Maybe I'm very traditional, but I don't think I would be able to learn a language 100% on the computer. For me, language is a very social and communicative activity, and learning a language on the computer takes the social aspect away. However, it is definitely much more convenient than having to go to class, and you have the ability to study whenever you want. Online language courses are certainly a great option for people who are working full-time or parents who don't have a lot of time to go to a traditional class.
I currently work for a company here in Spain called 8belts, that offers online language courses based on "steps" (short phrases or words) and incorporates a lot of gamification in the program design. It is similar to karate a "belt 1" is a beginner with very little or no previous studies, and as you go up in number your language level does too, until you reach 5,000 steps as a "belt 8". The company intially started with Chinese, expanded to include English, and now they offer French and German too. Their claim to fame or slogan is that you can "learn to speak in ONLY 8 months". Their metholodgy is based on "steps" that you learn one by one with a lot of repetition and review as well as studying a minimum of 30 minutes everyday. The students work in different "rooms" or "salas" where they learn new steps, listen to dialogues, and after a certain amount of time studying they "earn" a conversation with a native speaker. This is the part where I work. I have 30 minute conversations with the students via Skype. Most of the students I work with are people who are working full-time demanding careers such as doctors, engineers, and business managers, so it is a good option for the them, and the expensive price tag doesn't scare them away!
I have included some screen shots of the program and a link to the company website so you can get a feel for what the program is like. There is also a free trial for 8 days if anyone is interested in trying it out!
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