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United Streaming OR Rosetta Stone for Spanish?


Sue G in PA
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My dd11 is excited to learn Spanish. I want my other dc to learn as well and my dh would like to learn right along with them. I already know Spanish (not fluently but enough!). I'm considering Rosetta Stone b/c of the features mentioned in another thread. BUT, I'm also looking at United Streaming. I could pay basically the same price as Rosetta Stone and get access to tons of other videos as well. What do you think? Pros/cons for either/or? Also, US users...how do you get the videos to "stream" w/out the constant "buffering" or starting/stopping? Is my computer just not powerful enough? TIA for your thoughts!

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I would recommend you get a trial of United Streaming and view a few lessons of Spanish for grade 5-6 and for 6-8. I have my 11 yo watching 5-6 this year and I am watching 6-8. I am surprised at how slowly the 5-6 lessons progress and how quickly the 6-8 lessons are. There is a big jump in expectations between the two.

 

I also had problems with buffering. I had Earthlink and it would take an hour to buffer a 20 min. video. My BIL figured it must be a problem with the phone line or the location of the hub. He suggested I get cable. Now the videos buffer in about 3 minutes.

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I am not familiar with the other program you have mentioned but I am with Rosetta Stone. First off let me say that I am a linguist (Spanish, German Italian in addition to English) and have a degree in Spanish and certifications in German. Looking at language, as one would learn "in country" (which is how I learned German and Spanish) I believe Rosetta Stone does a fabulous job.

 

There is NO English at all. You learn exclusively by emersion and exposure. Visuals of the subject/action etc are used along with the verbal of the foreign language and the written word. Confirmation of proficiency is confirmed both with both spoken and written expression is given, just spoken and written alone to make sure that all skills are being developed.

 

The home study version allows for testing as well as verbal responses by the students, the latter of which are analyzed using a sophisticated voice analysis system. Advancement through the material is only allowed when the student achieves a certain percentage of correct responses. Failure to meet this standard results in the information being recycled until proficiency is obtained. Repetition and inclusion of previously learned material is incorporated in late materials to ensure long tem retention.

 

I was impressed enough with the program that we purchased it for our home and I DO speak the languages fluently!

 

BTW we supplement by purchasing Disney movies in Spanish or using DVDs with a Spanish language option. Familiarity with the subject matter and the visuals help with understanding, retention, and expand vocabulary while encouraging continued interest - plus movies are just plain fun! Hope this input helps.

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Can my younger dc use it, too? Ages 5, 6, 8, 9? My dd2 is already speaking words in Spanish thanks to Dora the Explorer. Yesterday, I heard her downstairs playing w/ her brothers and all of a sudden she starts playfully yelling, "Ayudame, ayudame!", using it correctly! She had her foot stuck on something and needed help. AMazing how quickly the littles learn. Anyway, I digress. Thanks for your recommendation.

 

Oh, somebody on the board had posted some frustration w/ the voice analysis system. Their dc couldn't get past a certain level b/c the voice system would't accept their pronunciation. HAve you found any difficulty in this w/ your dc? I'd hate to pay all that money and get "stuck" w/ a silly voice rec. system not recognizing our pronunciations as correct. Thanks again.

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My 9yo ds really enjoys the United Streaming Spanish so that is what he does. It teaches him words, but not really how to speak Spanish and no grammar. I think by the time you get to the 6-8th grade classes, it does grammar. He loves singing along with the songs. My 12yo dd doesn't like the United Streaming so she uses the Rosetta Stone. I think if fluency is your goal, then Rosetta Stone would probably be a better choice. However, I find my ds will use Spanish phrases and words far more often than my dd will but I'm guessing that's because the United Streaming makes it fun for him.

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Although you don't need to do the voice analysis to pass a section I can say that the system is pretty good. It is ususally the pronunciation that is off :-} Knowing the words in your head and actually saying them are two very different things. This gives a chance to work them.

 

If you child is really frustrated I would recommend checking out www.phonicsphone.com or go to a plumbing supply store to make your own (if you go the the site you'll know what I am talking about) so he can "hear' his own voice. This may help without the possible frustration of the system reminding him he isn't getting it right.

 

The glitch to the system is that it does want you to use the pronunciation type they invoke. This is why we purchased the Spanish (Spian) version rather than the South American one... also I am a little biased as I grew up in Spain:-)

 

I wish you the best. It really does work with younger kids as well as the older folks. I so like it better than Dora (although that does get them interested) as Dora tends more towards what I would call Spanglish - one word here in English and another there in Spanish.

 

Above all have fun!

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  • 2 weeks later...

... teach conversational Spanish, as well?

 

I'm leaning toward using Rosetta Stone. You see, I teach them Latin, and we're about to start Greek. I want them to hear Spanish, to learn vocabulary, and to absorb it ... in other words, for them to be well-prepared to study Spanish formally. I do have a background in Spanish, but I do not have the TIME to teach it!

 

I have Galore Park's program and think it is excellent. However, I just don't have the time.

 

I also like United Streaming, but my boys do not. :rolleyes: The slow pace of the teacher's voice drives them crazy. Only my Ker is willing to watch it.

 

So, I'm thinking Rosetta Stone would be a good way to get them listening to Spanish, and for vocabulary acquisition, without me having to actively teach another subject. However, once they learn a bit, I want to start using Spanish around the house. Will Rosetta Stone help with that, or will I need to figure out some kind of refresher course for myself?

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

I'm leaning toward using Rosetta Stone. You see, I teach them Latin, and we're about to start Greek. I want them to hear Spanish, to learn vocabulary, and to absorb it ... in other words, for them to be well-prepared to study Spanish formally. I do have a background in Spanish, but I do not have the TIME to teach it!

 

 

Mama, I am purchasing the new Version 3 for those very reasons. Easy on Mom. Tried & true program. Expensive, but isn't everything? :)

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I remember hearing that you can set the voice analysis to be more ... forgiving of variation. Not that I recall where I read this or how to do it, of course.

 

Mama Lynx, my older dd has been using RS for weeks and weeks, and I don't really notice her using phrases around the house. Well, except she can now discuss that having a cat on the table is bad (Rosetta Stone often portrays cats and dogs on the kitchen table, which is forbidden in our house). Much of what she's learned simply isn't useful for her day-to-day life.

 

Part of the issue is that she's shy, so she has less of a tendency to blurt out Spanish words and phrases spontaneously. Dh, on the other hand, uses pretty much every Spanish word he's ever learned with every native Spanish speaker that he meets -- I think it's a personality issue in that case.

 

Anymore she's been asking for a more grammatical approach to use along with Rosetta Stone. We have an older homeschool version -- perhaps the newer version has more grammar?

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I am so conflicted about Spanish. I enjoy Spanish. I think it is important that they learn a modern language. However, I'm really only interested in *teaching* the ancient languages.

 

I keep thinking about Rosetta Stone because I have this idea that it would at least be beneficial for them to hear the language, and learn some vocabulary, until I can either manage teaching, or get them into a formal class. I would not mind leaving a modern language for high school and then outsourcing it, but with all of the studies pointing towards greater success with earlier foreign language, I feel not right about this either.

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Well, perhaps I should add that while dd isn't throwing Spanish phrases around the room, she is able to do RS totally on her own. The homeschool module determines what skill is covered each session (except for the voice analysis, at least in our version of it). She's figured out her own pace insofar as how much she's comfortable covering each week.

 

So, she's getting exposure and learning vocabulary, but I'm not having to teach it.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest andresberger

Although Rosetta Stone is the most well known, the Rocket Spanish learning system is much cheaper and off the same quality as Rosetta. You can search a lot of review pages to check this out.

 

Why this is not as popular? because they don't advertise too much and what they save, they put it to develop the course, so they have to work harder to make a good course and they succeeded.

 

Se lo dice alguien que habla perfectamente el idioma español.

 

Saludos

 

------------

Andres Berger

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