What is the other program that is similiar to Rosetta Stone but less expensive?

[Dolphin]

I can't remember the name. I also wanted to ask if anyone used it and do they thing it is a good program? We are using Rosetta Stone 1 for Spanish and it is pretty good, but I am not sure if it is worth the money as it is only 1 level and I think the other is 5 levels. We are getting close to the 6 month window if I want to return it.

Thank you,

Nicole

[Wyndie]

:bigear:

[athena1277]

I don't know of any, but if someone would make it, they would probably make a fortune! Rosetta Stone really needs some quality competition.

[8filltheheart]

Aurolog Tell Me More

 

I don't think it is really equal to RS; it is much better. I will say it is less accessible to younger kids.

[elegantlion]

Livemocha.com is free. Just looked at it today. Not sure how it compares to Rosetta Stone, but the price is way better.

[waa510]

I've heard it mentioned that Instant Immersion is very similar..I've seen it at Costco and also at either our local Borders or Barnes & Noble..sorry, can't remember which one. The price is a much easier pill to swallow as well. I can't personally speak to its quality/similarity to Rosetta Stone as my kids are too young to use it with, but it's being used by friends of mine with older kids and it seems to be working well for them. :)

[dripdripsplat]

One of the programs we really like is Pimsleur's. They have every language under the sun... Gaelic, Russian, French, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Italian, German... The list just goes on and on.

It is a CD program, not a visual computer-based program like Rosetta Stone, and it is mainly used for learning the language - not how to read or write. But I find that it is very thorough. I picked it up on a lark, and found that I learned, and retained, Japanese better using Pimsleur's than I had when using Rosetta Stone.

My kids really like it too, and ask for us to put it on when we're driving around doing errands, or for long trips.

[NaturalMomma]

Here is one you can try. I'm not sure if it is what you are looking for. http://www.peanutbuttersticks.com/

[freerange]

Eurotalk has a similar methodology. We've used some of their iPod apps (utalk French and utalk Latin) but not the more advanced software.

[DarcyB]

Livemocha.com is free. Just looked at it today. Not sure how it compares to Rosetta Stone, but the price is way better.

 

:iagree:

 

It's what we're using

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Livemocha.com is free. Just looked at it today. Not sure how it compares to Rosetta Stone, but the price is way better.

 

It is very similar but better IMHO:001_smile:

[Lizzie in Ma]

There is Live Mocha too, free online and these from my list.

 

Spanish Resources, Courses and textbooks

http://www.studyspanish.com/freesite.htm

 

http://www.multilingualbooks.com/freelessons-spanish.html

here are listed every possible Spanish resource on the net you could imagine

 

I know Annenberg Media has a course too.

[Kates]

Auralog Tell Me More - less than half the price, and much better quality.

 

Rosetta was never meant to fully teach a language; it was originally designed for people like Peace Corps members and international businessmen, people who needed to get fairly conversational in a language quickly but had no need to learn the structure, grammar, and syntax - they "why" - behind a language.

 

(As a linguist, this program is my pet peeve. If all you're looking for is vocab and conversation, it's a great program...but for that price, it had better wash your car and scrub your floor! ;) )

 

It's a popular program because their marketing department is amazing - they found that there was a definite opening in the homeschool market for a language program and they filled it. However, they market it as a full language learning program...and unless you choose to go through all levels (and pay an arm and a leg), it falls seriously short. I have had so many students that have become really frustrated with RS, simply because they had no clue why they were doing what they were doing - they were simply pointing at pictures out of memory. It makes the mistake of assuming that an older student or adult will learn the same way as a young child - but they don't. There's a developmental shift that happens between the grammar and dialectic stages that requires answering the "why" behind what is learned.

 

Auralog is formatted in a similar way to RS (more interactive, but multi-sensory and computer-based), but it goes a LOT deeper - for much less money. It includes 7 levels of learning all in one volume, from beginner through fluency. Their marketing department isn't as well-funded ;) so it's not as "popular", but IMO it's a much better program.

 

And...a few times a year you can get it for half price at www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org (.com?). It's worth looking into!

[mammaofbean]

mango languages is supposed to be similar and is free through some public libraries. it is free at mine, but i have not used it because my computer won't cooperate. :glare:

[coastiechick]

thank you for all that info ...

I just signed up for live mocha this afternoon to refresh the level 3 italian I went up to in college (in prep for helping my preschoolers w/ the basics) ... i will look up your suggestion right now! i love saving money ... i have alwasys thought RS was over-priced but assumed it must really work, but if it's anything like live mocha, all you will do is memorize photos :(

 

 

Auralog Tell Me More - less than half the price, and much better quality.

 

Rosetta was never meant to fully teach a language; it was originally designed for people like Peace Corps members and international businessmen, people who needed to get fairly conversational in a language quickly but had no need to learn the structure, grammar, and syntax - they "why" - behind a language.

 

(As a linguist, this program is my pet peeve. If all you're looking for is vocab and conversation, it's a great program...but for that price, it had better wash your car and scrub your floor! ;) )

 

It's a popular program because their marketing department is amazing - they found that there was a definite opening in the homeschool market for a language program and they filled it. However, they market it as a full language learning program...and unless you choose to go through all levels (and pay an arm and a leg), it falls seriously short. I have had so many students that have become really frustrated with RS, simply because they had no clue why they were doing what they were doing - they were simply pointing at pictures out of memory. It makes the mistake of assuming that an older student or adult will learn the same way as a young child - but they don't. There's a developmental shift that happens between the grammar and dialectic stages that requires answering the "why" behind what is learned.

[mammaofbean]

mango languages is supposed to be similar and is free through some public libraries. it is free at mine, but i have not used it because my computer won't cooperate. :glare:

 

wanted to update- this is working for us now and we LOVE the spanish. dd is able to use it on her own. it is like rosetta stone with grammar explanations and a more traditional progression (starting with useful conversation). you do have to monitor your own progress more than in rosetta stone, i have to remind dd that the goal is mastery not getting through the lessons quickly.

[ColoradoMom]

Auralog is formatted in a similar way to RS (more interactive, but multi-sensory and computer-based), but it goes a LOT deeper - for much less money. It includes 7 levels of learning all in one volume, from beginner through fluency. Their marketing department isn't as well-funded ;) so it's not as "popular", but IMO it's a much better program.

 

And...a few times a year you can get it for half price at www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org (.com?). It's worth looking into!

 

We use RS now and I really like it. This is our 3rd year and his Japanese is amazing. But anyway - we will be changing over to German next year and so will be using TMM for a change. Plus he's older now and used to learning a language so we don't need the baby steps.

 

But TMM is NOT cheap. And the "levels" are not the same as RS, so you can't compare the two that way. The complete package for German is still $500.

[Dolphin]

I returned Rosetta Stone (in my return window) and we got Tell me more to try. My son wants another week to make sure, but he likes the tell me more better so far. He says it feels more like he is learning something with it. Thank you all for the suggestions.

[anneofalamo]

We started Power Glide

my 11 and 12 year olds are devouring it...and they don't even know that there is a computer version. this is just cd's and the workbook. You could get by with one workbook, having seen it in action. They look forward to it.

 

My high schooler just started the high school version Year 1, (he was watching the younger ones pick up words and wanted to give it a whirl)

So far he likes it

and we did RS for a year with him...and it was torture pure torture

 

*I am not a seller or associated with them, just so far so good, and Rosetta sits glaring at me from it's big yellow box...lol

[DragonFaerie]

This one might be worth a look, too. http://funclase.com/Level_1.html

[deeinfl]

I have to admit after putting two daughters through Powerglide Spanish, that Rosetta Stone is lacking in the syntax and grammar.

 

I am finding myself pulling out my Powerglide Spanish to explain when to use certain words to explain the masculine and feminine. It is a bit frustrating at times. It's almost like they skip point A in Rosetta Stone and go straight to points B,C, and D. We'll see as the program progresses. I was expecting more in the way of grammar.