.
What do the different course levels mean?
All Linguaphone courses are graded into 5 levels. These levels correspond to approximately how many words the course contains and what skills are covered in the course.
The levels are:
Beginner 0-500 words Basic simple phrases and words
Intermediate 500-1000 words Simple conversations and responding to questions
Proficient 1000-2000 words General conversations and simple reading and writing
Advanced 2000-3000 words Communicating comfortably
Expert 3000+ words Fluent
How do I know what level I am?
If you do not know any or only have a very few words in your new language you are a beginner.
If you can already manage basic simple phrases and words you are at an intermediate level.
If you can already manage simple conversations and responding to questions you are proficient.
If you can already manage general conversations and simple reading and writing you are at an advanced level.
If you are already communicating comfortably, you are an expert!
What should I be able to do once I have completed my course?
When you complete a beginner’s course you should be able to use basic simple phrases and words. When you complete an intermediate course you should be able to have simple conversations and respond to questions. When you complete a proficient course you should be able to have general conversations as well as read and write simple texts. When you complete an advanced course you should be able to communicate comfortably. When you complete an expert course you should be fluent in the areas you have studied!
Why should I register?
You can choose to register at any time. If you register you
have access to 'My Linguaphone' where a range of free language learning modules are available
can subscribe to our monthly newsletter which includes a selection of special offers and language learning tools
can enter the competitions and prize draws we run throughout the year.
will not need to re-enter your details each time you make a purchase as your details will be securely stored by us already.
Why does your text go off the side of my screen?
Our site has been designed to fit on a 800 x 600 screen resolution. If your screen resolution is less then this, or if your internet browser is not maximised, then you may not see all of our site on your screen at one time, and you may have to scroll left or right. To change your screen resolution, please check the FAQ entitled "How do I change my screen resolution?".
If your Internet Browser is not maximised, you may need to increase it's size to view all of the site at the same time. If you are unsure if your browser is maximised, then you can click here. This has just maximised your browser. If you did not notice any change in the Linguaphone web site (behind this help window) then you may need to increase your screen resolution.
Why are your pictures all "grainy"?
Our designers have tried to ensure that our site can be viewed in as few colours as possible, however, in certain instance (photographs in particular) this has not been possible. If your screen resolution is not set to show enough colours on your screen, you may find that some of our pictures appear very grainy, or contain tiny coloured dots. If you increase the number of colours in your display, the photographs and complex images should become clearer.
What screen resolution should I view your site in?
Our site has been designed to fit on a 800 x 600 screen resolution. It will still function at other screen resolutions, but if your settings are lower than this, you may find you have to scroll to see all the information. The site will work perfectly at higher resolutions however.
How do I change my screen resolution?
Changing the resolution of your screen will affect how things are displayed to you. As you increase the resolution (for example from 640 x 480 pixels to 800 x 600 pixels) the size of things on your screen will appear to decrease. This is because your screen is now showing more pixels at one time, and therefore has to decrease the size of each individual pixel to compensate (a pixel is a small square on the screen, filled with a colour. For instance, if you look carefully at the letter "O" you will see it is not a perfect circle, but made up of tiny black blocks. These are pixels).
Our site is designed to look its best when it is viewed with a screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels and 16 bit colour. It will, however, look just as good if your resolution is increased beyond these parameters. These are just the default minimum our designers have used when they have been creating our site.
To change your screen resolution on a Windows machine you will need to do the following:
Click the Windows Start button in the bottom left hand corner of your screen.
Click the "Settings" option.
Click the "Control Panel" option.
Double click the icon marked "Display".
Click the tab marked "Settings".
Slide the bar marked "Desktop Area" as far as it will travel to the right (you should notice the numbers below it increasing), making sure that you reach at least 800 by 600 pixels.
Now click on the drop down list marked "Color Palette" and select the option furthest down the list you can. You may notice that the slide bar marked "Desktop Area" has slid back towards the left. If it has gone below 800 by 600 pixels, you will need to slide it back to the right again until it reaches 800 by 600 again. You may notice that the Desktop Area and Color Palette are linked, in that as you increase one, the other will decrease. If this happens, you will want to find a compromise between the two options which allows you to view an area 800 by 600 pixels, with more than 256 colours.
Click the "Apply" button. You may need to reboot your computer at this point for the changes to take effect.
If you do not need to reboot, click "OK", then close the "Control Panel Window", and you should see our site at its best.
What browsers can I use to view your site?
Our site is designed work correctly using Internet Explorer (versions 5.01 or above), and Netscape Navigator (versions 4.6 or above). These can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/ and http://home.netscape.com/ respectively.
Our on-line courses will only work with Internet Explorer 5.5 and above however, due to their complexity.
I'm using Netscape, can I still access my Online Course?
Unfortunately, no. Our Online Course material uses Active X controls, which Netscape does not currently support. You must use Internet Explorer 5.5 or above to access the Online Course. You can download Internet Explorer from: http://www.microsoft.com/
Who do I contact if I have problems with your site?
If these FAQ's have not helped you to solve your problem, you need more specific help, or your question has not appeared on these lists, please email any queries to: ">webmaster@linguaphone.com.gh
I have a very old Linguaphone course and would like to have it valued. Can you help me?
Unfortunately, we are unable to value 'older' Linguaphone courses, as we only have details of current prices. We would advise you to contact a specialist who would be able to give you a correct evaluation. You may like to contact the British National Sound Archives in London, or alternatively, contact your local antique dealer who may have specific knowledge or will show a particular interest in such items.
