Rosetta Stone

Thanks Anthony. Seems it pretty much walks you through it in an orderly fashion. Are there any special tricks or tips to get the most out of the program?

 

I like RS but like anything worth while it needs dedication. it wont passively teach you anything. You have to go through the exercises repetitively and dedicate large blocks of time so that the lessons sink in.

I like that the entire course is in the target language and the learning becomes intuitive.

I am currently working through the Italian course. It really seems to be taking hold. The real test is to watch a movie in the target language and trying to understand it. It's hard but the lessons kick in in

 

No real "tricks" per se but see below...

This is exactly what I tell customers. The program is not a magic bullet and requires patience and dedication. If you use it on a regular basis and truly "learn" what is being taught it will get you speaking the language. If you want to rush through the program just to say you finished it you will not yield the results you are probably looking for.

 

Anthony, what kind of time commitment is generally needed to have solid results? Obviously everyone learns at a different pace and has varying ability to learn languages. But would you ballpark the average at x amount of time per day for y amount of days?

I'm just trying to gauge what is and is not a reasonable expectation.
Thanks!

 

Ideally you'd like to be able to "touch" the program on a daily basis. There are activities that range from 5 min to 30 minutes so you should be able to fit something into your daily routine.

What I have personally seen be successful (with myself and family that have used/are using it) is 5 hours per week yields excellent results.

You also need to USE IT! Practice and integrate the new language into your life. Use the studio coaches and embrace the new language. Practice makes perfect!

 

That's great advice even though I'm having a tough time with the "daily" part! Such is life. I have been finding myself walking around practicing phrases that I don't quite have down perfectly yet.

I like how the voice recognition shows you how close you are too. There were a couple times though that I have no idea what I was doing wrong and I just could not get it right. I did notice I was missing some because I was just starting too soon.

I was told when I started that it would take one hour a day for six months to become proficient in a language.

It is fun though and I too like how the whole program is done in the language you are trying to learn. No cheating with this one!

 

My wife and I tried Rosetta Stone lessons 1&2 for a trip to Italy in May last year.
It is good but like was said earlier if the person you are speaking to in Italian answers speaks fast it might as well be Greek.

In 1986 we had a couple hours layover in Great Briton, we asked at the information( understand we speak English ) the gentleman there spoke Cockney. After asking the same question 5 times and getting the same answer (that we could not understand) we thanked
the man and walked away.

Stephen

Try eBay you can save a few hundred $

 

"Proper" spanish, what the hell is that? Spanish in Spain or from any other Spanish speaking country or island in America is the same without any changes at all. Grammar, spelling or whatever doesn't change at all. There are is regionalisms, but everyone knows the standard. There are no spanish dialects.

I'm learning Euskara since I'm part of Basque descend on my fathers' side.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_dialects_and_varieties

 

Wiki says pretty much what I did but in depth, the language in the same, regionalisms only, but anyone can speak in standard castellano/spanish and talk until the cows come home without as much as a single hiccup. By the way lets not rely on Wiki for education or serious information as many has some major flaws in so much of its information that's not even funny. I came back to change my post as it could become longer than I wanted to talk about this, the point is that the Spain has what is called Real Academia Española and that is what we use to keep our language as intended and into the future. When I was a child and lived in San Juan all the textbooks were under their supervision and approval. In the school systems our spanish class was and is called Castilian "Castellano", which is the proper way to call the language and that applies even if it's not spoken with the Castilian accent or pronunciation. Any spanish country that decides to make books as to teach the language is good as long as is standard. I'll say it again, we dislike when the U.S. uses the Mexican flag to represent that spanish services are provided, either in the internet or manuals etc. Put the flag of Spain or no flag at all, and that's not even right because Spanish/Castilian isn't the only language of the country. Might be the official language but that's not right, Gora Euskal Herria, Gora Euskara.