Question for Rosetta Stone Users

[HSMom2One]

Dd wants to become fluent in French, and I would like to learn with her. I've been back and forth on this whole foreign language thing for next year, and I have finally come to the conclusion that RS is the best fit for our family and the computers we own. I was leaning this way, and then that way....but RS has won me over and that is that. I won't be talked down from this decision now that it has been made.

 

This curriculum is not cheap, so I have to keep my eye out. Before we can buy I was wondering, when is the best time to buy RS? I need to save as much money as possible. Also, where is the very best resource for making this purchase?

 

Thanks for your input. Merci beaucoup!

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[NanceXToo]

Beats me- I know you said you won't be talked down from your decision but you might want to just take a PEEK at livemocha.com- it's free. lol.

[Guest]

I pretty much have the same questions as you do. I have been teaching my son Greek through Greek public school texts but he is just not getting the verbal communication/ practice since I am the only one in our home that speaks Greek and it is so much easier to speak the language we can all understand :tongue_smilie:. Anyway, I settled on RS a long time ago also and was going to get the program at some point to enhance our studies. The approach is the perfect fit, I feel, for my family since it teaches the same way that infants learn to speak, through exposure from their environment. I have noticed that the best way to buy would be to buy all three of the levels. Costly, but the cost almost doubles if you buy one-by-one. Rainbow Resource seems to have an excellent price (better than the RS website) and they are my usual supplier for everything due to their lower shipping costs to Canada but I too am wondering if there's a reason why I should buy from the RS website directly. Do those that buy directly from RS get better support? Bumping and hoping someone has some answers.

[Guest]

I just checked French from Sonlight for you (they sometimes have sales) and they seem to have the five levels (if one can buy all five together :tongue_smilie:) slightly cheaper than Rainbow. The others (Level 1 and Level 1+2) seem to be the same as the RS website (I think) with the exception of the three levels at once, in which case their price is the same as Rainbow.

[janainaz]

thanks for asking this, I have the same question for beginning our study of Spanish.....

[homeschoolally]

We purchased through homeschoobuyerscoop.com and saved a little--I'd waited quite some time and this was the best discount we found.

 

We are enjoying it btw! It has been a great fit for our family--even the 4 year old!

[homeschoolally]

I just found this resource--haven't used it but it sounds like a great way to get access to RS without paying a fortune.

http://www.gw.edu/seminars/69.php

[kristinannie]

I purchased Rosetta Stone TotalE in December because they were running a special where it was $200 off the normal price with free 2 day shipping. I got the German one. I already have good knowledge of German, but wanted to gain fluency. The only thing you have to worry about with Rosetta Stone is grammar. They don't teach you grammar (you are expected to learn it through osmosis). I would buy a Schaum's grammar product on amazon (they are only about $10) to supplement.

[Guest]

I purchased Rosetta Stone TotalE in December because they were running a special where it was $200 off the normal price with free 2 day shipping. I got the German one. I already have good knowledge of German, but wanted to gain fluency. The only thing you have to worry about with Rosetta Stone is grammar. They don't teach you grammar (you are expected to learn it through osmosis). I would buy a Schaum's grammar product on amazon (they are only about $10) to supplement.

 

Did that work better for you than the Homeschool Edition? I have not researched the differences yet between the two. I should do that...

[cbollin]

Rosetta Stone sets the lowest price that any vendor may offer. The homeschool edition almost always seems higher on the RS site than on Rainbow, HS Buyer Co-op, or MFW. All of those homeschool vendors are told by RS when to drop prices (those are called floor prices).

 

if any pattern over last 2 years hold true for this year:

sale on sets is going on for about another week. (check Rainbow Resource

 

or try to wait until around mid July until Sept. 1 for price incentive as well. (that's been a pattern I've seen online for 2 years)

 

 

that's assuming of course that the link to George Wythe University option is not available since the semester has already begun????

hmm.... I like that idea :)

 

 

the totalE - isn't that pretty much like Live Mocha with a social networking option? I dont' know.. just asking???

 

-crystal

[cbollin]

that's assuming of course that the link to George Wythe University option is not available since the semester has already begun

 

update here:

my dh and I tried to enroll via the GW link and it's too late for this semester. But summer enrollment opens in a few months.

 

 

 

-crystal

[HSMom2One]

I just checked French from Sonlight for you (they sometimes have sales) and they seem to have the five levels (if one can buy all five together :tongue_smilie:) slightly cheaper than Rainbow. The others (Level 1 and Level 1+2) seem to be the same as the RS website (I think) with the exception of the three levels at once, in which case their price is the same as Rainbow.

 

Thank you for doing this! I will definitely keep this in mind...right now I doubt I can buy all five levels at once, but you never know. Miracles do happen!

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[Guest]

update here:

my dh and I tried to enroll via the GW link and it's too late for this semester. But summer enrollment opens in a few months.

 

 

 

-crystal

 

One concern with this option would be finishing within the semester (4 months). If you have an older student I can see it. For a younger child however (my son is only 7) I don't know if it is feasible to finish the entire level in 4 months. That is one concern. Another (for me) is, I just like knowing I have the program at home to use and reuse :). I think I will just wait until grandma and grandpa give the boys their next present and save that up to buy the homeschool edition. I am pretty sure we will be going for the homeschool edition when we get it. I definitely want the parent administrative feature.

 

"Parent Administrative Tools

Parent Administrative Tools let you track your student’s progress with just a few mouse clicks. You’ll see which exercises they have completed, assess how well they’ve done and determine how long it took them to finish. You will also be able to select predefined lesson plans and generate progress reports, documenting student achievement for college and job applications."

Edited February 7, 2011 by Guest

[Guest]

Thank you for doing this! I will definitely keep this in mind...right now I doubt I can buy all five levels at once, but you never know. Miracles do happen!

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

You're welcome :). What you could do is subscribe to SL's e-mail notifications for when they have sales. One of the reasons I would not buy from SL is because their shipping is too high for me. This is why I would go with Rainbow even if SL had a sale. Unless their sale was so good that it covered my shipping costs ;). The only thing that would make me change my mind would be if for some reason I would be better off buying directly from the RS website.

[laughing lioness]

RS is having a sale right now- 10% off and free shipping. Offer code tm211.

 

We're gonna buy German. Have the Hebrew and dh LOVES it.

[mommymilkies]

Where do you put in the code? It would not let me put the code in on the RS site. It had an automatic discount for the ongoing sale but no code entry box.

[dani3boys]

Rainbow Resource usually has a sale in April.

[needmoregrace]

I bought my RS at the convention last year from RS. I have not found it at a better sale price than there. I bought levels 1,2,3, HS edition for $464. I know if you buy it from them, there is a 6 month guarantee. I am not sure if you get the guarantee if you buy it from another vendor.

 

Rainbow Resource is having a Rosetta Sale right now until 2/15/2011! They always have free shipping over $150.

 

~NMG

[dani3boys]

 

"Parent Administrative Tools

Parent Administrative Tools let you track your student’s progress with just a few mouse clicks. You’ll see which exercises they have completed, assess how well they’ve done and determine how long it took them to finish. You will also be able to select predefined lesson plans and generate progress reports, documenting student achievement for college and job applications."

 

 

This part of the hs version is awesome! It's so easy to check up on each student.

[Guest]

I bought my RS at the convention last year from RS. I have not found it at a better sale price than there. I bought levels 1,2,3, HS edition for $464. I know if you buy it from them, there is a 6 month guarantee. I am not sure if you get the guarantee if you buy it from another vendor.

 

Rainbow Resource is having a Rosetta Sale right now until 2/15/2011! They always have free shipping over $150.

 

~NMG

 

That is a good price! Sadly at our conventions here in Canada everything is just so overpriced :(! I think I will look into it though. The guarantee sounds interesting and from what I know once you buy something from a third party (Rainbow, SL etc.) if something is not working, your dispute would be with the company (RS) and not the third party vendor. I believe Rainbow says it in their website about DVD's, CD-Roms etc. I hope someone corrects me if I am wrong :tongue_smilie: since I don't have time to look it up right now. Since buying from a convention would mean no shipping for me it may be worth my while to look into. Thanks for mentioning it :).

[Guest]

This part of the hs version is awesome! It's so easy to check up on each student.

 

Thank you for mentioning it, that's what I thought :).

[kristinannie]

Did that work better for you than the Homeschool Edition? I have not researched the differences yet between the two. I should do that...

 

 

I used it for myself and not for my child. It comes with more stuff, but I think the HS version keeps track of progress for you to check and it might have tests. I really like Rosetta Stone, but the lack of grammar does frustrate me. It is hard to try to say something you want to say if you don't understand the grammar. Luckily, I already know a lot of the grammar stuff and supplement my own study. Let us know how you like the HS version! I might use it when my kids get older.

[Guest]

I used it for myself and not for my child. It comes with more stuff, but I think the HS version keeps track of progress for you to check and it might have tests. I really like Rosetta Stone, but the lack of grammar does frustrate me. It is hard to try to say something you want to say if you don't understand the grammar. Luckily, I already know a lot of the grammar stuff and supplement my own study. Let us know how you like the HS version! I might use it when my kids get older.

 

Yep, I see your point on grammar and glad you mentioned it when you did. I have read this elsewhere also. I will be adding in Greek public school grammar texts. Lucky for me I am Greek so it shouldn't be too hard adding it in using the school texts, which I already have :). Not sure when we will get it but I will share how we like it :) after we have been using it for a while.

[mommymilkies]

I just bought it and realized I forgot to look up how many students can use it at a time. There will be 5-6 of us using it on one computer. Is that a problem?

[Guest]

I just bought it and realized I forgot to look up how many students can use it at a time. There will be 5-6 of us using it on one computer. Is that a problem?

 

I am assuming you bought the homeschool version and are wondering about the parent administrative tools? If that is the case, I tried looking for you but did not see anything in their site. I could have missed it though. You might want to e-mail them and find out. If you do would you mind posting what they say. While I only have two kiddos that I will use it with (and hoping to add a third at some point) I am sure many others that have more children would like to know the answer also. I am pretty sure I remember from the SL forums reading people using it with at least three kids but I don't remember coming across anything beyond that.

Edited February 12, 2011 by Guest

[Mom22ns]

Last year during our homeschool convention RS was on sale for 20% off. That was April if they do sales the same time each year.

 

I was told the homeschool version allows you to install on 2 computers, I'm not sure how many users/computer.

[momofaandh]

How often does RS revise their product? Does anyone know how long has homeschool V3 been around? I noticed that they now have V4 but I believe that is only for personal.

 

I would like to get the homeschool spanish for us(myself and my children) but my mother(73 y.o. proves education never stops!) wants to brush up on her Italian so I was thinking the personal would be best for her. Or should she get the homeschool version so her grandchildren maybe able to learn Italian as well?

 

I would be very disappointed to get the homeschool V3 and find out that a V4 is all of a sudden available.

[cbollin]

I just bought it and realized I forgot to look up how many students can use it at a time. There will be 5-6 of us using it on one computer. Is that a problem?

 

 

5 users can be created on homeschool edition v. 3

 

-crystal

[cbollin]

How often does RS revise their product? Does anyone know how long has homeschool V3 been around? I noticed that they now have V4 but I believe that is only for personal.

 

I think v3 came out in spring or summer of 2008. I just happen to look up and my invoice for v 3 was from then. and I know I got it soon after it came out.

 

not sure if/when v4 (TOTALe) will be on homeschool side. I think the biggest difference is that v4 has an online community or something like that????

Not sure I'd want that for my children anyway. ;)

 

-crystal

[Guest]

How often does RS revise their product? Does anyone know how long has homeschool V3 been around? I noticed that they now have V4 but I believe that is only for personal.

 

I would like to get the homeschool spanish for us(myself and my children) but my mother(73 y.o. proves education never stops!) wants to brush up on her Italian so I was thinking the personal would be best for her. Or should she get the homeschool version so her grandchildren maybe able to learn Italian as well?

 

I would be very disappointed to get the homeschool V3 and find out that a V4 is all of a sudden available.

 

This is a good questions. I seem to remember when they came out with V3 they were offering people that owned the older version 50% off to get the newer version. I can't remember if that applied for those that had purchased from third party suppliers. I remember some threads on this on the SL forums. I need to dig up some of those old threads. I would not be happy if that happened directly after purchasing and spending that kind of money either.

[Guest]

5 users can be created on homeschool edition v. 3

 

-crystal

 

Thank you, good to know :).

[mommymilkies]

Thanks! I wonder if you can start over so that later my youngest can use it under another child's name or someone can start over at all if they need to?

[Guest]

This is a good questions. I seem to remember when they came out with V3 they were offering people that owned the older version 50% off to get the newer version. I can't remember if that applied for those that had purchased from third party suppliers. I remember some threads on this on the SL forums. I need to dig up some of those old threads. I would not be happy if that happened directly after purchasing and spending that kind of money either.

 

I wanted to come back to this and not leave it hanging so I searched some old posts/ threads from SL and it appears that Rosetta Stone was offering free upgrades at the time (from V2 to V3) to people that purchased from them (meaning Rosetta Stone) directly. They went to V3 in 2008 (as was previously posted) making major changes to their product after 10 years. Someone in another old thread also posted that she was going to get a rebate of $100 if she had proof of purchase from the supplier she purchased from (SL at the time). This is something that interests me though. My kiddos are 5 years apart and this is something I want to know before spending that kind of money on it. Anyway, just thought I would post this in case someone else is interested in finding out what happens as versions get updated in the future, before purchasing. I think when I am ready to purchase I will be contacting RS first to see what they have to say.

Edited February 13, 2011 by Guest

[momofaandh]

Thanks Marie, you are always so helpful!!

 

It sounds like they will offer upgrades which is helpful in making a decision.

[Guest]

Thanks Marie, you are always so helpful!!

 

It sounds like they will offer upgrades which is helpful in making a decision.

 

You're welcome :). I was glad I remembered something about it and was able to search the SL archives. I figured I would search the WTM archives but they are not as easy to search :(. I went through pages and pages of threads listed in numerical order (no dates showing) and just looking for anything in connection to RS. I gave up :confused:. I figured there had to be a mention here but the WTM archives do not seem to be as easy to search (unless I missed something). I am not complaining since the WTM forums are free, just a little disappointed that I could not find what I was looking for.

 

I will at some point e-mail RS I think and ask the advantages of ordering directly through them and see what they have to say. I will then also e-mail Rainbow (since we place the bulk of our orders through them) and see what they have to say also. I will come back and post what I find out when I do :).

 

ETA: For those that have access to the SL forums and want to search the archives themselves just go to the Archives in the "Dear Sonlight" forum and do a search on Rosetta Stone.

Edited February 13, 2011 by Guest

[HSMom2One]

I will at some point e-mail RS I think and ask the advantages of ordering directly through them and see what they have to say. I will then also e-mail Rainbow (since we place the bulk of our orders through them) and see what they have to say also. I will come back and post what I find out when I do :)

 

Now THAT would be a good thing to know. Be sure to keep us posted when you find out!!

 

Thanks so much -- :bigear:

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[Guest]

Now THAT would be a good thing to know. Be sure to keep us posted when you find out!!

 

Thanks so much -- :bigear:

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

I'll do that :)!

[HoneyFernDotOrg]

Craigslist!! It will always be cheaper there, regardless of how you buy it. Also watch Freecycle; RS sometimes shows up there (but you have to be quick!).

[Guest]

I have been looking for the answer to my question as to the benefits of purchasing directly from Rosetta Stone. I have not found the answer on updates so far and I will contact them if I don't. I did however locate this information and thought I would link it.

 

Every Activation Code permits two "license seats," which means you can install your product on up to two computers. Each "seat" permits 5 users (e.g., you may have up to five users on each computer for a total of ten users).[/Quote]Here's the direct link to this information:

http://support.rosettastone.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=5458

 

Can I exchange my Rosetta Stone for a different language or a different language level?

 

If you have a subscription to Rosetta Stone Online, you can change your subscription to a different language at any time by contacting Rosetta Stone Support. If you purchased Rosetta Stone on CD, we may be able to exchange your software per our Return Policy. Please contact Rosetta Stone Support for further information about exchanging your software.

[/Quote]

 

Here's the link to that:

 

 

http://support.rosettastone.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=5410

 

 

Rosetta Stone Personal Edition CD-ROM products are backed by an unconditional six-month guarantee when purchased directly from Rosetta Stone. If you're not satisfied, we'll return your money—no questions asked.

[/Quote]

Link for that:

http://support.rosettastone.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=5192

 

 

 

and

 

 

We believe that Rosetta Stone is the best language-learning software available; however, we understand it may not be the ideal solution for everyone. For this reason, we offer an unconditional six-month guarantee for all merchandise purchased directly from Rosetta Stone. For complete details, please read our complete Return Policy.

 

Note:

If you did not purchase Rosetta Stone directly from us, please contact the seller to inquire about their return policy.

[/Quote]

Link:

http://support.rosettastone.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=5535

 

 

Return Policy

 

 

 

I will be back when I have more info to post.

 

 

 

ETA: I just contacted Rosetta Stone to find out about future updates and the policy on that. Will post when I get a reply. This should take about 24-hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2011 by Guest

[Embassy]

How often does RS revise their product? Does anyone know how long has homeschool V3 been around? I noticed that they now have V4 but I believe that is only for personal.

 

I remember. V3 came out right after I bought V2 :glare: I bought V2 in the Fall of 2007.

 

I didn't receive any free offers for an upgrade and I believe I purchased the Homeschool edition directly from Rosetta Stone. I received offers for a discount for version 3, but didn't do it since I had just laid down $$$ for version 2.

[Guest]

Rainbow Resource's return policy on Rosetta Stone.

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/policyfaq.php?sid=1298020188-1674179#r1

 

For those interested, just scroll down to "Returns".

 

RS is no longer on sale it appears and the prices have gone up. However for the level 1-3 packages that I looked at because this is what I am interested in, Rainbow is cheaper than the RS website. SL is the same price as the RS website and their shipping is too high for me. So if I can still get the 6-month satisfaction guarantee through Rainbow (which appears to be the case based on what I see in their site) and given that Rainbow gives me the lowest shipping to Canada, especially for that amount, it looks like I will be sticking with Rainbow for my purchase. If there is no benefit to buying directly from the RS website in regards to future updates (I will see what they have to say when they reply to me) then in my case the best option is Rainbow. I'll be waiting for the next sale :).

Edited February 18, 2011 by Guest

[Guest]

Rosetta Stone's reply:

 

Hi Marie,

Thank you for your interest in Rosetta Stone. Any upgrade for the current program would be free. An upgrade to the next version would not be free.

The shipping cost for Canada is $13.95. For further questions you can reach us at 1-800-788-0822.[/Quote]I asked for their shipping costs to Canada and so I have included that for those interested. I asked for shipping for all three levels, so I assume that the $13.95 is for all three. Even so though, Rainbow has all three levels currently at $521 vs. $579 from the RS website. So for me here in Canada, Rainbow is still cheaper and it does not appear I could gain anything buying from RS directly that I cannot get from Rainbow (although I will be keeping my eyes open for sales).

 

 

 

Perhaps the free upgrade back then was to those that had bought recently :confused:! I don't know. That was what I found in the SL board archives. Anyway, I hope I have answered the questions I promised :).

[momofaandh]

Thanks for the all the resesarch. I guess now it's just wait until the next sale.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

One concern with this option would be finishing within the semester (4 months). If you have an older student I can see it. For a younger child however (my son is only 7) I don't know if it is feasible to finish the entire level in 4 months. That is one concern. Another (for me) is, I just like knowing I have the program at home to use and reuse :). I think I will just wait until grandma and grandpa give the boys their next present and save that up to buy the homeschool edition. I am pretty sure we will be going for the homeschool edition when we get it. I definitely want the parent administrative feature.

 

"Parent Administrative Tools

Parent Administrative Tools let you track your student’s progress with just a few mouse clicks. You’ll see which exercises they have completed, assess how well they’ve done and determine how long it took them to finish. You will also be able to select predefined lesson plans and generate progress reports, documenting student achievement for college and job applications."

 

I am an RS fan and used it when we lived in Germany to help the older boys learn a base level of German. But I can't think of many job applications that would be looking for an RS printout to substantiate language learning. Better to take the language skills learned and take a standardized test that validates the language ability (such as an AP exam or a test from a national language institute like Goethe Institute). Or take the language skills and go on an exchange trip to a country that speaks the target language.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Thanks! I wonder if you can start over so that later my youngest can use it under another child's name or someone can start over at all if they need to?

 

I have v.3 Japanese and did reset the schedule on my own name.

 

I also think that you could delete a student and add a new one (though I haven't tested this).

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Craigslist!! It will always be cheaper there, regardless of how you buy it. Also watch Freecycle; RS sometimes shows up there (but you have to be quick!).

 

An inexpensive or free RS won't be useful unless it comes with the activation codes. Once you install it on your computer, you have to activate it. To properly deinstall, you need to wrap up by contacting RS. I don't think there is any way to know if a "free" copy has been properly deactivated.