Rosetta Stone

gloryseeker · #1 03-29-2009, 09:25 PM

Anyone here ever used the Rosetta Stone program to learn a foreign language?

If so, what was your opinion of it...worth the cost?

crakjak · #2 03-29-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloryseeker

Anyone here ever used the Rosetta Stone program to learn a foreign language?

If so, what was your opinion of it...worth the cost?

We bought the Spanish version for our daughter last Christmas, she is planning a wedding and working full time as a RN, so I don't know how fast it is working for her, but it seems to be good.

JTTNMinistries · #3 03-29-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloryseeker

Anyone here ever used the Rosetta Stone program to learn a foreign language?

If so, what was your opinion of it...worth the cost?

They don't offer Rosetta Stone for Serbian but I have used Pimsleur products which were exceptional in helping to learn pronunciation and also the EuroTalk TalkNow! cd which is an amazingly fun and easy way to learn vocabulary. I recommend both of them highly. Serbs, Croats and Bosnians I meet are shocked at how good my pronunciation is after using these. They have said that a lot of the time they can't tell I'm a foreigner.

CC1 · #4 03-29-2009, 09:53 PM

Rosetta Stone has an excellent reputation. I have never used it myself but have read about it for years.

Sherri · #5 03-30-2009, 05:54 AM

I'm in the middle of Rosetta Stone Swahili right now. It's extremely HARD, but good. I did the Pimsleur CD lessons last year, and like the brother said about the pronunciation - it's awesome. BUT, I only learned how to say the exact things that were on the CD's (including how to order beer and wine). Ha! Rosetta Stone is way more indepth.

I'm only on Unit 3 and I've been doing it for a few months now, and there are about 10-12 units. I think what makes it hard to me is that there is no English translation at all - it's all looking at the pictures on the computer and listening to the Swahili. So it's confusing sometimes as to what they're saying. It's done with the total immersion method - like you were living among them and just having to learn with no English around. Verb conjugation is REALLY hard with there being no explanations. However, I have learned a lot.

We have a gal in our church who learned German through Rosetta Stone, and she is pretty fluent. Maybe my 52 year old brain is just foggy! LOL

By the way, I bought mine in an airport one day, and it was cheaper than the price online. I had been looking at it online and it was $299, and in the airport kiosk it was $249.

gloryseeker · #6 03-30-2009, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherri

I'm in the middle of Rosetta Stone Swahili right now. It's extremely HARD, but good. I did the Pimsleur CD lessons last year, and like the brother said about the pronunciation - it's awesome. BUT, I only learned how to say the exact things that were on the CD's (including how to order beer and wine). Ha! Rosetta Stone is way more indepth.

I'm only on Unit 3 and I've been doing it for a few months now, and there are about 10-12 units. I think what makes it hard to me is that there is no English translation at all - it's all looking at the pictures on the computer and listening to the Swahili. So it's confusing sometimes as to what they're saying. It's done with the total immersion method - like you were living among them and just having to learn with no English around. Verb conjugation is REALLY hard with there being no explanations. However, I have learned a lot.

We have a gal in our church who learned German through Rosetta Stone, and she is pretty fluent. Maybe my 52 year old brain is just foggy! LOL

By the way, I bought mine in an airport one day, and it was cheaper than the price online. I had been looking at it online and it was $299, and in the airport kiosk it was $249.

Buana aw se fe way (spelling is probably not right, but trying to say Praise the Lord in Swahili)

Anyway, I was checking out the airport stand and found out it is cheaper there also. You are blessed, Swahili is a lot cheaper than other languages.

Can you explain a little more about "no English translation" if I am understanding correctly they do not give the English phonetic spelling or an English definition of the word only sight association with a picture. Is this correct?

Also, how are they teaching you the verb conjunction without English?

Asante sana

Sherri · #7 03-30-2009, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloryseeker

Buana aw se fe way (spelling is probably not right, but trying to say Praise the Lord in Swahili)

Anyway, I was checking out the airport stand and found out it is cheaper there also. You are blessed, Swahili is a lot cheaper than other languages.

Can you explain a little more about "no English translation" if I am understanding correctly they do not give the English phonetic spelling or an English definition of the word only sight association with a picture. Is this correct?

Also, how are they teaching you the verb conjunction without English?

Asante sana

You are right about the no English. It's totally by sight and trying to figure out word association. At least that's the way the Swahili is set up. I am just now getting into past/present/future tenses of verbs. For example: they show a picture of someone sitting down to a huge table of food, then another picture of someone eating, then another one of someone who is "stuffed" and the food is nearly gone. That's how they show the tenses. The part I haven't seen yet is how they are going to show "you" and "I" verbage. So far, it's all been third party stuff. Could get interesting!!

By the way, I'm pretty sure it's "Bwana Asafiwe"! And they always say it twice, never once. I don't know why.

RandyWayne · #8 03-30-2009, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloryseeker

Buana aw se fe way (spelling is probably not right, but trying to say Praise the Lord in Swahili)

Anyway, I was checking out the airport stand and found out it is cheaper there also. You are blessed, Swahili is a lot cheaper than other languages.

Can you explain a little more about "no English translation" if I am understanding correctly they do not give the English phonetic spelling or an English definition of the word only sight association with a picture. Is this correct?

Also, how are they teaching you the verb conjunction without English?

Asante sana

We're starting to use it to for Spanish (haven't started YET, but soon). As a basic example, it will show a picture of a cow (or dog or duck or goat, etc) and give the word for it, thus you associate that word with the picture WITHOUT going through a Spanish-to-English translation in your head -and nearly everyone does for the first few years by taking classroom courses. It is when you starting thinking in the language that you really start to know it. And yes, grammar can be a challenge with this method at first, but it really is quicker all around in the end.

gloryseeker · #9 03-31-2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherri

You are right about the no English. It's totally by sight and trying to figure out word association. At least that's the way the Swahili is set up. I am just now getting into past/present/future tenses of verbs. For example: they show a picture of someone sitting down to a huge table of food, then another picture of someone eating, then another one of someone who is "stuffed" and the food is nearly gone. That's how they show the tenses. The part I haven't seen yet is how they are going to show "you" and "I" verbage. So far, it's all been third party stuff. Could get interesting!!

By the way, I'm pretty sure it's "Bwana Asafiwe"! And they always say it twice, never once. I don't know why.

I was just notified that a Kenyan friend will be at my house in a couple of weeks. He is from Kisumu

gloryseeker · #10 03-31-2009, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

We're starting to use it to for Spanish (haven't started YET, but soon). As a basic example, it will show a picture of a cow (or dog or duck or goat, etc) and give the word for it, thus you associate that word with the picture WITHOUT going through a Spanish-to-English translation in your head -and nearly everyone does for the first few years by taking classroom courses. It is when you starting thinking in the language that you really start to know it. And yes, grammar can be a challenge with this method at first, but it really is quicker all around in the end.

Curious...have you tried any other programs?