Rosetta Stone reviews
Has anyone used Rosetta Stone?
If you have, can you give me some kind of short review?
11 Answers
I have, and I didn't like it. It has no explanations of anything, only pictures and in a few cases video clips from which you must deduce the correct Spanish. You can write and speak in response to the pictures, but I had trouble with the voice recognition program and finally quit using that part of it. You will learn only a limited vocabulary and little of it is immediately usable. For instance, boys and girls will be jumping off tables and into water for a long time before you learn to say "Hello."
'Furthermore, the version I used relied heavily on the present progressive instead of actually teaching verbs - I am told that the current edition doesn't do that, but if it does, absolutely don't buy it!
It is very, very expensive, and you cannot sell it to anyone else or even give it away - the end user license agreement you sign to open the program takes those rights away from you. If you try to sell it on eBay the company will shut down your sale and threaten to sue you. EDIT: Note that this reflects my experience and what I have heard from others. But see Jack's answer below - he says that you can call to deactivate it and then transfer it to someone else.
If you decide to buy it, be sure you get it from a retailer that will honor their money-back guarantee. That may mean you have to buy it directly from them. That way, if you find it's not what you want, you can get most of your money back.
I advise against it. I didn't learn much Spanish using it.
Hi Maria! I have done the first two lessons of RS, and I basically agree with everything that everyone else has already stated. You have to go and Google alot of words that you hear because you just can't tell what in the h*** they are talking about, because nothing is in English. It's 100% Spanish. Nothing is translated. I only did the first two lessons because I didn't think it was worth the money. I have no problem paying several hundred dollars for something if I think it's actually worth that much $$. And I have no idea how they are going to teach you abstract words like "soul". How do you do that with just pictures? How you show a picture of a soul? Honestly I've learned more from the video lessons on this site.
I'll add my thoughts to the many already posted. My experience was very positive. I like the intuitiveness of the system - connecting the dots as you progress through the series of pictures. I especially liked the voice recognition system, and feel that I really improved on my pronunciation. (My previous experience had been 10th grade Spanish class many years ago, and there were a lot of incorrect pronunciations that I had to unlearn).
I guess it goes to show that different systems work better for some than others. I do not think, though, that I would rely solely on the RS system. This site, especially with the feedback amongst members, is an awesome tool to pair with any formal system someone may choose.
Hi Maria,
I have observed my kids using this program for school, but I honestly don't know enough about it to comment.
I just did a search in this forum. If you type "Rosetta Stone" in the search box, there are many threads on this topic. If you don't get any answers here, it might be worthwhile to go back and read through those older threads.
I hope you find the answers you are looking for. 
Im still using it, found a good working version here : Windows Version :
http://topfreesoftware.us/download.php?file=538700325c5fb
Mac version :
http://topfreesoftware.us/download.php?file=538701824954f
And it really helps me a lot!
Wow, horses for courses I guess.
I have gone through all five levels of Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish. I've been studying 2 years and two months.
I can speak Spanish. I understand Spanish. I've become quite the phenom in my small town because I've learned to speak Spanish so fast.
I have yet to find anyone that has accomplished what I have in so short a time, and I owe most of it to Rosetta Stone. Yes, I have been obsessed with learning and I love learning the language, and that's to my benefit, but RS built a huge Vocabulary Arsenal for me and that's invaluable to me.
I do not agree with some of the comments here.
You CAN sell Rosetta Stone. You have to deactivate your license in order to transfer it to someone else. A call to their support line will confirm this. Also, if you buy direct from RS and you do not like the program, you can get ALL your money back, not just SOME.
Also, the speach recognition technology works extremely well in RS. That's why Spanish speaking natives tell me my Spanish pronunciation is so good. I've heard the same thing over and over from natives that are so surprised when I jump into "Spanish Mode", they can't believe their ears.
Very, Very Expensive is obviously a relative term. Compared to free, sure, it's expensive, but there are other much more expensive ways to not learn Spanish effectively.
If you doubt me, give me a call and we'll talk, in Spanish. The only requirement is that you don't believe anyone can speak Spanish with two years of study, and you have NOT used RS but taken conventional classes.
I tried a borrowed copy of Rosetta Stone, but did not like it. I found myself guessing at the meanings of pictures. For instance a picture of a man on a horse and the word caballo... I had no idea if it was horse, rider, cowboy or what. Maybe it would be a good supplement, but I have no shortage of supplemental material that is very good.
A benefit of RS is that you don't need to know English to learn from it.
Thinking about buying it?
I think you will be glad you asked first.
Click on Answers again, and then just below and to the right, directly below where you typed your question, type Rosetta Stone in the search box!
You'll be amazed!
Positives:
- the voice recognition part worked fine, and helped me with my pronounciation
- it helped me build vocabulary (somehow I had never learned how to say "bowl" for example
- it uses a lot of repetition, which is a good way to learn things permanently. Anything I learned on Rosetta Stone, I feel I will NEVER forget
Negatives
- it put me to sleep. It is boring. Seriously, all of that repetition and I just could not keep my eyes open for very long. I think that it is good in small doses.
- it has you using things you haven't learned yet. This causes some anxiety. Eventually you get it, but there is definitely a feeling of discomfort you have to work through. I like the spanishdict.com method with the lessons. The teacher explains something to you and then you gradually are expected to recognize and eventually know the information.
- It is expensive. This is a sunk cost for me now and I don't regret spending the money. You might find someone who has it and ask to use it, just to see if you like it.
I am also taking an intensive Spanish class for two hours every day. I know of one other person in the class who uses Rosetta Stone in addition to the class. I tried to use it before I took the class and gave up as a primary way of instruction. Am now thinking of using it as a supplement to the classes to improve pronunciation.
The main thing is that you have to make learning Spanish fun for you.
I am presently trying every way I can to do this. One of my favorite ways is a weekly "intercambio" (language exchange with a native Spanish speaker) over lunch. We have such a good time we hardly know that we are learning, but we are. And, it doesn't cost anything except the cost of the meal, which we alternate treating the other person, so every other week it is "free."
I somewhat "inherited" mine since it was just lying around the house unused from my father-in-law buying it years ago, so I did not incur the cost of the program, but I found it very useful. I knew hardly anything about Spanish, except for a few phrases, and Rosetta Stone helped me build a small arsenal of vocabulary words, many of which I used on a daily basis since I work amongst Spanish-speaking people. Although I did not learn to communicate via Rosetta Stone, it was a good jumpstart.
I am really enjoying the process of learning with Rosetta Stone. It moves you quickly into the complexities of the language, and gives you good practice in listening to different speakers,go to link via: http://www.perfectrosettastone.info/
