Best-Selling Angela's Ashes Helps New IrishNow! Language-Learning CD-ROM Unlock Irish Gaelic Language.

HOLLIS, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 16, 1999--

New Award-winning language-learning method arrives for

the Irish language, includes reading selection -- in Irish --

from Angela's Ashes -- A Memoir, the Pulitzer Prize-winning

best seller by Frank McCourt. Learners can master grammar,

pronunciation and syntax while immersed in the memoir of a

boy who endures poverty and cruelty while growing up in

Limerick, Ireland, yet lives to tell his tale with humor

and forgiveness.

For the 60 million people of Irish descent worldwide, IrishNow!

offers a richer travel experience and new learning paths to

the Irish Gaelic language and Ireland's rich cultural heritage.

Developed in conjunction with the Irish Bord na Gaeilge

Language Preservation Authority.

Students, travelers, and enthusiasts of Ireland's rich history and culture can now learn to speak, read and write Irish Gaelic with IrishNow! a new CD-ROM for both PC and Macintosh users that uses the award-winning language-learning method pioneered by Transparent Language, Inc.

Experts agree that mastering a new language requires frequent, successful learning experiences. IrishNow! is designed to provide a rich, rewarding experience that builds maximum comprehension. IrishNow! works by immersing learners into the Irish language and culture -- participating in real conversations, reading fascinating articles and watching intriguing, entertaining videos about modern life and the rich heritage of Ireland.

"Learning the Irish language has never been so popular," says Micheal O Muircheartaigh, Chairman of Ireland's Bord na Gaeilge, a language and cultural preservation organization sponsored by the Irish government. "More and more people are learning Irish every day all over the world. If you have decided to learn Irish or brush up on what you already have, this information is intended to guide you to achieving your goal. You can learn simple greetings, read signs and understand place names, and even start a conversation with somebody in Irish."

"Because Transparent Language is the leader in languge learning technology, we are able to do things in language no other company can do," says Michael Quinlan, President Transparent Language, Inc. "This extraordinary new software program, IrishNow is a shining example."

Featured learning section excerpted from Angela's Ashes

IrishNow! also includes an excerpt, presented in Irish, from the 1997 Pulitzer Prize-winning book Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt, whose boyhood recollections of his family's poverty in Limerick, Ireland are powerful, sometimes disturbing, but always told with poise and eloquence. Arriving ahead of the fall release by Paramount of the film version of Angela's Ashes, the IrishNow! excerpt from Angela's Ashes gives users a highly engaging, interactive multimedia environment in which to learn Irish phrases, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation with the award-winning LanguageNow method.

IrishNow! includes more than any other language program

IrishNow! covers the four language skills necessary to acquire any new language. As users learn to speak Irish, they also learn to listen, read and write. Learners can use a range of activities, tests, puzzles and tools to improve their language abilities, or focus their efforts on any individual skill.

Perfect for both beginner and advanced speakers

A comprehensive language-learning package, IrishNow! provides everything from basic skills to a mastery of the language. For beginners, or for those looking to brush up on their abilities, The Most Common Words and Survival Phrases titles are great places to start. The word puzzles, grammar tools and vocabulary games provide a solid foundation. As the learner advances, authentic video content allows native-like interaction with true Irish.

Easily build conversation skills

With IrishNow! learners participate in real dialogs with native speakers, at their own speed. As they interact with the program, they can hear how words are pronounced, see the spelling, discover word meanings and actually hear themselves speak.

Proven effective

To give learners the best possible mastery of the language, IrishNow! uses the latest version of Transparent Language's unique, award-winning, academically proven LanguageNow! Method -- already used in over 6,500 educational institutions worldwide. Independent studies have shown that the LanguageNow! Method provides a more effective learning experience than books, tapes and even classroom methods.

As with all of the LanguageNow! products from Transparent Language, IrishNow! comes with a rich variety of content and activities for quick, effective language learning.

--   Over 10,000 words and thousands of phrases all with instant help
     just a mouse-click away

--   Native speaker sound for every word and phrase

--   Full-motion, native video

--   Fun games and activities like Vocabulous!, Crosswords,
     Plug-n-Play and more

--   Record, Playback and Compare your voice to native speakers

--   Advanced Pronunciation Analysis

--   Integrated grammar tutorial with over 50 topics and 80 pages of
     hyperlinked information

--   Accent Special Edition Multilingual Word Processor

--   Berlitz Interpreter Word Translator

--   Free Microphone

Other languages

In addition to IrishNow!, Transparent Language offers versions of LanguageNow! for learning Spanish, French, German, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Latin, Swedish, Dutch, Arabic, Polish, and English for Spanish Speakers. (Note: LatinNow! does not include video. The GrammarPro module is not available for some languages.)

Pricing and availability

IrishNow! is currently available in the United States, Ireland and Europe, and carries a suggested retail price of US$129.95.

System requirements 

     Windows Systems

     Multimedia PC (486DX or better CPU)
     Windows 95 or Windows 98
     8 MB RAM
     11 MB free hard disk space (16 MB recommended)
     2X CD-ROM, sound card, speakers
     256 color VGA Monitor
     Optional microphone for voice record feature


     Macintosh Systems

     System 7.1 or higher
     68020 or better processor
     11 MB free hard disk space (16 MB recommended)
     256 color monitor (or 16 gray scales min.)
     Double-speed CD-ROM drive
     Optional microphone for voice record feature

About Bord na Gaeilge

Bord na Gaeilge was established in 1978 as a statutory semi-state body to co-ordinate state policy and planning for Irish and to seek to ensure the survival of Irish as a spoken language throughout the country. The Bord provides advice and assistance on all aspects of the Irish language and works closely with the private and public sectors in developing and implementing policies for bilingualism. The Bord is funded by Ireland's Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, and currently has a staff of 28.

About Transparent Language

Transparent Language is the developer of the ground-breaking and award-winning LanguageNow! technology, which forms the basis for a number of the company's LanguageNow! family of language-learning CD-ROMs. The company also owns the TranscendRT (Rapid Translation) machine translation engine. As one of the world's top software technologies for machine translation, the TranscendRT engine powers Transparent Language's award-winning Easy Translator 2, Transcend, the Enterprise Translation Server and the TranscendRT SDK software development kit. The company also publishes the Word Ace line of talking translation dictionaries in 11 languages and other language products. Transparent Language products are used by more than 10,000 education facilities and have over 300,000 registered users worldwide. The company sells through multiple channels in North America and abroad.