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Learning a language is a complicated business. We all do it without thinking while we're growing up, but when it comes to adding to our mother tongue later in life, there are all kinds of theories about the best way to do it. Besides learning the words (vocabulary), you need to master the grammar and develop practical skills in conversation, comprehension, reading and writing.

As more and more sophisticated courses have been developed to teach children, learning materials for adults have come along as well, using the same methods but adapting the content. There are extensive (and sometimes expensive) packages available to take you right through the process of becoming fluent in your chosen language. But more interestingly for most of us, there's also some excellent software around that can get you far enough for a business trip or holiday for the price of a computer game - or less.

It's no secret that many British people wander around abroad wondering why foreigners are so rude to them. In some cases it's simply because they're waiters, but more generally, if you shout at someone in your own language instead of making an effort in theirs, you're not going to win many pen-friends. If you can just learn enough to make everyday requests and carry on basic conversations, the locals are generally only too willing to help - and more confident about revealing that they speak a little English, too. But which software will best help you do this?

To some extent it depends on you. Many medieval boys learned good Latin by the rote method. Then again, they didn't have to converse idiomatically with any Romans. Many children of the 1960s learned good French by

There are various types of learning software available, which we'll consider in turn. All deal with the same basic topics - introducing yourself, travel, hotels, shopping, emergencies and so on.

Audio courses

Audio courses concentrate on spoken words and phrases, though they usually teach some grammar as well. They have the advantage that the screen display is only incidental, so you can carry the course around on CD, or on your MP3 player, and study while travelling or relaxing.

If you do have a PC screen to look at, some of these courses provide photos to rest your eyes on while you work, some have animation, but many just present text. The main activity is to listen and repeat.

The Pimsleur course is still going strong, and currently covers nearly 40 languages, although it's fairly expensive at $274, around £137. Another well-known name, Linguaphone, has two products, AllTalk, a basic 16-hour course, and PDQ, which includes a book at a reasonable £29.95.

The In-Flight series, from Living Language, is even cheaper at £8.99, but only teaches phrases. All-Audio teaches grammar as well, but may be too American for some tastes. The same goes (in spades) for Rocket, which has a relentlessly hard-sell website and a terrifying price. Pity, because the hype conceals quite a good program. As a good example of what audio courses can do, we've reviewed À l'Écoute de la Langue Française, a serious effort that's actually produced in France, with the catch that it's only available for French.