Customer Reviews

Rosetta Stone V2: English (US) Level 1-2 [OLD VERSION]

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

 

 

We use this in our language lab for our ESL students. The students who put forth the effort to work on Rosetta every week get higher TOEFL scores than those who don't. The software focuses on most aspects of language learning--speaking,listening, and reading. It also has a neat feature called Speech Comparison, where it shows a wave form of a sentence and, after recording the student's voice, compares the two wave forms, which gives a visual representation of how close the student's pronunciation is to the native speaker's.
The software isn't for everybody--mainly beginners who have a solid foundation of the romanized alphabet and minimal grammar awareness. However, level two is useful for intermediate students, especially the listening aspects. This does not appear to be an intensive study of vocabulary, rather, it gives the students practice listening to native speakers and solidifies grammatical concepts they may be having trouble with.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the price. You can find similar programs for much cheaper. However, since students can spend well over a hundred hours on one program, it is ideal for language labs in that it can be used over the course of a year. If you're looking for something more intensive, try something else. If you're in it for the long haul and want to do the most good for the most students, go for Rosetta Stone.

I found the Rosetta Stone Method effective to get me on the way to learn the language I needed: Russian. It was the very key break-thru element in my attempts to learn it. I would never had have success without it.

It distinguishes itself very favorably from any other computer-based language training, in that it really sends one on the way, and keeps one there thru the first, always troublesome steps.

However be informed, that it is not self-sufficient. You need a grammar, a dictionary, a good understanding of language structures (i.e. the grammatics of your own or another indogerman language), and more material. I took a lot of text and audio (internet radio) from the internet. I used also other audio/textbook courses to get more volume and substance. Even Mickey Mouse and some pre-school children books in the target language have been helpful. This mix made it sufficient, with Rosetta as the key driving element.

Rosetta Stone does not tell you about these, but the implicit assumption is that of accompanying a teached course. Like the NASA astronauts had, evidently. They were not on their own.

I bought this product for a person from Thailand to learn English better. It is simple to follow, uncomplicated, and effective. One can pace himself and review progress. It is outstanding in combination with the learner speaking the language orally and daily with someone else. It creates more confidence, as well.

I also use Rosetta for Russian and find that the system works for me because it offers a totally different type of learning. The immersion method uses interesting pictures, progressions, at least 4 different methods or combinations of ways to learn to attract visual learners, auditory learners and those who learn by writing. I had a chance to update my Rosetta system and found that the next version was even better than the first as some small details got greater attention. For me, it is like playing one of the complicated computer games - it is exciting and interesting to advance through each successive level of each unit. The technology never gets in the way of the content.

Our Oak Grove UMC,Decatur,Ga, has a Refugee Family Support Ministry. We purchased this to help our Mesketian Turk family(from Krasnodar,Russia) learn English. We have church members that go to their apartment and assist them. In a very short period we have seen remarkable progress. They have learned how to use on their own time. Husband and wife,both employed and their assimulation into their new country is excellent. Their 3 kids are doing great. Money well spent. Hank Woolard,Chair, Oak Grove UMC, Refugee Family Support Group

The Rosetta Stone software could be an effective tool if the quality of the CDs was any good. Instead, on several computers - running both Windows XP and Mac OSX operating systems - I experienced the CDs as buggy, noisy, making the program so prone to crashing as to render it completely useless. Do not buy.

If you are looking to improve your English, don't try it, this just some of the basics for the beginners

Easy to use. Easy to understand. The method of instruction really is better than the others.

we have had great recommendations of rosetta stone from other parents of older adopted kids from other countries. unfortunately the system did not work with our dell computer and we have found that is common. we tried various changes with dell and with rs technitions and eventually had to return it. it is so common a problem i think it should be noted upon sale. apparently the protective mechanisms against theft and copying on the dvd do not allow it to be read by dell computers.