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Rosetta Stone V3: Spanish (Latin America) Level 1-3 Set with Audio Companion [OLD VERSION]

by: Rosetta Stone

Amazon Price: (as of 02/15/2012)
List Price: $579.00

"The Rosetta Stone is amazing effective in drilling in lessons with the use of games and patterns while forgoing the old-fashioned method of memorizing lists of words. At first you don't realize that you are learning Spanish...and then as the days roll by you gradually realize that you are beginning to understand a variety of words and phrases. It reminds me of putting together a puzzle - it takes a little time before you see the picture coming together.

The voice recognition software is great for helping you to learn to talk (almost) like a native. While your pronunciation does not need to be perfect to advance it does need to be close. This is a very effective way to help transfer the lessons that you are learning into usable communication skills. In fact, to me this is the primary benefit that the Rosetta Stone has over any other language learning device - it offers immediate feedback!

Things that I enjoy:

- Intuitive approach to learning - both through word identification and by speaking. The voice identification software will help you take your language learning to the next lesson.

- More than one user is allowed. The Rosetta Stone is currently tracking of both me and my wife.

- Comprehensive language suite - once you are finished (and I am not close to being finished) you can be assured that you have gone through a intensive language training course. Simply put - you are getting more than the basics.

- Money back guarantee - if you don't like the Rosetta Stone you have 6 months to get a FULL refund!

- To me, this seems like the perfect tool for someone home schooling their children. Many of the lessons would be very age appropriate for someone in school."

Release Date: 06/16/2008

Rosetta Stone V3: German Level 1-3 Set with Audio Companion [OLD VERSION]

Amazon Price: (as of 02/15/2012)
List Price: $579.00

"I've become interested in going to Germany and although I know that English is spoken there, I'd like to be able to go off the beaten path and immerse myself in the culture. I'd also like to be able to understand the conversations of people around me. This is why I really was interested in Rosetta Stone versus a quick and dirty travel language CD.

This product allows you to customize it to your goals (read, write, listen, speak) through a very simple startup screen (which can be setup for different users) and then it automatically builds the lessons for you.

I find the lessons to be enjoyable and very useful. The speech recognition aspect is awesome. It lets you even customize how precise you want the software to grade your pronunciation.

Aside from the computer aspect, this product provides a whole set of CDs that complement the main software. This is great for reinforcing your learnings when you aren't in front of the computer."

Release Date: 06/16/2008

Rosetta Stone V3: Japanese Level 1-3 Set with Audio Companion [OLD VERSION]

Amazon Price: $200.00 (as of 02/15/2012)
List Price: $579.00

"I had tried to learn Japanese several years ago by listening to audio tapes and then by taking a class, and found it very difficult. Rosetta Stone looked like they might have a better answer, so I gave them a try.

First of all, installation was a snap. I installed RS on a Mac running OS X Leopard, and had no problem at all. It takes a long time, though, so be prepared to wait or even walk away from the computer for a while during installation. I decided to try using the Mac's built-in mic instead of the headset provided with the software, and found that it worked well. Of course, this would not be a good idea if there is a lot of noise near your computer. You may have trouble hearing the lessons, and RS would probably not do well judging your pronunciation.

You have a choice of how the Japanese words will display on your screen. If you are primarily interested in learning spoken Japanese, you might choose to have the text display using characters from the English alphabet, as that could help you to more easily recognize and pronounce the phrases.

Japanese is, obviously, very different from English, and I was unsure how well I could follow even the basic lessons. Turns out, it was simple due to the repetition built in to the Rosetta Stone system. The first time I heard a word or phrase it didn't necessarily stick with me, but by the end of the lesson it had sunk in. That has turned out to be key in helping me to learn this unfamiliar language.

Although each phrase is repeated several times, it wasn't boring. The phrases are mixed up a bit each time, and by paying attention and working through the lesson you start to understand a little more each time you use the software.

One thing that makes a difference in how much I retain is working the lessons consistently. Do not expect that you will spend a few minutes once or twice a week and really learn the language. Plan on spending time nearly every day, and the more time you can spare, the better. Half an hour or more a day would be ideal.

Although everyone has a different learning style, I believe that Rosetta Stone can work for many people who are comfortable with independent learning. It is certainly much better than audio-only, and allows you to learn and practice on your own schedule, unlike a class."

Release Date: 06/16/2008

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