Customer Reviews

Rosetta Stone V3: French, Level 1, 2 & 3

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I've been interested in languages for years. I've spent many, many thousands of dollars on language learning aids. I have to say that, although I was very skeptical about buying it, this one is truly amazing. I was afraid to buy it because of the cheesy computer language programs I'd seen years ago. But this software is excellent -- they've come a long way with these programs. The photography is beautiful and the speech analysis software is astounding. You can set the strictness of the speech analyzer from 1 to 10. I set it on the hardest since I want to have a really good accent. Installation was trivial. Very, very easy to install on a Windows XP. They are also good about customer service.

Another nice feature is that you can have multiple users and it will keep track of each person's progress independently.

I had one gripe about the volume control not being located in the software itself. Rather irritating. Apparently it used to be, but is now just controlled outside the application in the volume control settings on your computer. And the specific setting on a Windows computer that it uses is the "Wave" volume setting.


The Pimsleur audio cds I have are great in that you acquire an excellent accent and learn to speak well, but it takes some real dedication to get through all the recordings and you don't learn to read. The Capretz "French in Action" series is fantastic, but quite expensive for the entire video program, books, audio, etc. This one, while also somewhat expensive, is a lot of fun. It is highly effective for teaching speech, writing, and reading. It is entertaining in the same way that playing games on the computer can be entertaining. I would say that the only thing it does not teach is conversational skills, but that is why I would suggest using it in conjunction with Pimsleur and other tools.

I use all three of these tools but this one is perhaps the most fun. The "French in Action" video program is also a lot of fun to watch, but the workbook and audio lessons require a fair amount of effort (but are effective). I learn to speak with Pimsleur, to understand spoken French with "French in Action", and learn to write, read, pronounce French and increase my vocabulary with Rosetta Stone.

I'm learning French really fast with Rosetta Stone. I'm glad I finally decided to give it a try. Note that if you purchase the product through them, (as of the date of this writing) they offer free shipping a six month return policy -- no questions asked. It may cost a bit more than getting it through other means, but if you are concerned about whether it is right for you, it may be worth it to check out their guarantee policy. But if you are already sure you want to keep it, it is worthwhile getting it on sale elsewhere. They offer this guarantee because they are pretty confident about their product, and I can see why they would be.

This is terrific software, and truly immerses you into the French language. It is easy to use, and the graphics well done.

The most important thing to keep in mind, though, is that this software will only work if you personally learn using an immersion system. As a neuropsychologist who specializes in learning theory, I can clearly state that the immersion method does not work with everyone. You should try the free lessons Rosetta Stone offers on their website before purchasing.

Some people learn faster, and retain their knowledge better if they use the standard rote memorization system (such as the Living Language system). Others learn better using the immersion method.

Some caveats to keep in mind after having worked through about 10 lessons (I already speak fluent French, but wanted to know why my partner was having such a hard time with this software):

- The lessons are boring -- it repeats sets of 4 words over and over. They system only works if you use all of the modules for each lesson -- read, recall, write. This is extremely tedious.The more tedious it gets, the easier it is to "cheat" i.e. just quickly look at the first photo that you know matches and click - no real learning is happening then.
- None of the language that you learn in the first level will be anything you really use in real-life in France -- sure, it is developing concepts, teaching you sounds and cadence, numbers and colors -- but there are very few people who will ever have to say "the horse jumps" or "the boy is under the airplane", or "the man fell off the horse"
-The basic lessons do not teach you any day to day conversational french, nor how to say hello, goodbye, or order anything on a menu
-Finally - there is nothing here to take with you -- everything is dependent on the software, there are no printed lessons, translations, or lists to put in your pocket and review for memorization purposes. You better buy a good French Dictionary while using this system, since you WILL need to look up some of the words -- not all of the photos are intuitive enough to tell you what they are talking about.

The lessons DO help you to "think" in limited French -- it will not help you listen and understand others without substantial additional work using other materials.

Overall, these are great very basic French lessons -- but many users will be better off with a standard text book.

BACKGROUND
Using Rosetta Stone French (v.3) on a Mac iBook G4 (10.3.9). Using home school addition. Have used it for last 6 weeks.

SUMMARY
In spite of the cost, the awkward port from Windows and difficult network set up, it's still best of class for learning a foreign language.

REVIEW
Powerful, detailed and complicated: those are the adjectives I would use to describe this program. If you want to learn the language, then this program systemically teaches it to you. It keeps record of your progress, gives tests and records your grades. It treats you as if you are a student in a classroom. Additional workbook, study guide and included microphone headset supplement the visual and audio CD disk. But having said all this, there are some things I wish as a Mac user that I would have known.

The set-up of the program is SO non-intuitive and non-mac like. This includes installation of the application and its MANY helper files needed to run in the background with the main program disk. In my former life, I was an Apple System engineer, so I am no stranger to the Mac and networks setups. But even this installation caused me to eventually have to call Rosetta's technical support for instruction. This is partially due to my complicated home network set up (I've got multiple Macs with multiple (non-Mac) Routers that work as Access Points and bridges), and partially because of the complexity of installation of the program itself. This is definitely NOT a "drag-and-drop", or "double click to un- compress" or even "double click and follow the step by step instruction" type of experience. It is "multi-step, enter by hand, enter in data and information" type of installation process.

That is what is most disappointing to me. This is a BAD PORT of a PC program. They did nothing to make the program conform to Apple program standards. This means there are many helper files (20 something??!!!) in various folders. There is a network component that HAS TO run in the background for the main language program to run. This means you have to always first launch this secondary program (or leaving it running all the time). If you run on a network (like I do), you have to assign the computer's IP address that the program is running on (can't use the default, non-network IP given by the setup program). If your computer ever is assigned a different IP address locally by your router (power goes out, etc), then you will have to make some changes or this network helper file will not launch, and therefore, the language program will not either.

Getting to the place to even begin to first use the program is a tedious and complicated process. Another helper program that keeps track of the students progress must also first be set up. The "teacher's" name, access settings, the "student's" name(s) and their access privileges must first be established. ALL THIS IS DONE AWKWARDLY AND IN AN IBM 90'S INTERFACE. Constant referring to the user guide is necessary. There is no way some one could figure out what to do by only looking at the screens.

And this is the main criticism of the program, this clunky interface, non-intuitive layout of material is the same throughout the entire presentation of the language program. The program's strengh--the detailed comprehensive, multi-media presentation of material--is also it's greatest weakness. It's hard to follow where you are, where to go, what stage you are in, how much further you have to go on any given unit, lesson or session. The implementation of more than one user account and switching between the two is counter intuitive as well.

My 16 year old daughter, is now working her way through the program and has used it enough now to understand how to advance though it. But it was a slow start. She is enjoying the program and is learning the language of her love, and I have no doubt this program is a great help, I just wish more effort and forethought was given to making it more elegant in its presentation. Basically this looks to me like a 90's program in desperate need of a face lift. While calling the toll-free tech support and talking with a couple of different individuals, you quickly come to understand these people don't fully understand the Mac. The first individual had to pass me on once he discovered my Mac issues. The second was very polite and patient and we finally got my set up to work. But it wasn't easy for them since I was on a Mac. And I bet if you call you will get the same two people, They are, after all, not a help desk, but a language learning software company.

CONCLUSION
OK, so that's it. I hope this review was helpful. I've tried to share my experience for other Mac users so they know more of what to expect before they buy the program. A program that has (from my research) no other comparison as far as best in class for learning a foreign language, but a program that--in it's implementation and presentation as far as on Macintosh computers is concerned--leaves a lot to be desired.

Tom

My wife and I have wanted to learn French for a few years now. We weren't sure whether to invest in Pimsleur or Rosetta Stone, so we got sample disks of both. We are very happy with our choice! Rosetta Stone is a complete language learning system. It teaches you to think in the new language in a surprisingly short period of time. Pimsleur limits you to half an hour each day. You can spend hours on this program without feeling overwhelmed, and you learn without even realizing it. It is very easy to use, and the customer support is excellent. While costly, this system is most definitely the best choice available for those truly serious about learning a new language!

After purchasing this product, I called tech support and was told that I would be able to load this program on two computers. I did so successfully and have been able to switch back and forth from my lap top to my desk top.

Before purchasing the Rosetta Stone, I had studied 3 different languages. I am quite fluent in both Japanese and Spanish and terrible at German even though I studied it for 4 years in high school. I wanted to learn French and started with the Rosetta Stone course. I am thoroughly impressed with the way they present and structure the lessons. I look forward to going through a new lesson. It's enjoyable and very challenging. You really notice improvement right from the start. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a language and be able to communicate with others in that language. After all, isn't that the reason that you learn another language? The old approach of learning tedious grammar and verb conjugation just doesn't work. This immersion approach, which is often referred to as a Natural Language Learning model, is the most natural and effective way to learn a new language. You won't be dissapointed.

Maybe I'm too old to learn by using the straight immersion method. I don't know.

I have always been fascinated with words and language and recently decided that at 51 years of age, I need to learn a second language (I have never had any foreign language training before).

I looked and read reviews and talked to some people and Rosetta Stone stood out prominently as the best software to use so I purchased Rosetta Stone V3: French, Level 1. The software is awesome! It makes complete sense and is very intuitive. I absolutely love it.

The problem is that I have hit a point where I simply can not figure out what the words refer to. I'm stuck. I don't know what to do. The help doesn't help and I'm still stuck. The computer I am learning on is not on the internet so I can't even go online to figure it out.

This software needs only one thing to be perfect. It needs someplace in help that provides translations of the words and phrases it uses so that someone like me won't get stuck.

I have ordered an English-French/French English dictionary and a phrase book that should arrive tomorrow so I can continue my learning. I am surprised that I needed these but there it is. I intend to learn French and I will get the tools I need to do so. Rosetta Stone should have provided ALL the tools needed and not left this piece out.

Don't listen to the bitter Vista guy. If you have Vista then you probably figured out a lot of things are incompatible. That's Microsoft's fault though. This software is fun and really helps you learn fast. The new version rocks, I like that is kind of forces you to speak right away. It's well worth getting, I've already been through Spanish and I plan on going through several more. It does work with Intel Macs too in case you're wondering, that's what I use. Word.

This is an excellent program! I purchased the Rosetta Stone program to supplement my Spanish class assignments. The program forces you to speak and write from the very first lesson, and I am very impress with the voice accent feature. Though initally I thought the program was quite expensive, I realize now that it is worth it's weight in gold!

I had an extensive previous knowledge of French but had not used it in many years. I plan to travel to France this summer. I have found using Rosetta Stone quite enjoyable. I am about half way through level 2 and about 95% has been review. The method of instruction is excellent as it involves hearing, speaking, seeing and writing. The voice recognition software is very good. After completing level 3 I plan to go back and redo the pronunciation and speaking sections with a higher level speaking criticality. The levels range from 1 through 5 with 3 being "normal." I am currently using "3".

I will probably use Rosetta Stone to learn a language that I don't already know. I think it will be fun as well as effective.