FAQ Links

Troubleshooting

• What are the system requirements for the online course?

  A desktop or laptop computer running the Windows or Mac operating system, a modern web browser (e.g. the latest version of Firefox, Safari, Chrome, or Internet Explorer 11), and audio playback capability are required. A high-speed broadband Internet connection is recommended.

• What are the system requirements for the e-Tutoring sessions?

  Living Language has partnered with Citrix GoToMeeting, a leader in online video conferencing services, to provide you with the e-Tutoring features. There is no additional software required for e-Tutoring service, but depending on your computer's configuration and installed hardware, some preparation may be required.

  • High-speed, broadband Internet connection highly recommended
  • Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or higher
  • Recent web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer 8 or higher, Firefox, Safari, Chrome)
  • Audio playback and microphone capability (i.e. speakers or headphones)
  • A USB headset with microphone is highly recommended
  • Java Runtime
  • A webcam is NOT required since only the instructor will be broadcasting video feeds.

• I forgot my log-in and password.

  You can recover your Living Language password at our forgotten password page.

• Where do I find the “Free Online Learning”?

  If you purchased an Essential or a Complete Edition, you can access the free online learning in our Language Lab. Select your language along the left side.

• I have activated my course. Do I need to use the activation code again to login?

  Once you have activated your course, you don’t need to use the activation code again. When you want to access your online course, you can click on “Login” in the upper right corner, and enter your email and password. Once you are logged in, you can access your courses in the “My Courses” tab at the top of the page.

• How do I load my CDs onto my audio/mp3 device?

  We recommend using iTunes software in order to properly load the CD content onto your device. iTunes can be downloaded for free from apple.com. Insert the CD into your computer, open the iTunes software, click on the CD in the menu bar on the left side of the window, make sure that the boxes next to each track are clicked in the main window, and click the Import CD button to import into the library. If you're using an iPod, iPad or iPhone, sync the device in order to load the tracks. If you're using another type of device, access the files in the iTunes library folder on your hard drive.

For all other questions and concerns, including permissions requests, please contact ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com.

Online Course

• How long will my subscription last?

  Subscriptions are available in 1, 3, 6, and 12 month(s) increments. The subscription period begins on the day the course is activated. The activation date will be tracked online, and you will be notified when your course is set to expire.

• How do I activate my subscription?

  After purchasing your course, go to the product activation page on our website and enter the product activation code. If you purchased the Platinum product, you will find the activation code on the included access card. If you purchased just the online course, you should have received an email from us with your activation code. If you cannot locate this email, please check your SPAM or Junk Email folders before contacting us at ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com with your name, the email address used to purchase the online course, and the date of purchase.

• My alpha-numeric password is not being accepted. What can I do?

  If you have tried using both letters and numbers in your password, then your Nickname (used in the Forums) may be the issue. Please add a number to your Nickname and then submit.

• How do I access the online course if I purchased an Essential or a Complete Edition?

  Our Essential and Complete Editions do not include access to the online course. You can access the free online learning in our Language Lab.

• Do I need to be online to access the course?

  Yes, an Internet connection is required to access our courses.

• Can I use the online course on my iPad or iPhone?

  Yes, our courses can be accessed from your device. Simply go to www.livinglanguage.com and login as you would from your desktop or laptop.

• How do I enroll in e-Tutoring classes?

  e-Tutoring is available to all Platinum and online course subscribers. Enrollment is done on the Living Language website by registering for one of the upcoming e-Tutoring sessions online. Learn more by logging into your Living Language account, clicking on the "My Profile" link in the upper-right hand corner, and clicking on "Manage e-Tutoring".

• Can I purchase more than one language?

  Yes, you can enroll in all the languages we offer.

• Can more than one person use this course?

  Each Living Language account can only log into the online courses website from one computer at a time. Mobile apps can be activated on up to 4 devices. Additional devices will require a separate license purchase.

• Which level is right for me?

  Our Essential courses are meant for beginners and cover basic vocabulary and grammar. Our Complete courses cover beginner through advanced levels and include more complex grammatical structures and more vocabulary. Our Platinum courses contain the same content as Complete but with the additional tools of mobile apps, web course, and e-Tutoring included.

• Can I cancel my course?

  Our policy does not allow cancellations. Please ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com if you're experiencing technical difficulties.

• I have the old online course. Can I upgrade?

  We do not offer upgrades to our existing courses.

For all other questions and concerns, including permissions requests, please contact ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com.

Mobile Apps

• Where do I download the Mobile Apps?

  Our iPhone® and iPad® apps are now Universal! When you download your language from the Apple App Store, please make sure that you are installing the app that mentions Universal in the description. We still have a few iPhone-only apps in the Store which will be removed in the near future. Our apps require iOS 7 or later.
  
  If you have a Platinum Account, tap on “Login” and then use your Living Language Account email address and password.
  
  If you are purchasing the app on one device, you do not need to purchase on a second device as long as you’re using the same Apple ID. Tap on “Restore” purchases on your 2nd device once the app is installed.
  
  Available languages:
  

  • Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Greek, Korean, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, and Dothraki.
  
  
  Living Language universal apps are available for the following Shell Apps:
  
  
  • Living Language Course Pack—includes Arabic, Portuguese, Italian, and English
  • Learn English with Living Language—includes English, English for Spanish Speakers, English for Chinese Speakers, and English for Japanese Speakers.

• Are Android™ and Nook® apps available?

  Living Language apps for Android™ and Nook®, both paid and free, are no longer available.
  
  Unfortunately, we had to pull the apps down from the Google Play and Nook stores before the Android and Nook logos were removed from our Platinum packages. If you purchased a Platinum Edition that advertises either of these apps, please contact ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com for additional details. You may be eligible for a refund from the retailer (if it is unopened).
  
  We regret that supporting Android and Nook is not a viable option for us right now due to the proliferation of devices and OS updates. In order to continue offering a robust list of languages, we had to sacrifice the Android and Nook updates for the sake of maintaining the high quality of our iPhone® and iPad® apps.

• Are Kindle apps available?

  Kindle Apps are not available. There are no immediate plans to develop apps for Kindle.

• I am a Platinum subscriber, how to I unlock the full mobile app content?

  Download and install the app from the Apple App store. Once installed, tap on the “Login” button found on the Levels/Lessons page. On your iPhone, the “Login” button is in the upper left corner. On your iPad, the “Login” button is in the upper right corner. Log in using your Living Language account email and password.

• I am not a Platinum subscriber; how do I access the full mobile app content?

  Download and install the app from the Apple App store. Once installed, you’ll have access to two free lessons.

  If you want to make an in-app purchase, tap on the “Store” button found on the Levels/Lessons page in the upper right corner. Or tap on any of the grayed out lessons, and you’ll be brought to the Store. Choose the Complete Course (Essential, Intermediate, and Advanced) for $9.99 or an individual level for $3.99 each.

• I recently restored or upgraded my device. How do I access the full content for which I’ve already paid?

  You’ll need to restore your purchase. If you haven’t done so already, download and install the app from the Apple App store. You must be using the same Apple ID used to purchase the app originally. Please make sure you have a strong wifi connection as it will take a few moments for the content to download.

  1. Open the app and tap on the “Store” button in the top right corner.

  2. Then tap on the “Restore” button in the upper left corner. You'll probably be asked for you Apple ID. Enter your password, and tap on “OK”.

  3. You’ll receive a pop-up that says “Restore Complete. Completed restoring purchases for this Apple ID.” Tap on “Okay.”

  4. To leave the Store page, tap on the “cancel” button, and you'll be back in the app.

  5. When you tap on any level, you should “spinning wheels” on the iPhone or a downloading progress bar on the iPad to the right of the lessons. This shows that the app is downloading. If you have a fast internet connection, you may not see the content downloading (which is OK).

• I can’t hear the audio; the audio speaker icons are gray and unplayable. What do I do?

  Either the initial purchase of the app and subsequent download was interrupted, or an update to the app was interrupted and the content didn't download properly. Please make sure you have a strong wifi connection as it will take a few moments for the content to download.

  1. Delete and reinstall the app from the Apple App Store.

  2. Open the app and then tap on the “Restore” button in the upper left corner. You'll probably be asked for you Apple ID. Enter your password, and tap on “OK”.

  3. You’ll receive a pop-up that says “Restore Complete. Completed restoring purchases for this Apple ID.” Tap on “Okay.”

  4. To leave the Store page, tap on the “cancel” button, and you'll be back in the app.

  5. When you tap on any level, you should “spinning wheels” on the iPhone or a downloading progress bar on the iPad to the right of the lessons. This shows that the app is downloading. If you have a fast internet connection, you may not see the content downloading (which is OK).

For all other questions and concerns, including permissions requests, please contact ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com.

Orders

• Do you accept international orders?

  Our online courses are available for international purchase. All other Living Language products must be purchased from official retailers.

• I bought Essential or Complete, can I upgrade to Platinum?

  We do not offer upgrades to Platinum, but our mobile app and online courses are available as separate purchases.

For all other questions and concerns, including permissions requests, please contact ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com.

Products

• What is the difference between Platinum, Essential, and Complete?

  Our Essential courses are meant for beginners. The package has one book and 3 compact discs that teach basic vocabulary and grammar. Our Complete courses cover beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. The package has three books and 9 compact discs that teach more complex grammatical structures and more vocabulary than the Essential course. Our Platinum courses contain the same content as Complete but with the additional tools of a language specific mobile app, a web course, and e-Tutoring included.

• Are the Ultimate Series and Complete Basics out of print?

  Please visit the Foreign Language Study section on RandomHouse.com for a list of currently available titles.

• Can I purchase e-Tutoring sessions?

  The e-Tutoring sessions are only available to Platinum and online course users as part of their product subscription.

• Where can I access free downloads of other Living Language products?

  To access free downloads of other Living Language products, please visit our bonus materials section.

For all other questions and concerns, including permissions requests, please contact ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com.

Lost or Defective CD/Books

• I lost my CD/book.

  We do not currently sell replacement CD's or books.

• My CD/book is defective.

  If you find a misprinting (repeated or missing pages, upside-down pages) or believe that a Random House/Living Language book or CD you purchased is otherwise defective, please email us at ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com for instructions on how to proceed. Please include the order number, your email address/account number, and the ISBN of the defective title.

• Can I download a PDF version of my book?

  We do not currently offer PDF downloads of our books.

For all other questions and concerns, including permissions requests, please contact ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com.

Language Questions

• Do Platinum, Complete, and Essential Chinese teach Mandarin?

  Yes, all Living Language Chinese courses teach Mandarin.

• What dialect of Spanish is taught in Platinum, Essential and Complete Spanish?

  Our course is focused on Latin American Spanish, however significant European variations are indicated.

• I have a language specific question, who do I contact?

  Feel free to contact us on Facebook or Twitter. If you are a Platinum or online course subscriber, you can also post your question on our language-specific community forum.

For all other questions and concerns, including permissions requests, please contact ecustomerservice@randomhouse.com.

Educational and Business

• How do I receive exam copies?

  Here is the link to receive exam copies: https://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/requests/.

• How do I request desk copies?

  Here is the link for desk copy request: https://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/requests/deskform.html.

For all other questions and concerns, including permissions requests, please contact support@livinglanguage.com.

Living Language Corporate FAQs

What is Living Language Corporate?

Living Language Corporate is a subscription-based product offering for business and organizational needs. Our product is an online course that includes three levels—beginner, intermediate, and advanced—and is offered in the most commonly learned languages for business. We include numerous resources to help employees gain everyday conversation skills and cultural insight for the most popular world languages.

What is Living Language’s Teaching Method?

Languages are complex systems, but they can be broken down into simple components. The Living Language Method™ is based on linguistic science, proven techniques, and more than sixty-five years of experience.

Living Language’s proven learning techniques teach students more than just the basics, focusing on developing communication skills with a step-by-step approach—students progress from mastering single words to composing full sentences and constructing conversations. The Living Language Method™, based on language courses developed for the U.S. State Department’s overseas diplomats in 1946, uses a four-point method to provide learners with all the tools necessary to become fluent in a new language.

What is included with a Living Language Corporate subscription?

The Living Language courses are available online through www.livinglanguage.com and through a Learning Management System (either ours or your organization’s). Corporations also have the option to add custom e-Tutoring sessions (live instruction from a native speaker) at an additional fee.

How long does it take to learn a new language with Living Language?

Living Language is self-paced and each student builds fluency based on their own learning speed. Living Language teaches you to express yourself naturally in a wide variety of situations. You don’t just memorize, you build up language skills step-by-step, starting with words and phrases, and advancing to sentences and conversations.

What equipment is needed for Living Language Corporate?

Living Language courses are delivered online so your courses are always available wherever you have an internet connection. Speakers or headphones are needed for the audio portions.

How much does Living Language Corporate cost?

We are happy to provide a quote based on your company’s size and usage requirements. Please contact us using the form on this page.

For all other questions and concerns, including permissions requests, please contact support@livinglanguage.com.

Living Language for Libraries FAQs

Is Living Language available to libraries?

Yes, Living Language is available as a digital, subscription-based language program for patrons of public libraries. We include numerous resources to help patrons gain everyday conversation skills and cultural insight for the most popular world languages. For more information, please visit www.livinglanguagelibraries.com.