Downloadable Audio

Vic February 8th, 2008

 What do you think, are audio books hot or not?

Well it appears that Amazon the world's largest online retailer thinks they are. They just bought Audible.com the world's leading online retailer of digital audio books for an estimated $300 million.

Based in Newark, New Jersey Audible.com was established in 1995 and has grown it's inventory to well over 80,000 audio titles since that time. A considerable number of Audibles sales are through one of two subscription programs they developed and it will be interesting to see if Amazon will continue to offer these programs. 

At this point in time it's unknown how Amazon will integrate Audibles audio book downloads into their own inventory of digital products.  There are many more questions than answers right now, but one thing is for sure and that is with Amazon making a large investment in the world of downloadable audio books there popularity will only increase and many more people will be jumping on this trend in the near future.

We'll be following this story as it unfolds and will be updating you on what's happening as new information becomes available.

You can find out more about Audible.com at Wikipedia

Be sure and tell us what you think about this in the comments below. 

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Vic February 2nd, 2008

Foreign Language courses are in big demand today and with are world getting smaller by the year it's not surprising.

With most of the Internet commerce being conducted in English, and with the number of immigrants settling in the United States, the need for programs that teach English as a second language (ESL) is also more in demand than ever before. More and more people want and/or need to communicate with friends, colleagues, and customers from around the world.

Over the past 40 years many innovative concepts in language learning have been developed but the one that stands above all others is the Pimsleur method.  This method developed by a linguistics professor Dr. Paul Pimsleur is widely recognized as the leading method for aquiring a second language. Dr. Pimsleurs programs are made up of 30 minute lessons and are almost entirely audio, with no written material until the most advanced levels, this is because Dr.Pimsleur was a firm believer that we learn language by hearing, not by seeing.

One of the tools used in the Pimsleur method is Graduated Interval Recall, a series of repetitions that transfer new vocabulary and patterns from short-term memory into long-term memory. When a new phrase is introduced, it is repeated at 5-second intervals. The narrator will then move on to something else but, after 25 seconds, will ask the listener to recall the previously learned phrase. After the 25-second interval, the intervals increase to 2 minutes and then 10 minutes. Finally, the listener will be asked to recall that phrase two or three lessons later. By this time, it is set in the listener’s repertoire.

Pimsleur programs also use a challenge with response technique, in which the narrator asks the listener to respond to specific situations. He might say(in English): “You are asked if you’d like something to eat. How would you say that you’d rather have something to drink?” or “How would you ask me if I’d like something to eat?” After a pause, during which the listener answers, a native speaker provides the correct response. By forcing the listener to respond in the target language, the Pimsleur program helps the listener better internalize the organic way language is used.

Ten years ago, Simon & Schuster acquired Pimsleur, which now offers 57 different language courses (including various ESL programs), and most of these are available in three or more different “packages,” depending on the length and desired level of competence.

You can read more about each of these foreign language courses here. 

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Vic January 31st, 2008

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Vic January 29th, 2008

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Vic January 24th, 2008

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Vic January 19th, 2008

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Vic January 17th, 2008

 Orson Scott Card an accomplished storyteller recently received the 2008 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens for his novels “Ender's Game” and “Ender's Shadow.”

The award was announced January 14 at the 2008 Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association (ALA) in Philadelphia.

Orson Scott Card is the author of the popular Ender and Alvin Maker series and is well represented on audio.

Beyond science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy (Magic Street, Lost Boys), biblical novels (Stone Tables, Rachel and Leah), the American frontier fantasy series The Tales of Alvin Maker (beginning with Seventh Son), poetry (An Open Book), and many plays and scripts.

Card was born in the state Washington and grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. Besides his writing, he teaches occasional classes and workshops and directs plays. He recently began a longterm position as a professor of writing and literature at Southern Virginia University.

Card is currently living in Greensboro, N. C. with his wife Kristine Allen Card, and their youngest child, Zina Margaret.

In the coming days we'll be featuring more of his books in audio format. 

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