Rossetta Stone

[JohnP82]

Has anyone used this product? I'm considering purchasing it in the hopes that learning a new language will open more doors for me in the business world. I'm really busy with work and taking a physical class doesn't see possible at the moment.

 

Sorry *Rosetta* Stone

[Feelin Frisky]

Has anyone used this product? I'm considering purchasing it in the hopes that learning a new language will open more doors for me in the business world. I'm really busy with work and taking a physical class doesn't see possible at the moment.

 

Sorry *Rosetta* Stone

 

I was curious too but it is expensivo. Over $500. I already am pretty good in Spanish but I'd be reticent to start sending them such sums. Unlike night school, there are no particular social benefits unless one needs quick training for travel or business. So, fun-gooie.

[2sure]

I have bought 3: French, italian, spanish.

For travel use.

 

On vacation I am still reduced to speaking english louder and slower with hand motions once I am beyond purchasing anything or ordering food.

 

Since I really like to shop and eat, I consider it money well spent.

[JohnP82]

It's more of a convenience thing. I figure taking classes at a university would be about as much. I want it for Mandarin or Arabic.

[2sure]

Well , I already know you are a lot smarter than me if those are the languages you want to learn. So you will benefit more from them than I did.

 

Really though, I see them for sale all over the internet & craigslist. Buy it for less than retail.

[wrencn]

I have access to all languages because I was in the Army. I honestly don't really use them. I find it boring. I think you would be better trying to find a native speaker and practicing with them. Just my .02. Immersion is the easiest way for me to learn.

[Feelin Frisky]

Just as an aside, I had two years of Spanish in HS. The first year I had a teacher who was a Cuban man who fled before Castro took over. The second year I had an Irish Catholic Brother. The teacher who was Cuban had an excellent methodology--after he gave us the fundamental differences in punctuation and diction he used a text book and gave us a test every freaking day. I couldn't stand seeing bad marks being reflected that often so I studied and was exempt for the final by way of my being top of the class. When I had that Catholic Brother I learned nada. He digressed into his own Archie Bunker political world view all the time going so far as to call black guys in my class "boonus Africanus" and Italians "semi-negroes". What an @ss hole. He gave a test every three weeks or so and that took away the incentive to study like I did in the first year. I passed by the skin of my teeth. Moral of the story?

 

It's a lot better to have structure to perform which includes immediate feedback from a human expert than just about anything that leaves it all up to you on your own.

[Arabella]

An ex of mine spent several years slowly working his way through Rosetta Stone for Spanish and learned very little.

 

I am a native Spanish speaker and I could tell that he was learning a lot of vocabulary but that's about it. The method is not good for learning to actually use the language outside the situations given. It only gives you a very basic understanding of tourist-like situations (ordering food, etc).

 

I suspect that you want to be moderately fluent in it if you want it for business purposes... therefore, I would advise you take courses at the local university. This will give you the same as Rosetta Stone, and you will gain access to a teacher to help you, as well as classmates to practice with.

 

Best of luck,

 

Arabella

[Tayla]

Contingent on your style of learning are you a more auditory learner? Some folks are more attune to that style of aiding in capturing the sounds , accents and emphasis. My son is an auditory learner and picks up languages quite quickly just from sitting with a collegue. I learn from visual and have to see the word to then pronouce and then add the correct emphasis.

 

Some folks simply have different aids that assist them in capturing a spoken language. Since I never tried the program I can only say if you are apt to invest in it and it has the techniques to aide you then by all means...

 

I did better in spanish and french from sitting and actually writing the language (visual) then coming to express it...(verbal sound).

[JohnP82]

Thanks for the information everyone. Sorry for the late response though, I was working. I'm going to try Rosetta Stone first and if I don't like it I'll look for a tutor or class at a local university.

[Green]

Just as an aside, I had two years of Spanish in HS. The first year I had a teacher who was a Cuban man who fled before Castro took over. The second year I had an Irish Catholic Brother. The teacher who was Cuban had an excellent methodology--after he gave us the fundamental differences in punctuation and diction he used a text book and gave us a test every freaking day. I couldn't stand seeing bad marks being reflected that often so I studied and was exempt for the final by way of my being top of the class. When I had that Catholic Brother I learned nada. He digressed into his own Archie Bunker political world view all the time going so far as to call black guys in my class "boonus Africanus" and Italians "semi-negroes". What an @ss hole. He gave a test every three weeks or so and that took away the incentive to study like I did in the first year. I passed by the skin of my teeth. Moral of the story?

 

It's a lot better to have structure to perform which includes immediate feedback from a human expert than just about anything that leaves it all up to you on your own.

 

I forgot about how the students with good grades were exempt from finals. I always got angry because it WAS NEVER me back in HS.