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Active Series Help

Livemocha's Active language courses are a premier online language learning experience, designed to teach you to speak and understand languages with confidence. This page should help resolve any problems or confusion you may encounter in your Active Courses. If your questions are not answered on this page, don't hesitate to contact us.

Topics


Active Series Structure

Each language's Active Series is a set of either 4 or 12 courses. Active English includes 12 courses, ranging from beginner to advanced. Active French, Active Italian, Active German, and Active Spanish each include 4 courses, ranging from beginner to upper intermediate. Students who purchase an Active Series get unlimited access to all courses in that series and can move between courses at any time. You can see the entire list of your language's Active Courses on its View All Courses page. Once you have enrolled in an Active Series, you can access both your most recent course and your "View All Courses" page from the My Courses page under the "Learn and Practice" tab.

Every Active course is comprised of a set of units. Units contain lessons and a quiz. Lessons are divided into skill-based sections, each of which is made up of one or many activities that will teach you and help you practice what you need to know. All courses also include a final Course Test that will cover all of that course's material.

Course Activities

You will encounter the following activities in your lessons:

Multiple Choice

Multiple choice activities can be found in the Active Courses Video Dialog, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Reading sections. Multiple choice activities will often refer to a piece of content -- video, audio clip, reading text, grammar or vocabulary slide show -- and will ask you a series of questions, each with a set of possible answer choices. To choose the answer you think is correct, click on the button to the left of the answer choice. Once you've selected answers for each of the questions, you can see where you were right or wrong by pressing the "Check Answers" button at the bottom of the page. Correct answers will turn green and incorrect answers will turn red. You can change your answers and press "Check Answers" as many times as you want. When you are ready to submit your answers and move on, click the "Save and Continue" button. You can always do the activity again by returning to it and pressing the "Retake Activity" button.

Drag and Drop

Drag and drop activities can also be found in the Active Courses Video Dialog, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Reading sections. Like multiple choice activities, drag and drops will also refer to a piece of media or instructional content. You will be given a word bank at the top of the page, along with a set of questions or a paragraph with blanks indicating missing words. Click on the word or phrase in the word bank and, while still holding down the mouse, drag it into the appropriate blank.The blank will automatically resize to fit your word. To see what you've gotten right or wrong, press the "Check Answers" button at the bottom of the page. Correct answers will turn green and incorrect answers will turn red. You can change your answers and press "Check Answers" as many times as you want. When you are ready to submit your answers and move on, click the "Save and Continue" button. You can always do the activity again by returning to it and pressing, "Retake Activity".

Pull Downs

Pull downs are essentially in-line multiple choice exercises. Pull-downs can be found in Active Courses Video Dialog, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Reading sections and can be used either on their own or in conjunction with a piece of media or instructional content. In Pull Down exercises, certain words will be removed from a sentence or paragraph and replaced with a drop down box. Click on either the word in the drop down box (will say "Select" by default) or click on the small down arrow on the right side of the box. You will see a list of words drop down - click on the correct word. The box will automatically resize to fit your word. To see what you've gotten right or wrong, press the "Check Answers" button at the bottom of the page. Correct answers will turn green and incorrect answers will turn red. You can change your answers and press "Check Answers" as many times as you want. When you are ready to submit your answers and move on, click the "Save and Continue" button. You can always do the activity again by returning to it and pressing, "Retake Activity".

Slide Show

Slide shows are multimedia presentations of vocabulary words and grammar content. They will teach you the necessary information to complete the activities that follow. Each slide contains the following elements: an image, a vocabulary word or a grammar point both in text and audio form. Active English slideshows are presented entirely in English - you can see a translation of the content in your native language by clicking the small "Translate" link at the bottom of the slide. Slideshows in Active French, Active Italian, Active German, and Active Spanish courses will be presented in a combination of your native language and the course language. Your slide show will start automatically when you land on a page containing a slide show. To flip through the slides, click the "Next" and "Previous" links on the top of the slide show box. The boxes in between the "Next Slide" and "Previous Slide" links will indicate where you are in the slide show. When you have finished viewing all of the slides and are ready to move on, click the orange "Done" button at the bottom of the page.

Role Play

Role Play is an interactive speaking activity. You will watch a video dialog and then record one character's lines in the conversation. First, you will be asked to choose a character. This is the character you will replace in the video; you will record this character's lines. Depending on whether the character you've chosen speaks first or second in the video, you will either record the first set of your lines or you will watch the video as the other character says the first set of his lines. The video will stop automatically to indicate that it is your turn to record. In basic Role Plays, your lines will be displayed next to your character's picture. In more advanced Role Plays, you will be given a prompt at the top of the page indicating what you should say (i.e. "Tell Jane some gossip.").

To start recording, click the "Record" button. When you are recording, you will see the text, "now recording" under the "Stop" button. Click the "Stop" button to stop recording. After you have recorded each segment, you can listen to what you've just recorded by pressing the "Listen" button. You can then either move on to the next part of the video by pressing "Next" or record that segment again by pressing "Record Again."Once you have seen and recorded all of the segments in the video, you will be able to watch the entire video, with your recorded lines. Click "Play Video" to see your finished product, or "Start Over" to go back to the beginning and redo all of your recordings. Once you are ready to move on, click the orange "Submit for Review" button at the bottom of the page. This will send your Role Play video to native speakers in the community for feedback and tips, and will take you to the next page.

Writing

In the writing activity you will write a short passage. You will be asked to respond to a question or prompt, and will also be given a Writing Model to use as an example. Write your passage in the space provided, and, when you are done, click the orange "Submit for Review" button at the bottom of the page. This will send your Writing passage to native speakers in the community for feedback and tips, and will take you to the next page.

Levels

Active English Levels

Active English includes 12 courses, from beginner to advanced.

  • Starter Course 1: For students who can, with some difficulty, understand and use familiar everyday expressions. Students should be able to greet people and introduce themselves.
  • Starter Course 2: For students who can understand and use familiar everyday expressions. Students should be able to introduce other people and ask/answer questions about people and places.
  • Starter Course 3: For students who can easily understand and use familiar everyday expressions. Students should be able to talk about likes and dislikes and ask/answer questions about times and costs.
  • Intermediate Course 1: For students who can, with some difficulty, communicate in simple and familiar situations. Students should be able to talk about future plans and ask/answer questions about skills and responsibilities.
  • Intermediate Course 2: For students who can communicate in simple and familiar situations. Students should be able to talk about past events and give simple instructions.
  • Intermediate Course 3: For students who can easily communicate in simple and familiar situations. Students should be able to give directions and ask for and give advice.
  • Upper Intermediate Course 1: For students who can, with some difficulty, describe simple experiences and events. Students should be able to make comparisons and ask/answer questions with "Have you ever...".
  • Upper Intermediate Course 2: For students who can describe simple experiences and events. Students should be able to accept and decline invitations and talk about feelings and relationships.
  • Upper Intermediate Course 3: For students who can easily describe simple experiences and events. Students should be able to talk about likely and unlikely possibilities.
  • Advanced Course 1: For students who can, with difficulty, give reasons and explanations for plans. Students should be able to ask for and give opinions and discuss what someone must or must not do.
  • Advanced Course 2: For students who can give reasons and explanations for plans. Students should be able to talk about problems and suggest solutions.
  • Advanced Course 3: For students who can easily give reasons and explanations for plans. Students should be able to talk about future possibilities and recommend a plan of action.

Active French Levels

Active French includes 4 courses, from beginner to upper intermediate.

  • Active French: Level 1: For students who are newcomers to the language or for those who need to start from the basics.
  • Active French: Level 2: For students who can understand a simple conversation but who may still have difficulty taking part. Students should be able, at a basic level, to introduce themselves, make plans, ask questions and express desires.
  • Active French: Level 3: For students who can hold a simple conversation. Students should be able to comfortably use the present tense to introduce themselves, ask for information or advice, and make plans.
  • Active French: Level 4: For students who feel at ease making general conversation in French and who are looking for further practice of more complex topics and grammar.

Active Italian Levels

Active Italian includes 4 courses, from beginner to upper intermediate.

  • Active Italian: Level 1: For students who are newcomers to the language or for those who need to start from the basics.
  • Active Italian: Level 2: For students who can understand a simple conversation but who may still have difficulty taking part. Students should be able, at a basic level, to introduce themselves, make plans, ask questions and express desires.
  • Active Italian: Level 3: For students who can hold a simple conversation. Students should be able to comfortably use the present tense to introduce themselves, ask for information or advice, and make plans.
  • Active Italian: Level 4: For students who can hold a simple conversation. Students should be able to comfortably use the present tense to introduce themselves, ask for information or advice, and make plans.

Active German Levels

Active German includes 4 courses, from beginner to upper intermediate.

  • Active German: Level 1: For students who are newcomers to the language or for those who need to start from the basics.
  • Active German: Level 2: For students who can understand a simple conversation but who may still have difficulty taking part. Students should be able, at a basic level, to introduce themselves, make plans, ask questions and express desires.
  • Active German: Level 3: For students who can hold a simple conversation. Students should be able to comfortably use the present tense to introduce themselves, ask for information or advice, and make plans.
  • Active German: Level 4: For students who feel at ease making general conversation in German and who are looking for further practice of more complex topics and grammar.

Active Spanish Levels

Active Spanish includes 4 courses, from beginner to upper intermediate. Note that Active Spanish teaches Mexican Spanish, though other forms and dialects of Spanish are frequently discussed in grammar slideshows and culture notes.

  • Active Spanish: Level 1: For students who are newcomers to the language or for those who need to start from the basics.
  • Active Spanish: Level 2: For students who can understand a simple conversation but who may still have difficulty taking part. Students should be able, at a basic level, to introduce themselves, make plans, ask questions, and express desires.
  • Active Spanish: Level 3: For students who can hold a simple conversation. Students should be able to comfortably use the present tense to introduce themselves, ask for information or advice, and make plans.
  • Active Spanish: Level 4: For students who feel at ease making general conversation in Spanish and who are looking for further practice of more complex topics and grammar.

Languages

Active English Languages

Active English is available in the following languages:

  • English
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Portuguese (Brazil)
  • Russian
  • Mandarin Chinese

Active French, Active Italian, Active German, and Active Spanish Languages

Currently, Active French, Italian, German, and Spanish courses are only available in English. They will be released in other languages within the next couple of months, though, so stay tuned!

Publishers

Pearson Education

Pearson Education provided the content for all Active English courses.

Educating 100 million people worldwide, Pearson Education is the global leader in educational publishing, providing researched-based print and digital programs to help students of all ages learn at their own pace, in their own way. Through acquisitions, strategic alliances, and organic growth, Pearson has put in place all the pieces necessary to create the world's leading learning company. These pieces include the most comprehensive range of educational programs; leadership in testing, assessment, and enterprise software; and the very best in online consumer and professional learning. Pearson is engaged in these activities for every age and level of student - from pre-school through kindergarten, primary and secondary school, college and university and on into professional life. Pearson Education's international business has been growing rapidly in recent years, and it now has a presence in over 110 countries.

Collins Education

Collins Education provided the content for all Active French, Active Italian, Active German, and Active Spanish courses.

Collins, a division of HarperCollins Publishing, is at the forefront of language publishing. The market leader in foreign-language education, Collins has created products from Tony Buzan's Language Revolution and Collins famous English gem to the successful Cobuild English dictionaries for foreign learners and Collins extensive range of digital product. Collins has been making dictionaries for over 175 years and with an extensive and unparalleled 2.5 billion word database which monitors a constant flow of text from publications, websites and transcripts from around the world, Collins provides the sharpest snapshot of the English Language.

With nearly 200 years of history HarperCollins publishes some of the world's foremost authors, from Nobel prize winners to worldwide bestsellers. HarperCollins Publishers is a wholly-owned division of News Corporation, the media conglomerate and parent of Times Newspapers Ltd, British Sky Broadcasting and Twentieth Century Fox.

Certificate of Completion

You can earn a Certificate of Completion for each Active course you finish. Once you have completed an Active course, you will be able to download a Certificate of Completion, which includes your full name, the course you have completed, the date of completion, and your course test score. When you download your certificate, you will have the chance to enter your full name, as you would like it printed on your certificate. You will only have one opportunity to enter your name on your certificate. If you improve your test score, however, and would like your new test score reprinted on your certificate, you can re-download your certificate, and it will automatically include your updated score.

Livemocha Expert Reviews

Livemocha Expert Reviews are part of the enhanced Active course packages. This feature allows you to have your Active Writing and Role Play submissions reviewed by a professional Livemocha Expert. When you complete one of these exercises, a box will appear with the option to have your exercise reviewed by a Livemocha Expert. You can choose which exercises you would like to send to the Livemocha Experts.

A Livemocha Expert will review your submission within 36 hours. You will receive a confirmation message once your submission has been reviewed by a Livemocha Expert. You can find your reviewed submissions on your My Submissions page, or by clicking on the "Submissions with comments" section on each Active course's Course Home page. Your submissions reviewed by a Livemocha Expert will be marked with an icon of a yellow starburst with a check in the middle. You can get Livemocha Expert reviews with your Active courses by purchasing one of the packages that includes Livemocha Expert reviews.

Technical Help

Microphones

You will need a microphone to record your voice for the Role Play activity in this course. Your computer may have an internal microphone or, if not, will likely have a connection to plug in an external microphone. External microphones are available for purchase at many electronics stores, and can also be ordered online. We recommend that you use a combination headset + microphone, which allows you to simultaneously listen and record. If you have a microphone but it is not working, you might want to check the microphone settings on your computer.

If you are using a Windows computer, the microphone settings can be found in the "Sound" window in your control panel. If you are in Classic View, simply click on the speaker icon in the control panel. If you are using Vista, you will need to click on "Hardware and Sound" in the control panel. Then click on either "Sound" itself or, under the Sound heading, click on "Manage Audio Devices." On a Mac, your microphone and volume settings can be found under System Preferences, under the Speech icon.

If you are still having problems recording, check your audio/video settings (below) or contact us.

Audio and Video

A number of activities in the Active Courses involve audio and/or video clips. Below are a few common fixes for problems playing and recording audio and playing video. If none of these suggestions solve your problems, feel free to contact us.

  1. Make sure you are using one of our supported browsers: Firefox 3.6 or higher and Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and 8. If you are already using one of our supported browsers, check your settings to make sure all audio is on and that Javascript and Flash are enabled.
  2. Check your version of Adobe Flash. All of our audio and video is played using Flash, and outdated or incorrectly installed versions of Adobe Flash can cause problems. Click here to update your Flash to the newest version.
  3. If you receive a "connection failed" message, this means your your computer is having trouble connecting to our server, which can indicate a firewall issue. If you are using Windows, you can find your firewall settings in your Control Panel, under "Windows Firewall". On a Mac, open your System Preferences and click "Sharing". Then click "Firewall". Once your are in your Firewall settings interface, adjust it so that it allows port 1935 to go out.
  4. Make sure the sound hardware on your computer is configured correctly. Check if the audio on your computer is working by trying the sound on other websites or programs and make sure your volume is not muted and the speakers and microphone are both plugged in and turned on.
  5. Sometimes audio issues can also be caused by an Internet connection problem. If your audio or video seems to be working only intermittently, try checking your Internet connection, refreshing your page or visiting the site at another time. Your connection could be experiencing problems.
  6. If you are still having problems and are using Windows XP, you may want to try following the instructions on the Windows XP sound support page: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307918

Cancellation

For Subscriptions

If you purchased a monthly subscription, you will be automatically charged each month and will have access to your Active Courses unless you cancel. You can cancel that subscription at any time. Once you've cancelled, you will continue to have access to your courses until the end of the current pay period. At the end of that pay period, your course will expire and you will not be charged again. To cancel your subscription, click on "Account" under your "My Profile" tab. Then click on the "Payment History" link in the navigation bar. You should see all of your past purchases listed on this page. Click the "cancel" link in the "Actions" column to cancel a particular subscription.

For 4-month access

If you are unsatisfied with your Active course, you may request a full refund for up to 30 days after you have completed your purchase. We do not issue refunds after 30 days from the date of purchase have passed. Please contact us. for help with any problems or to request a refund.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will I learn in an Active course?

You will learn how to speak, listen and understand the language you're learning like a native speaker. Active course courses will teach you everything from the basics of everyday conversation -- greetings, invitations, introductions -- to advanced speaking and listening comprehension techniques. All Active course courses focus around the following skills: speaking, listening comprehension (of a video or audio clip), reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary.

What sort of hardware is required for the course?

You will need a microphone to record your lines in the Role Play activity. You will also need either headphones or speakers in order to hear the audio in audio and video clips. For more information about microphones and audio, see Technical Help.

How do I find my reviewed submissions?

You can find your reviewed submissions in 2 places:

  • Active Course Home: In the top right-hand corner of your Active Course Home page you will see a box titled, "My Course Submissions". Your reviewed submissions will be accessible by clicking the number by the "With Comments" prompts. You can see submissions that have not yet been reviewed by clicking on the number by the "Awaiting Comments" prompt.
  • My Submissions: You will see a "Submissions" link under the "Learn and Practice" tab in your Livemocha header. Clicking on "Submissions" will take you to your "My Submissions" page where you will see all of the submissions you have made in any Livemocha course. To see your submissions with comments, filter your results to "submissions with comments" in the right-most drop down. Your Active course submissions will be marked with a yellow star by the submission title.

How do I earn and access my Certificate of Completion?

You will earn your Certificate of Completion by simply completing one entire Active course (i.e. Active French Level 1). You can earn a new certificate for each Active course that you complete. You can find the links to download your certificate in a number of places:

  • On the completion page of the last section, quiz, or test you finished in a course
  • Your Course Home page
  • In an email we will send you when you complete a course
  • Your View All Courses page
  • Your My Courses page

When you click on the "Download Certificate of Completion" link in any of these places, you will have a chance to enter your full name, as you would like it printed on your certificate. You will only have one opportunity to enter your name on your certificate. If you improve your test score, however, and would like your new test score reprinted on your certificate, you can re-download your certificate -- it will automatically include your updated score.


Can I fix an error or typo in my name on my Certificate?

Carefully check your name before downloading your Certificate -- you will have a chance to review and edit your name before the Certificate is generated. If you have already downloaded your Certificate and there is an error or typo in your name, you can reenter your name here.

Please note: This tool should only be used to correct mistakes in the display of your name. It is against Livemocha policy to generate certificates with different peoples' names on them. If you are found in violation of this policy, you will be subject to removal from Livemocha.

Can I access my certificate after my course has expired?

Yes! Your certificate will always be available in the Certificates section of your Livemocha profile page. You can access this page after your course has expired and re-download your certificate at any time (though you can not change the name printed on your certificate).

What if I am not satisfied with one of my Livemocha Expert Reviews?

If you are not happy with the service you received on a review, click the "Support" link on your Active Course Home Page. We will investigate the matter and get back to you within 72 hours. Please make sure to include as many specifics as possible so we may better assist you.