With the proliferation of high-speed Internet access, broad-range cell phone roaming and international travel, the world continues to become a smaller place. But globalization has a much better shot at being perceived as a positive thing when "citizens of the world" can communicate effectively with each other. That's where foreign-language audio programs can help.
Whether they're used by students, travelers, CEOs or self-improvement enthusiasts looking to pick up a new skill, foreign-language audio programs are a barrier-busting buy. PW recently spoke with some audio publishers and booksellers about a variety of programs available in the marketplace and which ones sell—and to whom.
Les Pommes and Oranges
When comparing foreign-language audio programs, it quickly becomes apparent that there are almost as many types of products as there are learning styles. Some programs are audio-only, others are packaged with some combination of workbooks and/or phrasebooks. Among the numerous players on this audio publishing field are Simon & Schuster, Random House, Barron's, Berlitz, Topics Entertainment, Penton Overseas and McGraw-Hill Professional, with each company taking a slightly different approach to program materials and presentation.
Simon & Schuster audio publisher Chris Lynch noted that, based on research and customer feedback, what makes his company's Pimsleur line of audio-only programs popular is: "It works." The Pimsleur teaching method was devised by professor and linguist Dr. Paul Pimsleur and involves a principle called gradual interval recall, which focuses on how the brain takes in language as speech. According to Lynch, it's a key feature. "Pimsleur teaches listeners a foreign language the same way one learns English. It's a scientifically proven course," he said.
Though Pimsleur had been producing programs since the 1960s, Random House first picked up distribution rights in 1995, then bought the company outright in 1997. "Before 1995, the titles were not available at retail," Lynch said. "We've taken it from nowhere to one of the biggest programs out there. It's definitely a big part of our overall strategy."
Pimsleur programs, which include such series as Comprehensive, Quick & Simple and Instant Conversation, are available in more than 12 languages, plus a number of ESL (English as a Second Language) editions.
At Random House, the Living Language division "has been perfecting self-study language courses since 1946," said publisher Tom Russell. True to their name, Living Language titles are designed to "live," Russell continued. "The way we look at it, language study should not be all drill and rote memorization. Our programs emphasize dialogues and interactive techniques that get the user listening and speaking right away." Russell said his team prides itself on an "outright zeal for language. Our editorial staff can claim 17 languages—everything from French and Italian to less popularly spoken languages like Latvian and Icelandic. And since we've devoted so much time to learning languages ourselves, we really do have a deep understanding of how people acquire language skills." In addition, Russell said, such expertise helps editors know how to pace language lessons and focus on such pitfall areas as idiomatic expressions.
Living Language series—which, except for the All-Audio line, come with textbooks, phrasebooks or flashcards—include Ultimate, Complete Basic, In Flight, Business Companion and Fodor's/Living Language for Travelers.
Topics Entertainment, a privately held company that has built a strong presence in the home video consumer software arena, is a relative newcomer to the audio field, having launched a spoken-word line in 2000. Topics publishes more than 10 titles in its Instant Immersion language series on cassette and CD (books can be purchased separately). The most recent release is Total Immersion: Arabic."The audio line has taken off in the last year as one of the more popular lines available," said national account manager Beth Whitman.
Foreign-language audio offerings from Barron's include the book-and-cassette or book-and-CD series Pronounce It Perfectly, Now You're Talking and the Mastering series, which was developed by the Foreign Service Language Institute for government employees, diplomats and those in the U.S. military.
Perhaps best known for its worldwide chain of language-learning centers—and its more than 100- year company history—Berlitz publishes such book-and-audio series as Rush Hour, Think and Talk, New Basic and Today. German immigrant Maximilian Berlitz developed his method, which focuses on introducing basic vocabulary words and grammar in the context of real-life situations, back in 1878 in Providence, R.I. He believed this approach helped students quickly achieve a conversational style of communication and was similar to how children learn their native language.
Penton Overseas is home to the Learn in Your Car titles, "One of the bestselling lines we have," according to Tom McGrew, v-p of sales and marketing. Other series include the new Speak in a Week line, which includes a Wire-o book designed for flipping back and forth; TravelTalk; and the comprehensive Penton's 24 series—"the most complete language product we have ever introduced," said McGrew. All are available in a range of languages and in several ESL editions.
And another major player is Michel Thomas, a line of audio programs published by McGraw-Hill Professional and designed by linguist Thomas, who also runs a chain of language-learning centers. On his all-audio programs, Thomas can be heard teaching two students—each progressing at his or her own pace—as he presents relaxed, conversational lessons. Introductory and Deluxe sets are available in French, German, Spanish and Italian.
Who Needs 'Em?
It's no surprise that with such a diverse lineup, foreign-language audio programs hold appeal for a diverse audience. "One of the interesting challenges about of marketing foreign-language programs is that there really isn't an isolated core audience you can target the way you might in other categories," said Living Language's Russell. "College and high school students are steady customers of ours, as are older Americans who want to learn a language for self-improvement. We also reach out to the immigrant community interested in learning English for work or school or everyday life. Really, anyone out there flirting with the idea of picking up a language is a possible customer of ours."
Other publishers provide similar feedback, noting that travelers (for both business and pleasure), students and self-improvement enthusiasts are among the biggest groups purchasing foreign-language audio wares. Depending on demographics, retailers in various areas of the country may count military personnel and certain immigrant groups among the bulk of their foreign-language or ESL buyers. "We also, charmingly, hear from people who want to learn a language to better communicate with their boyfriend or girlfriend," added Russell.
According to the audio publishers PW spoke with, foreign-language audio titles span the retail channels, with a strong presence in chain and independent bookstores as well as mass merchants, warehouse clubs and libraries. "Trade is our strongest channel, with warehouse clubs in second place," offered McGrew. S&S's Lynch noted, "Pimsleur titles are sold in many different venues, including bookstores, online and via special sales to corporations. We're also looking at some alternative outlets, especially for ESL titles."
No matter where these audio titles end up in the retail pipeline, part of what will land them on retailers' shelves is accuracy and up-to-date freshness. Changing political climates, world currency fluctuations and slang are just a few of the issues foreign-language audio publishers must address. "We work hard to keep up with current language and cultural standards," said Lynch. "We recently had to introduce the euro on our programs," he continued. "In some cases, we had to start over and create a new master; for other titles we were able to make other adjustments. We have a satellite office in Concord, Mass., where professors and people who are experts in the Pimsleur method can work on these things." As another example, several companies have already introduced Arabic programs or are in the process of doing so, based on demand and topicality.
And ESL is a market that continues to grow and further define itself. Next spring, Russell said, "We will dramatically broaden our ESL line, which will include a breakthrough new program called Fluent English. It's intended for those who already have some English skills but want to make the leap to speaking natural, perfect English."
What Booksellers Say
A quick poll of booksellers across the country reveals foreign-language audio sales results that are, well, all over the map. "For us, Living Language is the big kahuna, especially the Spanish titles," said Gerry Donaghy, backlist inventory supervisor at Powell's Books in Portland, Ore. "They're followed by Berlitz. One of our better sellers is an American Accent training tape from Barron's. That was unexpected, but maybe it's indicative of where the market is going," he added.
Living Language is also a leader at Kepler's Books and Magazines in Menlo Park, Calif., according to head buyer Frank Sanchez. "We sell mostly Spanish, then French, and Spanish ESL does pretty well," he noted. "I know that we have some Mexican nationals coming up here for work and they want to be more conversational."
For Barnes & Noble, audio buyer Sharon Bosley notes that foreign-language audio is a typically strong category for the chain and that Pimsleur and Penton Overseas Learn in Your Car lines do particularly well. "Pimsleur is recently updated, it's easy to learn and it doesn't have any workbooks," she said. "Michel Thomas is another strong audio program in the marketplace," Bosley added. "It has a completely unique and effective way of teaching languages."
Jenny Williams, travel buyer for Book Passage in Corte Madera, Calif., said her store has numerous foreign-language audio series to choose from. "Our travel section is pretty huge, and we carry a variety of titles. We hold foreign-language classes in the store, too," she said. "Living Language does very well because it is established, and it's used a lot in our classes. Topics has recently given a very big push for its Instant Immersion line and I'm going to try Italian, French and Spanish and see how it goes. This is a wealthy area, so lots of our language audio customers are travelers. But I make sure that I carry English tapes for Spanish speakers, too, as San Rafael is nearby and it has a very big Latino community. I have sold lots of Mandarin and Japanese audio titles, which is kind of surprising. I assume it's been for business travelers."
When it comes to handselling foreign-language audio at Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, foreign-language buyer Pat Hewett doesn't hesitate to recommend a favorite. "I personally like, and have had the most success with, the Michel Thomas titles," she said. "I really like his teaching method and think his titles are heads above the rest." Additionally, she noted, "Living Language Complete Courses sell the best for us, followed by the Mastering series from Barron's. I like Pimsleur, too, and it does pretty well. ESL doesn't go as well for us. It's my sense that it has to do with the expense. I think most people trying to learn English want to take classes."
Booksellers and other retailers would agree that these days, when it comes to language self-study audio, the world is at one's fingertips. As Lynch puts it, "No one becomes totally fluent via a retail program. But our titles introduce a proven method and get them started." And there's no telling what the world would look—and sound—like if more people tuned in to these audio lines.
