BBC Active Languages

Talk is our bestselling course for absolute beginners.

It provides a clear, simple and successful way to learn and gives you the best grounding in the basics of your chosen language. Its step-by-step approach presents the main language of the course in ten units. Closely linked to the course book, the audio allows you to develop your listening and speaking skills.

Talk is supported by:

- BBC TV series, repeated regularly on the BBC TWO Learning Zone.* The Talk French and Talk Spanish series are available to buy on interactive DVD

- Free online activities, available at www.bbc.co.uk/languages*

- A tutors’ website – see below for more details

Click on the jackets below to find out more about your course!

*Not available for Talk Japanese, Talk Russian or Talk Mandarin Chinese.

New for July 2007, Talk 2 is the ideal way to improve your language skills.

Offering direct progression from Talk or any other beginners’ course, Talk 2 offers an improved understanding of your language of choice and gives you the skills to take part in increasingly mature conversations.

Click on the covers below to find out more about your course!

New for July 2008 - Talk box sets
From July you will be able to buy both levels of Talk French, Talk Spanish and Talk Italian in a snazzy new boxset at a bargain price! Click on the course of your choice to read more.

Borders special offer - for limited period
In Borders, everyone who buys a Talk French, Talk Italian or Talk Spanish pack will receive a free BBC Active Phrase Book and Dictionary in the corresponding language.

You can find your nearest Borders store by going to www.borders.co.uk and clicking on the 'Borders Stores' link near the top of the page.

Talk Mandarin Chinese now available to pre-order!
The latest addition to our bestselling Talk series is now available to pre-order online. Talk Mandarin Chinese will be published in July 2008, but you can reserve your copy now by ordering online. Just click here and follow the 'buy' links.

Talk cassette packs available at 50 % off
Owing to falling demand we are, unfortunately, going to have to phase out our cassettes over the next year, so we are making them available at half price in case you want to stock up. All you need to do is go to http://www.pearsoned.co.uk/bookshop/voucher.asp and enter voucher code VR002S to receive 50 % off all Talk cassette packs. Please note, this offer is only while stocks last.

Talk French and Spanish DVDs
There is currently a fabulous discount on Talk DVDS!
Available for a limited period only at an amazing 50 % off, get the whole BBC TV series for the first level of Talk French and Talk Spanish on DVD. Each DVD comes complete with exciting new interactive activities, and is yours for just £10 if you simply click here and enter voucher code VR002M to start shopping!

Extending the range?

We are currently doing research into future publishing, including extending our Talk and Talk 2 ranges, but we need your help! If there is a particular language that you would like to see added to either series, then use the feedback function on the left-hand side of the page to let us know. We will be most interested to receive your ideas.

Many of you are already using Talk in class, or encouraging your students to buy it as a self-study option. But did you know about the tutors’ website? Or that Talk 2 is now available, in French, Italian and Spanish, and will be linked in with interactive videos on the BBC Languages website?

Talk and Talk 2 are:

- Perfect for an intensive short course or for a full-year course supplemented by web materials

- Supported by a tutors’ website at www.bbcactive.com/languages/talk, featuring worksheets and suggested activities. A tutors’ website for Talk 2 is planned for the Autumn

Don’t just take it from us! Here’s what other tutors say about what they think about Talk and how they use it in the classroom:

Talk German
"For complete beginners the book and tapes were most suitable. I liked the way that on tape the instructions in English were very clear so that students working on their own could easily find the place on the tape and in the book. The students and teacher found the musical cue before the key phrases amusing as well as useful for focussing their attention"
Janet Milligan

"I am on to Term 3 with the Talk German and found it fitted very well with the OCN units the College has been using ie Food, Drink & Shopping: Accommodation & Travel: Tourism… the students have also received it well because it is not ‘cluttered’"
Ann Sadgrove

Talk French
"I find Talk French very good, especially used with the worksheets and tutor’s notes provided on the BBC site"
Magda Forrest

"I’m planning to use Talk German in the autumn as Talk French was very successful in retaining my Beginners French students last year"
Averill Fraser

"It's such great news about Talk French 2 coming out in July!! I am a french tutor in an adult college and I have been using Talk French for many years for my beginners. I love it, they love it especially when accompanied by the video and all the material I have downloaded from the website and bits of my own, to make the course great fun."

Véronique Harper

Talk Italian
"Congratulations for Talk Italian (and other languages). An extremely good basic book, giving what is needed to students, very clear and excellent recordings. I use it as a supplement with Italianissimo I"
Susanna Svagelj, Language Tutor in FE

Talk Japanese

'I have been using BBC Talk Japanese for the beginners classes and I think it is an excellent book! It is extremely difficult to find Japanese text books that do not follow the Grammar->drill->test pattern but BBC Talk has a nice mixture of activities, is well structured and can be used at home which suits busy adults who cannot attend every class.'

Mary Murata

Do you have any feedback about Talk? Use the email response function on the top left to let us know what you think.