After finishing the course and going back through everything again I can see it was me not having my ears tuned in to the subtle tones yet that was the problem, her delivery. It was totally authentic as it should be.

@susandeedavies Di nulla!

Hello,

Thank you for your message! You're right that Fluenz emphasizes the use of articles following "con," as in "con il ghiaccio," which is standard and common in spoken Italian. The inclusion of the article often provides a more precise or formal tone.

However, it’s also true that in colloquial or informal Italian, especially in certain regions, people sometimes omit the article, saying "con ghiaccio" instead of "con il ghiaccio." This can be a matter of personal preference, regional variation, or style. Pimsleur might focus more on the informal, conversational aspects of the language, which could explain the omission of the article.

Both forms are technically correct, but using the article (as we do at Fluenz) is generally more aligned with standard Italian grammar and is useful in ensuring clarity.

Thank you for sharing the Reddit debate—language is always evolving, and it's fascinating to see different perspectives on these nuances!

Best regards,

Great question Gabrielle!

In this sentence, "Stadtplan" is actually the direct object, not the subject. The structure of the sentence "Gibt es hier einen Stadtplan?" is a bit tricky because of how German word order works. The verb "gibt" (a form of "geben," meaning "to give" or "to exist" in this context) requires the use of the accusative case for the object that is being "given" or that "exists"—in this case, "einen Stadtplan" (a city map).

The subject of this sentence is implied rather than explicitly stated. The phrase "gibt es" is often used to mean "there is" or "is there," and "es" (it) functions almost like a placeholder subject. Because "Stadtplan" is what you’re asking about, it is treated as the direct object, which is why it takes the accusative form "einen" instead of the nominative "ein."

I hope this clears up the confusion! Let me know if you have any further questions.

Hi Eric!
In response to your question, please try following the instructions shown in the image below
Screen Shot 2024-10-02 at 12.33.11 PM.png

Hi,
Our content team has checked this sentence several times and we haven't found any problem with it, so the phrase you're mentioning should be accepted, unless you've forgotten to type accent marks with challenge mode on?
Please check and if the problem keeps happening, let us know so we can investigate further,
Thanks for your interest and dedication, enjoy the rest of the program
Emilie

Hi,
We chose to use the challenge mode for more "optional" accents, the ones that don't change completely the sound of letters. However the marks you're mentioning haven't been included there since they are almost part of the letter itselfm in the sens that they change the way they sound: We understant that this choice might be frustrating when trying to learn spoken Portuguese, yet it can also be a reminder that the letter sounds idfferently, so it can also be important for spoken Portuguese.
Hoep you enjoy the rest of the program nonetheless,
Regards,
Emilie

When (and IF) Fluenz does a complete upgrade on Italian, you won't be charged extra for it. At least, that was the case when they did an upgrade on Spanish.

Hi!​ ,
In the software, we do not provide the rules for placing accents, and there's a reason for that. These rules are based on knowing how the word sounds, so providing them would likely be frustrating. The way the rules work is that you sound out the word, then, depending on where you place the emphasis and which letter the word ends with, you determine where the accent should go.

Here is a link that can guide you through the rules: https://www.thoughtco.com/stress-and-accent-marks-3079562

Best regards,

@Emilie-Poyet Thank you for clarifying that. Yes I understand. You are right about having to read the English very carefully to avoid confusion. I often make this kind of mistake but usually pick it up through carefully examining the English translated into French. Level 3 is a step up and I am having to really take it nice and slow and often have to go over stuff to get it. Once again thank you. Much appreciated. A great course even though I am a bit slow at it. I started again from the beginning after taking a break but this time around things are sinking in better and I am confident to keep going. I got to the beginning of level 3 first time around and I have finally gotten past where I was second time around. It has been beneficial to go back over everything again. I am loving the learning curve. The flash cards and mp3's are a great addition as well.

Hi Jill,
When you say "I keep getting sent back to lesson 2," where are you clicking to go there?

I'd suggest logging out and logging in again to ensure everything is synced. Please go to the main menu, select SPA Upgraded, Level 2, and click on Lesson 03. You should be able to start at the introduction of Lesson 3 and continue from there.

In addition, I'd like to explain how the bookmark feature works and how you can return to specific workouts you haven't completed.

My Bookmark ( Located on the Lessons Menu):
You will have a bookmark for each language level that you are studying, represented by a red "B". This bookmark marks the last point where you interacted with the software in that specific level.

For example, if you are in "Spanish Level 3, Lesson 6, Pick the Right Answer" and you have completed some exercises there, then you navigate back to the menu, your Spanish 3 Bookmark will read "Level 3, Session 6, Pick the Right Answer."

Clicking on the red "B" will allow you to continue with the remaining exercises. However, if you decide to switch to "Level 3, Session 6, Repeat the Words" to refresh your vocabulary while working on "Pick the Right Answer," "Repeat the Words" will become your new bookmark for Spanish Level 3.
bookmark.png

Incomplete Workouts:
To complete your unfinished workouts, go to the Sessions Menu, where all lessons are displayed. Each lesson is marked with a completion percentage. By hovering over the percentage, you can quickly identify the sections within the lesson that you haven't completed. Clicking on the corresponding section will seamlessly take you to that particular part of the lesson.

incomplete.png

incomplete 2.png

My Last Activity ( Located on the Languages Menu):
This feature displays your most recent bookmark across all languages and levels, regardless of what you were working on. For example, if you were studying "Spanish Level 3, Session 6, Pick the Right Answer," this would be your Spanish Level 3 Bookmark. However, if you decided to review some vocabulary in "Spanish Level 1, Session 1, Repeat the Words," your My Last Activity would show:

My Last Activity: Spanish Level 1, Session 1, Repeat the Words.

Spanish 1 Bookmark: Spanish Level 1, Session 1, Repeat the Words.

Spanish 3 Bookmark: Spanish Level 3, Session 6, Pick the Right Answer.

I hope this explanation clarifies how the bookmark feature works for you. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have additional questions or if your software behaves differently from this explanation.

Best regards, and good luck with your language learning!

Thanks for your feedback. I'll send your comment to the development team to check if it is possible to change the colors for better visualization.

Regards,

Thanks again, Dirk - and Isabella! You're further explanation makes the rules very clear. It helps a lot.

Thanks for reporting this inconsistency, we'll make sure to fix it asap. Your understanding is correct: Stadt is closer to the word City because it means a much bigger place than Dorf, which means Town. Thanks again and enjoy the rest of the program!

Hi @jpedrali,
We have completed the first revision of French Upgraded. Our content team has added many additional answers and fixed some typos in the exercises.
Next month, we will conduct a second revision.
Note: If you have sessions downloaded on your mobile devices, we suggest deleting and re-downloading them to ensure you have the latest content version.

Thanks. I'll try these recommendations.

There are lots of regional differences indeed. I'm not an expert, so I'd love confirmation on this, but from what I've read, it is especially different in Bavaria and Austria, and also in South western regions...

in means both inside something or toward something, if you say in die kneipe it means "to the bar", if it's in der kneipe it means "in the bar", if you choose in die kneipe then it should be followed by for example gehen cause it's a motion. (er ist in die kneipe gegangen). remember ist here is for the past tense and not exaclty a to be verb to describe an is situation if that makes sense. I know this is one of the most difficult things in the language especially, I am level 3 and still mix things up sometimes. if someone is better than me at this feel free to correct me too I also need a lot of help for my German learning! Good luck!