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Why don’t people here like Rosetta Stone?

 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes Post Reply
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joebelt
Diglot
Groupie
United States
Joined 6362 days ago
51 posts - 68 votes 
Speaks: English*, French

 
 Message 33 of 93
27 June 2010 at 12:26am | IP Logged 
AlexL wrote:
I can't imagine that most people on this website have actually used the latest version of the software. I think
Version 2 has gotten deservedly bad press, but Version 3 is significantly improved.


Imagine what the results of that report would have been with Version 2 or with a more difficult language! The report is for Version 3 including TOTALe. Their latest offering.
1 person has voted this message useful



psy88
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5620 days ago
469 posts - 882 votes 
Studies: Spanish*, Japanese, Latin, French

 
 Message 34 of 93
27 June 2010 at 1:29am | IP Logged 
TerryW wrote:
Maybe you RS bashers have been a little too hard on "The Stone." This guy certainly got miraculous results from it - - -

This is the first review that comes up in Amazon for this product:
Rosetta Stone Spanish (Latin America) Level 1,2,3,4 & 5 Set with Audio Companion

That's because:   217 of 221 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, August 23, 2009
By Jerold (Washington State University)

(If you click on "See all my reviews" for Jerold, there are not any other reviews.)

Here are some interesting excerpts from the lengthy review:

"For example level 1 covers the exact same material you will learn in 2 semester of university level language.'

"After three or four days of using this I went from nervously giving directions to taxi drivers and store clerks to having full-on conversations."

"In addition to Spanish, I have used German, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. .. I was so surprised when within an hour or two or was WRITING simple sentences in Arabic and Mandarin, two languages I had zero previous experience with, and have been told are quite difficult."

"Though my wife looked at me a little funny when I was saying into the mic "The women are drinking coffee" in Arabic after an hour, I was grinning ear-to-ear."


"If you are afraid of the price - don't be. The cost is so low in comparison to taking college classes and is quite honestly so much more effective... Compared to taking a standard university class (boring, ineffective and WAY too slow) RS is a miracle. You can learn a semester of foreign language in as little as a week or two and have a much better grasp on the language."

"PS: No I don't work for Rosetta Stone or know anybody who does. Buen suerte!"

Here's the link to the Amazon page with the review:

Rosetta Spanish 1-5 on Amazon


Wow! The reviewer must be a polyglot by now. All those languages! Does RS teach you how to say "something sounds fishy to me"?
4 persons have voted this message useful



ALS
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5833 days ago
104 posts - 131 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: Norwegian, Finnish, Russian

 
 Message 35 of 93
27 June 2010 at 2:00am | IP Logged 
AlexL wrote:
I can't imagine that most people on this website have actually used the latest version of the software. I think
Version 2 has gotten deservedly bad press, but Version 3 is significantly improved. I've used it for Hebrew and
Italian, and I believe it's not bad. For some languages, like Mandarin, it is NOT good -- the order in which things
are taught is simply not appropriate for languages like that, without conjugation, plurals, definite articles, etc. But
for Romance languages (and for Hebrew), I've found it to be great. Grammar IS taught--usually a topic or two per
lesson. I've honestly never wondered what the pictures meant.


The only differences between version 2 and 3 are the sentences are a little more interesting. The core problems with Rosetta Stone - no grammar explanations, poor speech recognition, massively high price - are still there. And yes, I've used both.
3 persons have voted this message useful



egill
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5725 days ago
418 posts - 791 votes 
Speaks: Mandarin, English*
Studies: German, Spanish, Dutch

 
 Message 36 of 93
27 June 2010 at 2:44am | IP Logged 
TerryW wrote:
Maybe you RS bashers have been a little too hard on "The Stone." This
guy certainly got miraculous results from it - - -

This is the first review that comes up in Amazon for this product:
Rosetta Stone Spanish (Latin America) Level 1,2,3,4 & 5 Set with Audio Companion

...

"PS: No I don't work for Rosetta Stone or know anybody who does. Buen suerte!"

Here's the link to the Amazon page with the review:

Companion/dp/B00282UXC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=12 77571667&sr=8-1">Rosetta
Spanish 1-5 on Amazon


(emphasis mine)

The noun suerte is feminine. Hence it ought to be buena suerte. This is
the same reviewer, who went through three levels of RS and presumably spent a crapload
of money? So much for "miraculous results".

Edited by egill on 27 June 2010 at 2:47am
5 persons have voted this message useful



joebelt
Diglot
Groupie
United States
Joined 6362 days ago
51 posts - 68 votes 
Speaks: English*, French

 
 Message 37 of 93
27 June 2010 at 2:51am | IP Logged 
ALS wrote:
The core problems with Rosetta Stone - no grammar explanations, poor speech recognition, massively high price - are still there. And yes, I've used both.


Also the lack of cultural adaptation is just grotesque, even with Version 3. With Version 3--now that they supposedly fixed the problem-- only 10% of the photos are culturally relevant. Some language department at some University went through the trouble to compare various languages. I'll try and remember where I read that story and post a link if I do.

Edited by joebelt on 27 June 2010 at 2:52am
3 persons have voted this message useful



patuco
Diglot
Moderator
Gibraltar
Joined 7044 days ago
3795 posts - 4268 votes 
Speaks: Spanish, English*
Personal Language Map

 
 Message 38 of 93
27 June 2010 at 3:24am | IP Logged 
egill wrote:
TerryW wrote:
Maybe you RS bashers have been a little too hard on "The Stone." This
guy certainly got miraculous results from it - - -

This is the first review that comes up in Amazon for this product:
Rosetta Stone Spanish (Latin America) Level 1,2,3,4 & 5 Set with Audio Companion

...

"PS: No I don't work for Rosetta Stone or know anybody who does. Buen suerte!"

Here's the link to the Amazon page with the review:

Companion/dp/B00282UXC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=12 77571667&sr=8-1">Rosetta
Spanish 1-5 on Amazon


(emphasis mine)

The noun suerte is feminine. Hence it ought to be buena suerte. This is
the same reviewer, who went through three levels of RS and presumably spent a crapload
of money? So much for "miraculous results".


Perhaps the reviewer got confused after learning all that German, Mandarin and Arabic he also did with RS :)
3 persons have voted this message useful



hobbitofny
Senior Member
United States
Joined 6262 days ago
280 posts - 408 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: Russian

 
 Message 39 of 93
27 June 2010 at 3:37am | IP Logged 
I have used v2 and v3. I have nothing agianst the company or program.

I suggest you save yourself some money. Buy Transparent Language's flashcard program called Byki 4 Deluxe. If you want a full computer program for learning a language they also sell a fine one.

The best way to learn Russian on a computer is two different programs together. Transparent Language's Byki 4 Deluxe (list price $69.95) or down load the lighter version for free: http://www.transparent.com/language-resources/free-software. html
You will also want the FREE program called Golden Russian Deluxe. It is offered at no charge by Russkiy Mir Foundation. A Russian government started foundation for the purpose of “promoting the Russian language, as Russia's national heritage and a significant aspect of Russian and world culture, and supporting Russian language teaching programs abroad.”
http://www.russkiymir.ru/russkiymir/en/education/news/news00 01.html

If you spend 64 hours with these two programs, you should know Russian at a better level then NOVICE MID. You paid only for the internet connection and at most $70 for software. Do not let the low cost fool you this is high quality software.

If you own RS Russian 1, why not try the free versions for two weeks and compare how much you have learned?
3 persons have voted this message useful



flydream777
Triglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 6520 days ago
77 posts - 102 votes 
Speaks: English*, Spanish, French
Studies: German, Russian, Portuguese, Mandarin, Greek, Hungarian, Armenian, Irish, Italian

 
 Message 40 of 93
28 June 2010 at 7:12am | IP Logged 
I used to use Rosetta Stone religiously when I found out they had Irish-- It gets so repetitive, you click the same boxes and hear the same sentences over and over and over without making progress.... I finally gave up! That's why I think it's "extra" funny when RS says it's the "Fastest way to learn a language- GUARANTEED!" Lol.

P.S.- Assimil, can you please make an Irish With Ease course?? Please???


1 person has voted this message useful



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