Thinking about picking one up but I hate buying things only to find out it's junk that doesn't live up to the hype.
Bump to see the answers.
Pimsleur (but that’s not on the computer)
I’ve used the Spanish one, it’s ok. Lot of repition of words - they say it, you say it, then repeat. Safer than going to Juarez though!
I have Spanish - Levels One and Two
You have to commit to it, and learning will come at your own pace.
It doesn’t replicate immersion, but it combines video, audio, sight, verbal, print, and sound as well as a program like it can possibly do.
It towers above 95% of all other similar language programs, imho
Because Poland and Hong Kong are the most free economies and have the least taxes in the world, and they welcome Americans, I’d choose Polish. Cantonese or Mandarin would score you bonus points getting a job, but English is, also, an official language.
I think it’s the best language learning tool I’ve seen.
Ahem.... I’m pretty sure RS can be found in torrent form. On Demonoid for example.
Yes, French, having fun learning.
Like the other poster said, pick up the demo before buying.
You can get the same thing from other companies for a lot less money. With Rosetta Stone you’re paying for their advertising. Check some reviews online.
Pimsleur's OK, but Thomas is much easier, almost fun. And lots cheaper than Rosetta Stone.
What always works best for me is building my vocabulary and learning as many words as possible.
Pimsleur is the best.
Try Fluenz. I’ve used both their Spanish and Mandarin. Fluenz is better than Rosetta by far. Use Pimsleur audios for additional vocab after using Fluenz for the fundamentals.
Try the 6-month online contract. I did to prepare for going to Germany last year. I only had six weeks, one hour a day, to work with so I completed only a part of the course. However, I was able to do genealogical research in Germany, communicating easily with the staff at the Landesarchiv even though they spoke no English. Also, it was very easy for me to use public transportation and get what I wanted at the hotel, market, restaurant, hairdresser, and such.
I love the course and would definitely go for another language the same way if I were planning an extended trip to another country.
The trick they have at Rosetta Stone is to go directly from meaning (via picture stories) to sentences in the language. No translating or flash cards or memorizing lists of words. I enjoyed every lesson. Another thing they do is analyze your pronunciation. I think that’s why I was confident enough to hold conversations.
You can see I was very satisfied. It was $200 well spent in my view.
IMO Rosetta Stone is overpriced and gimmicky. The only good part about it is the pronunciation analysis, and that only seems to work for some people. I don’t have the latest software, but up until a couple of years ago, it was vintage 1993 software quality. The flashcards have many errors (according to native speakers), and the vocabulary you learn is largely useless. It doesn’t cover grammar at all, and also doesn’t provide any useful phrases. Save your money.
Pimsleur is alright, and can be found at most libraries, but also has significant flaws: the speakers have a tendency to mumble (at least in Russian), making it very difficult to emulate. Many times I would pronounce a “t” sound, only to find out later it was supposed to be a “d”, for example. Using it in a car, with ambient noise, can be very difficult.
The best approach, by far, that I have found is LiveMocha. It has everything Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur have, and more. You post your pronunciations and writings for native speakers to grade. You can get into conversations with native speakers who are trying to learn English. There is just a wealth of resources. It covers grammar, and people are constantly submitting new flashcards, etc. And it is all free.
Good luck, and if anyone is learning Russian as well, pm me please.
One of the most difficult areas for us has been the grammar. Again, it's the immersion thing. For my 10 & 11yo’s it's taken a bit of explanation when it comes to word forms as they pertain to parts of the sentence. An adult who has a basic knowledge of sentence structure should have little difficulty.
My kids are only through the first lesson and we can already use the language to talk about the things around us — albeit it rather simply. It is good, though, for the kids to see nearly immediately that they can use the language.
I encourage you to send for the demo CD to see what the flashcard method is like. The video introduction on the CD did not run well on my old laptop, however the software itself does not require that much horsepower to run effectively. Having said that, it IS a resource hog. Our 5+ year-old laptop ran the software OK, but if one account had Rosetta Stone running, all other accounts suffered memory shortages.
There are preferences to adjust how closely the pronunciation should be judged. There is quite a gradient. The lower levels are fairly lax.
We use the homeschool version which allows for different levels and subjects of study: ie. reading, writing, grammar and/or pronunciation and how much.
We find the software very useful. I plan to purchase additional languages.
ping
“Destinos” for Spanish, sin duda. It’s a video story with text and other good support materials.
If I could find a similar program for Arabic, I think I’d be in business.