Rosetta Stone - Who likes it?

[LMD]

I've read mixed reviews on Rosetta Stone, I'm wondering if the people who DO like it and find it effective can chime in and tell me about it?

 

What do you particularly like about it? What age did your child start? Did they, or will they, go through all of the levels? Did you speak the language (at all) first? What else did you do to make your experience succesful?

 

We will be starting Russian next year. I want to start while the children are younger. I do not speak it so will be learning alongside the children.

 

It's a big expensive commitment so I'd like any thoughts please! http://www.amazon.com/Rosetta-Stone-Russian-Level-1-5/dp/1617168777/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322171111&sr=8-1

Thanks! :001_smile:

Edited November 24, 2011 by LMD

[Silver_Kitten]

I'm curious about this too. My daughter wants to learn Japanese.

[TKDmom]

I started RS Spanish with my dd this summer, and so far, I love it! Spanish is one of the school subjects that she loves to do. One day, she heard a woman calling out to her children in Spanish and dd was so excited that she understood it. :D

 

Rosetta Stone does not provide a whole lot in grammar. I supplement with Getting Started with Spanish, so that dd will have explicit instruction in things like how to conjugate verbs. You may want to find something similar for Russian if you decide to go this route.

 

Another program that some people like better than Rosetta Stone is Tell Me More. I think it focuses more on Grammar and writing than RS. I tried the 7 day trial, but decided that while it looks more thorough, it would not appeal to a younger student as well as RS. Also, I don't think they offer as many languages as RS--they may not have Russian (or Japanese).

[garddwr]

My 8 year old is using Spanish level 1 this year, and I am trying to find time to do Mandarin level 1. It's working better for my daughter than for me--but then, I really don't have much time to put into it. I've been impressed so far. I think the current version is a big improvement over the one we used to be able to get from our library (about 5 years ago).

Things I like: the pace seems to be about right, they build gradually, starting with some basic vocabulary (man/woman/girl/boy/read/write/eat/drink/run/swim etc.) with segments of the program devoted to speaking, reading, listening, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. Regular review is built in. For my daughter, I am pairing the program with a very basic Spanish grammar book. I like Rosetta Stone's "immersion" experience, but I also think it is helpful for a language learner to have an explanation of the rules. I speak Spanish, so I can also help her over some rough areas. I would not personally rely exclusively on Rosetta Stone to learn a language, but paired with a book that explains how the language works I think it can be successful. Better yet, and this is crucial for truly learning a language, the learner needs someone to converse with--not just a computer that elicits specific responses.

I have experience with language learning in multiple languages, but for me it was mostly in a total immersion environment--at least for those languages I gained fluency in. Even in that environment (living and going to school or working in a foreign country) I think explicit instruction (more than Rosetta Stone provides) was critical in developing real ability. BUT explicit instruction, as in a classroom, without the immersion was, I think, worse than immersion without explicit instruction. Rosetta Stone is the best simulation of an immersion environment I have found. I think it is worth the cost.

Regarding age, I tried introducing Rosetta Stone when dd was younger. Her interest would flag after a couple of lessons. This year is the first time she has actually continued on in the program and made progress with her language skills. My six year old son is not interested, at this point I'm think of starting him at 8 like his sister. I do expose my kids to foreign languages through other means--reading picture books, singing songs, watching videos, I even taught an 8 week homeschool Spanish class last Spring for my own and other children. I'm not aiming for language proficiency with my young children, I just want their minds open to the sounds and patterns of other languages and to the concept of people speaking in different tongues.

 

--Sarah

[Jay3fer]

I like it for Hebrew, and find it's very helpful and rigourous. My dd6 hates it and complains when I announce it's "RS time." (needless to say, that's not often!)

BUT... once she's doing it, she really CAN do it. And she kind of gets into it. I'm often surprised by how much she learns and how intuitively. However, I couldn't get the voice recognition to work for her - maybe her voice is too squeaky still?

 

One thing I dislike is that it keeps sending you back to previous lessons - presumably for extra practice, but I find it frustrating to go over stuff I know well again and again and again.

 

Another issue is that it's completely free of cultural context. This might work for some languages, like Spanish, which are spoken in many places. But for Hebrew, it's just weird, because none of the scenes are set in Israel. There is absolutely no reference to Judaism, which is as it should be, I suppose, but so much of Israeli life depends on knowing about the Jewish religion. Plus, you have to learn words you may never need, like "subway".

[Silver_Kitten]

Homeschool version 3 or their new eTotal version 4?

[LarrySanger]

My five-year-old and I are halfway through Latin Level 1. It's pretty gentle and engaging. I really like Rosetta Stone. It's improved considerably since I bought RS Russian back in something like 2005 (?).

 

I doubt there is any other way that I could be introducing Latin, at least not as effectively and given my time constraints. I think we'll get all the way through, but we're taking it easy and I don't absolutely insist on it every day--trying to keep it as fun as possible. RS doesn't teach grammar very well, certainly not for languages like Russian and Latin, but they introduce a lot and I expect they'll make it a lot easier to learn the languages more systematically later on.

[joannqn]

DD11 is almost done with Spanish 2, and DS9 is nearly done with Korean 1. I'm not involved with their language learning in anyway other than to tell them to do it three times a week. After DD is done with level 5 and DS is done with level 3, I'll have them continue with either textbooks and/or literature and composition. I expect to need some sort of outside help at that point.

[Lily_Grace]

I like it. We are currently using it for Italian, and no, we didn't speak the language before starting it. I find it extremely useful in our day to day interactions with our host nation and it gives me the confidence to attempt more. There are drawbacks that you may want to consider and if you buy, find a supplement for:

 

-the alphabet. Find a writing book to learn cyrillic with so you can practice the sounds more than 15 minutes a day. You will need to beef up quickly in order to progress to reading sentences. There isn't enough practice in RS to do this.

 

-Grammar. Russian has 6 cases, and it is not enough to try to learn through osmosis which is which. You need a grammar book, or at the least grammar exercises to help you on your way.

 

-spelling/pronunciation rules. Why use the soft sign? Why the hard sign? what do you do when you need to form a reflexive?

 

 

Russian is a very beautiful, complex language that is easy to understand once you unlock it. RS, while giving you practice and many ways to use it daily, will not give you the tools needed to decipher and create your own writing.

 

I would not attempt RS alone for Russian, any more than I would for Chinese, Arabic, or Farsi. It is a better program for simpler languages where you already have a basic understanding of the rules and alphabet so you can jump in.

[LMD]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Lily Grace - I have thought about the Alphabet issue and read about the Grammar too, I expect that I will probably print off and laminate a copy of the Cyrillic alphabet for reference for all of us, and get a grammar book to help me - I plan to learn as well. I have no problem letting the kids take it slowly and enjoy themselves, but I am pretty committed to seeing it through to the end. I am really drawn to the immersion technique and intuitive learning that RS uses, and I think my kids would like it. I think once my children have an idea of the language, then later (maybe highschool?) I can step up the education in other ways.

 

My DH and IL's speak a similar slavic language, though no cyrillic, so they have had some exposure to that sort of language.

 

Silver Kitten, I'm looking at the version 4. I read that there is no homeschool version of V4 but that many of the teaching extras are available from RS world after registering online...

 

 

The Link above shows that you can get 20% off at amazon til the 28th.

[Lily_Grace]

 

Silver Kitten, I'm looking at the version 4. I read that there is no homeschool version of V4 but that many of the teaching extras are available from RS world after registering online...

Check their website fine print. I bought the homeschool version and was disappointed that there are no extras for the language I have. The only difference for me is the ability to look at everyone's pace and set the lesson plan.

 

 

The Link above shows that you can get 20% off at amazon til the 28th.

 

It's also the same at homeschool buyer's co-op, and the same price it will be around May, and the same price around Sept. I looked at the pattern for about two years before I considered investing in it.

[LMD]

Check their website fine print. I bought the homeschool version and was disappointed that there are no extras for the language I have. The only difference for me is the ability to look at everyone's pace and set the lesson plan.

I'm trying! Lol, their website is confusing me and this is information I'm really trying to find out... I read that "Much of the information on the supplemental CD is available online from Rosetta Stone." - I'm having trouble defining that 'Much' :confused:

I'm liking the online extras that version 4 comes with, plus there is no HS version of Russian on sale at amazon.

 

Can you use it for more than one student?

 

 

 

It's also the same at homeschool buyer's co-op, and the same price it will be around May, and the same price around Sept. I looked at the pattern for about two years before I considered investing in it.

 

Unfortunately the HSBC doesn't ship to Australia :glare: That's good to know about the pattern. I wanted to start in Jan or so, so I guess now is as good as anytime.

[jetted4]

I have an older version (about 5-6 yrs old at this point), so I don't know if they found a way to correct for it at this point, but though I like the program to a large degree, my main complaint would be how on earth you are supposed to figure out the translations when it is not a literal one-to-one. Since I know Spanish, I am able to explain why with time (for example) you say "es la una" for one o'clock, but "son las dos" for two o'clock or why you would use the verb ser in some cases for the verb "to be" and estar in other cases. There are a number of other instances (that I can't think of off the top of my head) when I have to walk him through the translation - again because it's not a literal one-for-one. Also, some words ("de" and "en" for example) can have a different meaning based on the context...things like that are not so easy to figure out on your own just from pictures (at least not at an elementary age). That said, if you have books that you use to fill in those gaps or know enough about the language yourself to do it, it's a great way for an elem age child to learn another language. off topic...I am new and I haven't found anything that explains the Hive Mind and Bee levels that people have included with their login name. Any help?

[Silver_Kitten]

I'm trying! Lol, their website is confusing me and this is information I'm really trying to find out... I read that "Much of the information on the supplemental CD is available online from Rosetta Stone." - I'm having trouble defining that 'Much' :confused:

I'm liking the online extras that version 4 comes with, plus there is no HS version of Russian on sale at amazon.

 

Can you use it for more than one student?

 

 

I have read about version 4 and it says you can not use it for more than one student. That is why I've been looking at the homeschool edition.

[LAS in LA]

I have an older version (about 5-6 yrs old at this point), so I don't know if they found a way to correct for it at this point, but though I like the program to a large degree, my main complaint would be how on earth you are supposed to figure out the translations when it is not a literal one-to-one. Since I know Spanish, I am able to explain why with time (for example) you say "es la una" for one o'clock, but "son las dos" for two o'clock or why you would use the verb ser in some cases for the verb "to be" and estar in other cases. There are a number of other instances (that I can't think of off the top of my head) when I have to walk him through the translation - again because it's not a literal one-for-one. Also, some words ("de" and "en" for example) can have a different meaning based on the context...things like that are not so easy to figure out on your own just from pictures (at least not at an elementary age). That said, if you have books that you use to fill in those gaps or know enough about the language yourself to do it, it's a great way for an elem age child to learn another language. off topic...I am new and I haven't found anything that explains the Hive Mind and Bee levels that people have included with their login name. Any help?

 

I may be wrong, but I think the idea of RS is that the learner intuits these meanings by hearing them in context. Children learn this way without much explanation. For adults, an explanation is usually helpful.

[Donna]

My 9yo dd is doing both RS Spanish and Gaelic. She does each 5 days a week and loves doing it. She was speaking to a Gaelic speaker (as 2nd language) one afternoon and telling her everything she'd learned already. I was surprised at how much she could recall because I find myself having word retrieval problems when learning alongside her. I like that she can do it independently. I also plan on getting something more for grammar and conjugation especially with the Spanish in a couple years. I would also love to find people for her to practice with on a regular basis once she knows more.

[Rosie_0801]

Have you asked over at the Rockpool? There was someone whose kids were at Saturday School for Russian, but has since pulled them out. If she's not on there, I know people who know her are. Maybe she'll have other ideas for resources. I wonder if you could enrol in the Vic College of Language as correspondence students?

 

Rosie

[LMD]

I have read about version 4 and it says you can not use it for more than one student. That is why I've been looking at the homeschool edition.

 

I was worried about this, do you have a link to this info? I'm having trouble seeing it... :glare:

[Silver_Kitten]

I was worried about this, do you have a link to this info? I'm having trouble seeing it... :glare:

 

Looking in to it again, I have found that TOTALe can be used by more than one person! This is good news to me, since last time I had looked in the FAQ and it specifically said it could not.

 

TOTALe FAQ

 

Homeschool edition

 

Version 3 Parent controls here.

Homeschool FAQ here.

[T Baer]

Looking in to it again, I have found that TOTALe can be used by more than one person! This is good news to me, since last time I had looked in the FAQ and it specifically said it could not.

 

TOTALe FAQ

 

Homeschool edition

 

Version 3 Parent controls here.

Homeschool FAQ here.

 

To add about the TotalE, each person may have to have their own paid account to access the on-line features and I was told (somewhere) that you have to be at least 13 years old to have an account. If you purchase 1 level, you may still get 3 months free of the on-line feature; 6 months for 2 levels and 9 months for 3 levels. After that you have to pay for it and I can't remember the price, but it seemed reasonable especially if you use it regularly.

Liberty University is offering on-line Rosetta Stone Classes. I don't know much about this, but thought I would pass it on. http://www.luonline.com/index.cfm?PID=24184

[LMD]

Looking in to it again, I have found that TOTALe can be used by more than one person! This is good news to me, since last time I had looked in the FAQ and it specifically said it could not.

 

TOTALe FAQ

 

Homeschool edition

 

Version 3 Parent controls here.

Homeschool FAQ here.

 

Yes, I thought I'd read something like that! From the link:

 

"Version 4 TOTALeâ„¢ installation is for two computers. This provides access to Rosetta Stone's core learning platform, Rosetta Course, for up to 10 learners in your household."

 

So I guess the only difference with the homeschool edition is that it comes with the supplemental parent CD - 'much' of which is apparently available online... from somewhere within RS... I have emailed RS about this but no reply as yet.

[choirfarm]

I have an older version (about 5-6 yrs old at this point), so I don't know if they found a way to correct for it at this point, but though I like the program to a large degree, my main complaint would be how on earth you are supposed to figure out the translations when it is not a literal one-to-one. Since I know Spanish, I am able to explain why with time (for example) you say "es la una" for one o'clock, but "son las dos" for two o'clock or why you would use the verb ser in some cases for the verb "to be" and estar in other cases. There are a number of other instances (that I can't think of off the top of my head) when I have to walk him through the translation - again because it's not a literal one-for-one. Also, some words ("de" and "en" for example) can have a different meaning based on the context...things like that are not so easy to figure out on your own just from pictures (at least not at an elementary age). That said, if you have books that you use to fill in those gaps or know enough about the language yourself to do it, it's a great way for an elem age child to learn another language. off topic...

 

This is one of the reasons we got rid of Rosetta Stone. Another poster said that kids don't need that and figure it out intuitively. Nope, they don't . I had to keep going to dh who took it 30 years ago to ask him questions like this. My kids HATED this and after using it for a year ( made it through part of year 1) it was useless when we went to Honduras. I mean we needed to say, " Hi, my name is or I'm from or nice to meet you!" All we could say was the boy is under the table or the girl is jumping.. Sigh...

[Lily_Grace]

This is one of the reasons we got rid of Rosetta Stone. Another poster said that kids don't need that and figure it out intuitively. Nope, they don't . I had to keep going to dh who took it 30 years ago to ask him questions like this. My kids HATED this and after using it for a year ( made it through part of year 1) it was useless when we went to Honduras. I mean we needed to say, " Hi, my name is or I'm from or nice to meet you!" All we could say was the boy is under the table or the girl is jumping.. Sigh...

 

That must have been a while ago. They've changed the program order so that the first things you start out with are foods, colors, numbers, pronouns and simple verbs. I used it previously when it started with under, over, etc. and it wasn't that great. Now, my son is mostly through level 1 (V.3) and can maintain simple conversation and ask for what he needs when we're out. It's gotten much better.

[MelodyL]

I've read mixed reviews on Rosetta Stone, I'm wondering if the people who DO like it and find it effective can chime in and tell me about it?

 

What do you particularly like about it? What age did your child start? Did they, or will they, go through all of the levels? Did you speak the language (at all) first? What else did you do to make your experience succesful?

 

We will be starting Russian next year. I want to start while the children are younger. I do not speak it so will be learning alongside the children.

 

It's a big expensive commitment so I'd like any thoughts please! http://www.amazon.com/Rosetta-Stone-Russian-Level-1-5/dp/1617168777/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322171111&sr=8-1

Thanks! :001_smile:

 

 

I love Rosetta Stone Spanish! I bought it cheaper on Ebay, which took some time, as I kept getting outbid.

[zaichiki]

We are a bicultural family with dh being the native Russian speaker. He used to speak Russian-only to the kids, but he has switched to English. (Big deal I won't go into here.)

 

So now my 9 y.o. dd uses Rosetta Stone Russian. We have Russian children's songs, videos (cartoons), and children's books.

 

Ds started using Rosetta Stone Russian to learn to read Russian when he was 6. It was easy enough for him to use. Dd has used it on and off since she was 7. It's easy for kids to follow. Some of the pictures are FUNNY!

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

:)