Has anyone used Rosetta Stone/other language services.

[JuveGG24]

I'm curious if anyone has tried language learning software. My girlfriend and I would like to learn Spanish and are leaning toward some kind of computer based system. (We're thinking about in person classes too, but haven't found anything convenient) Rosetta Stone is advertised constantly, so that has been our starting point.

Any help would be appreciated.

[MadTownSioux]

Re: Has anyone used Rosetta Stone/other language services.

Here's one guy's review.
http://language101.com/reviews/rosetta-stone/

Didn't like it much. He offers some alternatives.

[Red Cloud]

Re: Has anyone used Rosetta Stone/other language services.

Here's one guy's review.
http://language101.com/reviews/rosetta-stone/

Didn't like it much. He offers some alternatives.

Worth pointing out that the guy is hawking his own alternative product.

[Old Pio]

Re: Has anyone used Rosetta Stone/other language services.

I can't offer any experience with the software. However, their commercials are irritating, as they accent "stone" instead of "Rosetta." It's like we're talking about the Stone sisters: Rosetta, Conchita and Lupe.

[jmh]

Re: Has anyone used Rosetta Stone/other language services.

Here's one guy's review.
http://language101.com/reviews/rosetta-stone/

Didn't like it much. He offers some alternatives.

This review is crap. It totally misrepresents what Rosetta Stone's advertising means when they say you learn a new language like you learned your first language as a child. Not surprising given that he's selling a competing product.

He's right to the extent that RS isn't for FAST learning though; it does start from the ground up ("le velo est rouge. le chat est noir.") and it takes some time to get up to practical conversational stuff.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: Has anyone used Rosetta Stone/other language services.

I used to use Berlitz Think & Talk German. It was aight.

[manurespreader]

Re: Has anyone used Rosetta Stone/other language services.

I own an English language training company which utilizes as part of the course, computer aided instruction. I'm not thrilled with how rosetta stone does it. I also do not agree with the reviewer, his facts aren't. The old way of conjugating verbs like you did in 9th grade, is definitely not the way to go either.

First and foremost as you age you have to spend more time at this, but you can cut time to fluency down if you do it right. If you work hard, you will learn but it will be fairly frustrating and time consuming, depending on how fluent you want to be.

Having said that, speech recognition software can help, if it is melded into other types of instruction. Bottom line, get a course where there is some classroom as well as computer.