Customer Reviews

Rosetta Stone: Dutch Explorer

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The pronuncation is not Netherlands' Dutch. It sounds much more Vlaams, the Dutch dialect spoken in North of Belgium. It's not much a difference, but Dutch people from Amsterdam wouldn't always catch what you say.

Second, I don't think it's effective way to learn the language. Basically it's just sentences on the screen with pictures, you read, you hear and you try to remember. It doesn't require you to have any language as a basis. However, I would prefer more explanations of grammar which make clear how language works, and more live dialogs from which you can learn how to interact with people, rather than dumb phrases like 'The boy is going to jump' with appropriate picture.

My 7 year old son and I are both thoroughly enjoying this program. I grew up in a dutch speaking home so the language is not new to me, but it is to my son. We have had the program for 2 days and already he his counting confidently to 10, knows his colors in dutch and a number of other words. Its natural approach to learning makes it easy to use, and the scoring/timing of each lesson gives immediate feedback. I would recommend this program for anyone interested in beginning to learn dutch.

This CD-ROM was a very good introduction to Dutch. It seems there are no really great language courses. This does pretty well. The pronunciation is good and they are linked to photos to build comprehension. I wish there were some explanations of grammar and sentence structure. You learn like a small child would learn a language. There is no english at all - no translations or explanations. you must deduce what the words mean from the pictures. It builds complexity at a good pace. I am happy with this item. But, It needs companion dictionary and grammar resources. Nevertheless, I have learned a lot of vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation and can recommend it.

EHH...........this program is quite good, and a person who studies the entire curriculum will doubtlessly become quite adept at whichever language he chooses. The only problem is that one must be prepared to shell out a few hundred dollars more in order to buy all of the supplementary/subsequent materials. This program only offers a basic intro. You must purchase more and more cd's if you wish to continue. kinda dissapointing. I should save my money and enroll in a Berlitz course; probably cost about the same.

As a native Dutch speaker (born and raised in the Netherlands) I was looking for a program to introduce my language back into our family. Over the years English has taken over in our household, to the point that we rarely speak Dutch anymore. I wanted something that would provide my kids with some exposure and comprehension of the language. At the same time, I didn't want something too ambitious that would make them resentful toward learning/maintaining it. Their schedules are plenty busy and I'm trying to instill some of that European laid-back lifestyle in them.

The Rosetta Stone Dutch Explorer has so far been an excellent tool and exactly what I was looking for. It's very visual, easy and fun. My eleven-year old can click through the exercises on her own, while the younger one likes some assistance. The different voices are standard Dutch and would be easily understood in all different regions of The Netherlands and Flanders. The reason I'm giving it four stars is that it wasn't very clear how to get started and how the program is structured. But it seems to become obvious as we go along.

I also think this would make a great introduction for any age to get a feel for the language. For the price it's a great deal.