Rosetta Stone

xmacro

Anyone have this? I just picked up the Spanish version so I can communicate with potential clients (yeah, in the South, you better know spanish if you want a large client base) For $600, I'm seriously thinking I should've just pirated the damn thing - it's neat, but not $600 neat.

Sometimes moves a bit too fast; it really gets you immersed, but there are times when all I really want is a damn dictionary and an explanation of the grammar.

Anyway, I'm about halfway through the first Unit (4 Units to a CD, 5 CD's total), so I've got a ways to go, so we'll see how it turns out.

Goldy

I have been thinking about getting it (spanish) so I can work in South America but it just seems sooooo expensive.

zoom6zoom

My company actually makes it available to us as a benefit since ultimately it helps them. It's an online only setup. I was trying to do it, but one of the program rules is you have to complete a certain number of hours study each month... and I just didn't have the free time to keep up with it. Budgeted cost to the company was $117 per user. There was also an employee accommodation plan where you could buy a year's subscription for yourself or a family member (unlimited languages) for about $125 a year. So yeah, they do have an incredible markup on the product.

wwhwang

Or you can join the military :P It's free then.

xmacro

I'm about 1/2 way thru the first cd (5 CD's total) so far; this thing is pretty good; takes you thru a lot of the vocabulary, but it's really lacking when it comes to explaining the grammar (and by lacking, I mean it provides almost zero guidance beyond indicating there's some kinda difference). I'd really recommend keeping your internet connection on and be ready to type "Spanish tu te".

Both 'tu' and 'te' mean 'you', but the difference is how 'you' is being used in the sentence - the software lets you know there's a difference through showing you two sentences, both using it differently, but it never really tells you explicitly what that difference is; it leaves it up to you to either figure it out or look it up (turns out it's direct pronoun vs indirect pronoun (or something like that), and it's a difference you'll only really pick up if you use/read the language outside of RS).

So really, Rosetta Stone doesn't do it all - you gotta practice on your own and start reading/listening to the native language on your own (I'm using online free sites), to reinforce what RS teaches you - the software is repetitive, so it hammers a lot of the vocab into your head and helps you a lot when it comes to differentiating similar sounds (eg - 'hu' vs 'ju' - they sound awfully alike) in the language, but it's surprisingly skimpy when it comes to educating you on the grammar differences.

So is the software nice? yeah, it's pretty cool - but not $600 cool. Get a discount or pirate it off a torrent if you can

wwhwang

I have a bunch of Spanish books from my DLI courses in Monterey, CA when I was in the Army training to be a crypto-linguist. There's really no substitute to actually immersing yourself in the culture and the language. Unfortunately though, no one really has that kind of free time.

xmacro

Yeah, from what I've heard, you can pick up any language if you live in the country/total immersion for 6mo to a year

wwhwang

I'm sure not many people have this experience, but when you start dreaming in another language, you're starting to get the hang of it lol. I had nightmares in Spanish when I went through the Defense Language Institute. Being chased by Mexican cowboys and Poncho Villa with La Cucaracha playing the background. Now that I think of it, I had nightmares in English when I was growing up. Chinese was my first language growing up lol.

xmacro

ha! A trilingual, very nice! I haven't had any dreams in spanish yet, but now I got something to look forward to (I think)

vegassparky

I want to get the English version, so i can give it to the landscaper in my H.O.A.

j0z3r

vegassparky:

I want to get the English version, so i can give it to the landscaper in my H.O.A.

lol. I can relate all too well to that sentiment living in southern California.