Lonely Planet rolls out Fluent Road, the most comprehensive online language course designed for travelers

Developed by language-learning expert Fluenz, Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road is the most comprehensive online language course designed specifically for travelers

2013-06-12 — /travelprnews.com/ — Lonely Planet is excited to announce its first foray into language learning with the launch of Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road, powered by Fluenz. The most comprehensive online language course tailored specifically to travelers, Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road is packed with the most relevant travel-related language, vocabulary and grammar. Launching with Spanish, with plans to extend to Italian, French, Portuguese and German in the near future, Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road offers a free trial for new users and an easy monthly subscription pricing system.

Created by world traveler, multi-linguist and Fluenz co-founder Sonia Gil, Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road is different from other online language courses.  Using a building-block technique, it is designed specifically for travelers wanting to learn the words and phrases needed to confidently navigate common travel situations. Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road incorporates subjects such as dining, accommodations, shopping and directions that take the student beyond speaking to actually understanding casual conversations and connecting with the local culture.

Hundreds of fun exercises enhance comprehension skills—from reading and writing to listening and speaking— through tests, personalized flash cards and video tutorials packed with learning tips and techniques, making Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road the most sophisticated and efficient platform to learn Spanish online.

In addition, Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road is customizable based on where the user is traveling. Four different Spanish accents are presented—Mexican, Argentinian, Spain or neutral Latin American—permitting travelers to also learn the accent of the region they are visiting.

“We are thrilled to release Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road,” says Piers Pickard, Publishing Director of Trade, Reference & Language at Lonely Planet. “Lonely Planet is the world’s leading phrasebook publisher with over 10 million phrasebooks sold globally. We believe that learning the local language when traveling abroad helps travelers get more from their trip. Extending into online language learning is a natural progression for Lonely Planet and Fluenz is a great partner for us. They focus on practical language skills so that travelers can adapt their working knowledge into almost every travel situation.”

“When developing Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road, we worked very hard to match the real life experiences, and accents that travelers encounter,” says Sonia Gil, co-founder of Fluenz. “As an avid traveler and speaker of five languages, I greatly believe that having a baseline comprehension of a language can enhance the overall travel experience. I also understand how difficult it is to find time to learn a language. This is why we so carefully structured Fluent Road to be a primer ahead of trips, a useful tool during your trip and an ongoing tool following your return. Partnering with the world leader in travel – Lonely Planet – to leverage our expertise in languages and travel is a perfect pairing.”

Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road can be accessed at www.fluentroad.com and offers a free trial for new users. The subscription-based pricing is currently $9/month for a one month subscription, $21 for three months or $30 for six months for new users.

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About Lonely Planet:
Lonely Planet is the world’s #1 guidebook publisher. Started in 1973, we enable curious travelers to experience the world and get to the heart of a place via guidebooks to every destination on the planet, an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products and a dedicated traveler community. Visit us at www.lonelyplanet.com.

About Fluenz:
Fluenz has worked very hard to continuously fulfill its ambition: design and build the world’s best digital language learning program. The Fluenz approach guides learners through immersive environments with tutors who lead, challenge, and inspire through memorable learning experiences. As a small, entrepreneurial company, Fluenz works within an artisan tradition focusing on craftsmanship and the needs of its customers. Fluenz programs teach Spanish, French, Italian, Mandarin, and German. Fluenz also developed Fluent Road, in partnership with Lonely Planet, to offer an innovative program to help Fluent Road users learn travel Spanish online.

Notes to Editors:
-High-res images of Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road available.
-Demos of Lonely Planet’s Fluent Road available to reviewers.
-Interviews with Piers Pickard, Lonely Planet or Sonia Gil, Fluenz available.
-For more information, please contact: Press.USA@Lonelyplanet.com