Real Consumer Reviews and Ratings
Rosetta Stone Reviews and Ratings
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Product Description
Rosetta Stone is a language learning program. The makers of the learning program claim that it is "the fastest way to learn a language. guaranteed." Rosetta Stone is currently available in 30 different languages. The program is available in CD or online subscription format. Rosetta Stone can cost upwards of $509.00, depending on how many lessons or levels are required. Check this page often for up-to-date reviews of the Rosetta Stone language learning program.
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Video Professor
Consumer Ratings
Not worth the price...
7/26/2008 - Taron of Virginia, USA writes:
I have studied French for a few years now, and I thought that I could possibly further my studies by investing in this product. Well, I was right, somewhat. The Rosetta Stone language software is based off of a technique called natural immersion. One is expected to learn their foreign language of choice the same way they learned their native language. Without translation. That, in my opinion, is where the problem lies. This program is great if you have a good foundation in the language you wish to learn, but if you have no idea of the language's grammar concepts and so on, this is not the program for you. You will find yourself completely lost. There is no reference for you to refer to if you do not understand a certain concept. You could be processing something wrong for all you know. This is a great program to EXPAND upon your knowledge of a language that you have prior knowledge with, but if you are a complete beginner, this is not the program for you. It doesn't even include basic greetings such as, Hello, how are you? or, Where are the restrooms? Instead, it focuses on completely unnecessary phrases such as, The woman points at something with her finger, or There is a ball on top of the boy. This program should be endeavored only by people who have prior knowledge of the language they wish to study. I would probably give this product a higher rating if it were more accessible to beginners. Give it a try, but only if you understand the fundamentals of the language, which are not anywhere to be found in this program. Bonne chance!
Not worth the $$$ price tag, but a good tool.
7/22/2008 - Mike of NY, USA writes:
I had a friend who got me a copy of the Portuguese version of the software. It is very intuitive and easy to use. It's great to speak along with the audio while choosing the best picture that matches the audio. I am learning quite a lot. But, I cannot afford the $300+ to buy it. Heck, my 6-year old laptop is about to kick the bucket, then I won't be doing much at all on it. If you are computer-saavy, and know of a thing called [] you'll be able to find full-version [] out there. But I don't condone that kinda stuff. I give the product 5-stars for its usefulness and effectiveness, but the price is 3-stars. So I'll average it out to 4-stars. Muito obrigado!
Too expensive for the results
3/16/2008 - Lindsey of Nevada, USA writes:
I tried rosetta stone online for french for a year. My problem with rosetta stone is the price. I learned a little bit, but not enough to continue spending a ridiculous amount of money for it. The multiple choice is a unique approach, but I'm not convinced that it's far superior to any other program. The reason that it's endorsed by so many companies is that it is the only language software marketed toward that audience.
You can't learn a language by multiple choice!
1/26/2008 - Anonymous of New York, USA writes:
I can't for the life of me understand why Rosetta Stone has garnered such good reviews (here and elsewhere) and seems to have such an outstanding reputation. (My guess: marketing.) I find it practically worthless, and it's expensive to boot. I'm sure that my experience with the German program would apply to Rosetta Stone's other languages as well, as they all taught via the same method. I've been learning German for about 6 months and besides Rosetta Stone I have used Pimsleur, Rocket languages, and have taken private instruction. Obviously, private instruction is best. But this review is about software, and Pimsleur is best. But Rosetta Stone has more bells & whistles, which is perhaps why people think it is so good. But it isn't. For example, nowhere in Rosetta Stone do you actually learn how to say useful things. Nowhere do you learn how to say "Hello," "How are you, "What's your name," or even "Where's the bathroom." Instead, you will learn how to recognize such useful phrases as "The woman and the boy have a ball on their heads" or "The man is under the donkey" or "These two fish are from the same species" or "The blue triangle is bigger than the red square." Ridiculous!! And note I said "learn how to recognize a phrase." This is the biggest weakness and disappointment with Rosetta Stone. It really doesn't get you to talk at ALL. You are not required to utter a word. You see four pictures, and the speaker will say (in German) "The boy is drinking milk." Now, if you have already heard the word for "boy" (Junge) and three of the pictures have no boys, you simply click on the picture with the boy and presto, you're correct! This multiple choice way of learning is not effective for learning a language! (There is a "practice speaking" mode, equally useless, which I mention below) With [], which is an audio only program, you hear conversations that will impart essential words and phrases. And they are repeated (and asks you to repeat) in such a fashion that it sticks. For example, it was weeks ago that it introduced "How much do I owe you?" yet I still remember it. (Wie viel shulde ich Ihnen?--No, I didn't cheat and look it up!) [] is brilliant in the way it gradually builds your knowledge and abilities. Of course, it isn't perfect as it doesn't explain the grammar. But neither does Rosetta Stone, and Rosetta Stone is worse because with [] there is also an English speaker who explains some things, while with Rosetta Stone you are left to twist in the wind. That's why software language learning programs should be seen as supplements--supplements to classroom or private instruction. What are the bells & whistles on Rosetta Stone? You get to do a lesson in a variety of ways--seeing pictures with audio, or pictures with audio and text, or audio only, for example. There is also a feature where the speaker on the program says a phrase, and you repeat it into a microphone and can compare your voice signature to the speaker's. But I found that this didn't work well at all and wasn't worth the trouble. And again, the phrases weren't useful. Bottom line: Rosetta Stone is expensive and ineffective. Multiple choice is no way to learn a language, and the program doesn't even require you to talk! You won't even learn how to say "Hello."
I used this to help an ESOL student learn english.
7/21/2007 - James of Georgia, USA writes:
The program is very effective. I had a student from Africa that spoke only Spanish (from Equatorial Guinea). I had no idea there were any countries in Africa that spoke Spanish... Anyway, he literally didn't know ANY English...ANY...and I was supposed to teach him U.S. Citizenship. I knew it was a lost cause, so I sat him down in front of my laptop everyday for 2 months during my class time and let him use the program. I would ask him questions everyday and his English improved noticeably after every session. By the end of the school year, he was able to carry on a conversation and was no longer isolated by his language (initially, the Hispanics rejected him and the African Americans couldn't understand him). Now all is well with the young man and he plays soccer and is functioning well in his classes.
