If you've used Rosetta Stone, has your child had success learning the language?

[HappyGrace]

Thinking of this for dd12. I've read it doesn't have enough grammar, but I can't find any other program that looks wonderful, so I thought we'd try RS.

 

We do have a local family we're close with who are native French speakers that she could go hang out with to practice.

 

I guess I'm worried because she did NOT do well with whole to parts Latin. But maybe I should just trust the RS to get her up and speaking and fill in grammar gaps later.

 

Has your child successfully learned a language with RS? Do you think it depends on the child and how they learn-because I've read that some people just not do well w/ RS at all.

 

I'm also considering Tell Me More, but read that it's boring. Also going to check if our library might have Mango Languages. I read that both of these are similar to RS but have better grammar.

 

We basically want something independent to get her speaking French! It is not for academics or high school credit or anything-she just wants to learn it and is very motivated to do so. Thanks!

 

xpost

[sagira]

:bigear:

[Momma4Boys]

:lurk5: nobody?

[HappyCamper]

I don't know how helpful this will be, but my 9 year old daughter really enjoys using Rosetta Stone for Latin. She said it is much easier to use than doing Lively Latin with me. She seems to be learning tons, but since I don't speak latin, I have no way to verify that she is. Her vocabulary seems to be huge; she enjoys doing it; and it is 15 minutes of completely independent learning every day.

[SuperDad]

Background (AKA: bragging about my credentials): I am a native speaker of French and English. I learned Modern Hebrew later on and now speak it fluently. I am also a linguist and have extensively researched the process of "artificial" (anything other than full immersion, which truly is the best way to learn a language) language acquisition. So, I've reviewed a lot of language-learning curricula.

 

I don't love RS. I've examined and used their product for Hebrew and while it was a solid product, there's better out there. Using RS + practicing with native French speakers is definitely a fairly effective combination to learn the language. I think in RS it is too easy to just get the answers right without actually understanding the language. As for Mango - I use it for review and reinforcement for myself and my kids. I do like it as a supplement. I'm not so sure about using it as a full program. No matter what you decide on, as long as your dd gets lots of practice speaking with native French speakers, she'll be well on her way to proficiency.

 

PM me if you have any other questions - I LOVE talking about languages (seeing as I'm a linguist and all...:D). HTH, SuperDad

[Hilltop]

:lurk5:

 

Great question! I have come close to buying Rosetta Stone numerous times but always back out because I haven't heard of anyone that loves it for the $.

[Embassy]

No. I tried Rosetta Stone Mandarin for 3 years with little results. It could be the language we chose or it could be Rosetta Stone or it could be the young age of my child doing it. I switched to another program and we are making good progress.

[ravinlunachick]

Background (AKA: bragging about my credentials): I am a native speaker of French and English. I learned Modern Hebrew later on and now speak it fluently. I am also a linguist and have extensively researched the process of "artificial" (anything other than full immersion, which truly is the best way to learn a language) language acquisition. So, I've reviewed a lot of language-learning curricula.

 

I don't love RS. I've examined and used their product for Hebrew and while it was a solid product, there's better out there. Using RS + practicing with native French speakers is definitely a fairly effective combination to learn the language. I think in RS it is too easy to just get the answers right without actually understanding the language. As for Mango - I use it for review and reinforcement for myself and my kids. I do like it as a supplement. I'm not so sure about using it as a full program. No matter what you decide on, as long as your dd gets lots of practice speaking with native French speakers, she'll be well on her way to proficiency.

 

PM me if you have any other questions - I LOVE talking about languages (seeing as I'm a linguist and all...:D). HTH, SuperDad

 

So, if immersion isn't an option, what program or curriculum would you recommend for learning a second language? Specifically Spanish, if it matters.

[ForeverFamily]

So, if immersion isn't an option, what program or curriculum would you recommend for learning a second language? Specifically Spanish, if it matters.

 

:bigear:

[ForeverFamily]

No. I tried Rosetta Stone Mandarin for 3 years with little results. It could be the language we chose or it could be Rosetta Stone or it could be the young age of my child doing it. I switched to another program and we are making good progress.

 

Sorry this is a bit off topic, what program did you switch to?

[Embassy]

Sorry this is a bit off topic, what program did you switch to?

 

Better Chinese

[ElizabethB]

We had a free year of it for dozens of languages because of my husband's job at the time, I used it for Latin for a bit and my daughter used it for Spanish for a bit, I was not impressed, even for free. At the time, I switched to a few Latin books for myself and a few different Spanish books for my daughter, I know enough Spanish to teach the first few years of Spanish. Now, I have things that I like even better that are working well for us:

 

I am actually liking my $5 Spanish app better than Rosetta Stone Spanish. (It is iStart Spanish with a little penguin. They have other languages, too.)

 

And, I like Latin Alive with the DVDs better than Rosetta Stone Latin.

Edited February 27, 2012 by ElizabethB

[Amira]

Definitely not. I think RS can have a place in language learning, but it's far from being a complete system for learning a language on its own. I also think it's too expensive for what it gives you, especially if you're learning a more commonly taught language where there are many good programs available.

 

There are some nice things about RS like others have mentioned. It's easy for the parent because it can be done independently by a child (and sometimes that's necessary), and it's possible to learn a reasonable amount of vocabulary.

 

We did buy RS a few years ago since there wasn't much available at the time in Farsi and two of my children and both my husband and I used it. I've also studied 3 other languages without RS, and used a different Farsi/Tajik program. I'd say RS was the least effective method I've used, although if we could afford it for all the different languages we do here, I do think RS could be a useful supplement. But I've not forking out $500 for each language just for vocab practice and a break.

[KarenNC]

I have a friend who is a Spanish teacher and she said that Rosetta Stone doesn't have a good reputation among Spanish teachers (though I suppose that could be for many reasons). We are using Tell Me More for Spanish (homeschool edition on dvd) and like it. My 11 yo doesn't find it boring (but found educacion espanola through Discovery Education Streaming incredibly boring, as a comparison). I haven't used Rosetta Stone, but have been told that Tell Me More is somewhat similar but with a lot more grammar. The most valuable part for us is the voice recognition software, since none of us speak Spanish. I've tried with other book programs that included just listening, but I really needed a self-contained and totally self-correcting program for all of us (all three of us are learning Spanish through it). They have a free trial online to try. We got ours on sale through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op, but you can access it through some libraries now (just not ours, unfortunately).

 

She did powerspeak French for a summer class a couple of years ago, but had zero retention, in case that comes up. I don't know if it was the program, the lack of interest or a combination, but it was a waste even though she said she enjoyed it.

[ravinlunachick]

 

I am actually liking my $5 Spanish app better than Rosetta Stone Spanish. (It is iStart Spanish with a little penguin. They have other languages, too.)

 

I've looked at that several times, but have never bought it. I don't hesitate at $0.99 or $1.99, but much more than that, and you'd think they were asking for my firstborn! :tongue_smilie: That's particularly ironic, considering I shelled out nearly $200 for my son's communication app and never blinked an eye!

[ElizabethB]

I've looked at that several times, but have never bought it. I don't hesitate at $0.99 or $1.99, but much more than that, and you'd think they were asking for my firstborn! :tongue_smilie: That's particularly ironic, considering I shelled out nearly $200 for my son's communication app and never blinked an eye!

 

Yes, you get used to that $.99 price point!

 

We have been using it for over a month now and have only done about 1/10 of the lessons, I am definitely getting my money's worth. I also like that it has both Latin American and Spanish pronunciation, it is nice to be able to hear both for each word and get used to both accents from the beginning. A few things go over my daughter's head, but I enjoy them and she can move along fine even if she doesn't totally understand every little thing.

[Hedgehogs4]

We use RS as reinforcement for our lessons that we are doing at home. I am teaching my kids French using "Le Francais Facile" and a lot of supplementation, plus RS.

 

I would love to know a native French speaker who could come and work with us occasionally.

 

I lived in China for 2.5 years, and studied French for 8. It wasn't until I had a French roommate that my French made any progress. Meanwhile, I learned Chinese so much differently than I did French, and can speak it so much more effectively. There is no equivalent to total immersion.

[MamaBear]

:lurk5:

[missmoe]

Like others have mentioned, it makes a good vocabulary supplement. I haven't found it to be a complete program.

[umsami]

We tried it for Arabic and it did not work well for a variety of reasons.

 

1) It's Modern Standard Arabic...which nobody really speaks...so kind of useless.

 

2) They don't use any transliteration...so for kids who can't quickly read Arabic, it's quite difficult.

 

We then switched to Pimsleur, which did not hold my kid's interest (although it was Egyptian Arabic). I then heard about a program called Michel Thomas which is popular in the UK which has worked so well with my kids. The Egyptian Arabic program is done by a pair (Jane Wightwick and Mahmood Gaafar) who have written many of the Egyptian Arabic books on the market...they know how to teach to English language speakers. The lessons are short (we do one or two after dinner)....and immediately applicable. So, for example, you'll learn the phrase..."Mumkin _____?" Here's a sample http://www.michelthomas.com/learn-arabic.php I really really love this program and only wish we had discovered it prior to the probably $1500 we spent on other programs.

[Jay3fer]

My response is not going to be glowingly positive, but it is somewhat positive, which is more than I have seen so far on this thread. :-)

 

We have been using this for about a year, off and on, for modern Hebrew. I got it for my daughter (now 6, almost 7), myself and my husband to use as well, and like its ability to handle multiple learners at multiple challenge levels.

 

My daughter doesn't love it. She finds it dull and repetitious - fair enough; it IS dull and repetitious. But once she starts, she finds the lessons easy enough to go through and she actually does seem to be learning. She doesn't mind doing them once she begins - it's just not as bells-and-whistles-y as some of the kid-oriented programs.

 

It's kind of magical to watch her progress through a 10-minute session; she'll get one or two wrong at first, but with absolutely no correction except the very gentle noises of the program itself, and repeated prompting by native speakers, by the end of the lesson, she is up to just about 100%.

 

Note that like others on here, I wasn't able to get the microphone to work for her (voice too squeaky), so I disabled that feature altogether. However, while she may not be speaking along with the lessons, my ds4 stands behind her repeating the phrases, so HE is getting some good solid language learning, too. :-)

 

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how well she retains the vocabulary she learns using RS. It is a supplement to some other Hebrew studies, and it's kind of funny how she knows all the colours in her workbook but not in Rosetta Stone. However, I think this is because RS conjugates them (male, female, singular, plural), while her workbook is still introducing only the simple forms, so even when it's one she knows, it throws her off.

 

As for me, I know some Hebrew already, but find it helpful for expanding my vocabulary. It doesn't know exactly where the gaps are in my abilities, obviously, and I'm fairly advanced in some ways and pretty much a beginner in others. So some lessons are super-easy and others are more at my level.

 

I like the idea of challenging my dd and will definitely continue using the program. I will add, however, that we did not pay anywhere near full price, or even a fraction thereof. If we'd had to, I don't know if I would feel it had been worth our while. It is SOooo expensive :-o. I did try Mango but found it not appropriate for very young beginners.

 

Hope this is helpful to some!

[sagira]

We tried it for Arabic and it did not work well for a variety of reasons.

 

1) It's Modern Standard Arabic...which nobody really speaks...so kind of useless.

 

2) They don't use any transliteration...so for kids who can't quickly read Arabic, it's quite difficult.

 

We then switched to Pimsleur, which did not hold my kid's interest (although it was Egyptian Arabic). I then heard about a program called Michel Thomas which is popular in the UK which has worked so well with my kids. The Egyptian Arabic program is done by a pair (Jane Wightwick and Mahmood Gaafar) who have written many of the Egyptian Arabic books on the market...they know how to teach to English language speakers. The lessons are short (we do one or two after dinner)....and immediately applicable. So, for example, you'll learn the phrase..."Mumkin _____?" Here's a sample http://www.michelthomas.com/learn-arabic.php I really really love this program and only wish we had discovered it prior to the probably $1500 we spent on other programs.

 

This program looks very interesting. I just put the Start in the cart - wait, did I just rhyme? :tongue_smilie::lol:

 

I speak Spanish fluently, but gosh, my kids mix up the language I grew up on (Papiamento) with Spanish :glare: Ds, after exposure all these years, and programs I spent moolah on, only says "Hola, como estas?" Yeah, he knows his colors and can catch some things, but.. :001_huh:

[Hedgehogs4]

FYI...We were doing :banghead: over the microphone issue with RS. We purchased a new usb Logitech usb headset and both my children and I are no longer having problems at all...they send you a really cheap headset and mic. Just replace it.

[shmily]

I personally just switched from Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish to Fluenz. It is sooo much better. I'm still in the beginning stages of it, but it explains conjugating the verbs for the nouns, etc. And it tells you what you're saying in English, so no more guess work or looking up in a spanish-english dictionary. I believe it's more geared for adults though.

 

For kids, I'd look into The Learnables. It's audio/visual/workbook. I've never used it either, but it looks good for kids.

[Pen]

:bigear:

[SuperDad]

So, if immersion isn't an option, what program or curriculum would you recommend for learning a second language? Specifically Spanish, if it matters.

 

Well, for learning French, I generally recommend Pimsleur and Breaking the Barrier. Both of those programs offer a Spanish product, so it would be worth looking into those. Also, ask around and see if it is a all possible to set up tutoring with a native (or, at the very least, fluent) Spanish speaker. Working with a native speaker is a good way to replicate some of the aspects of immersion and is a good step towards fluency.

 

No matter what you do end up using, regular practice is, IMO, the single most important key to language mastery. For your brain to learn a foreign language, it needs to be exposed to it regularly, and ideally daily. For this reason, I highly recommend working on the target language for at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week- and on the two days off, just spend five minutes reviewing. I also recommend making flash cards bearing words of common objects, and tape those cards to that object, so that your brain will begin associate that object with that word.

 

I am not hugely familiar with Spanish - I know more about Semitic and Indo-European languages - but I hope that some of these tips will help. You might want to PM a WTMer who speaks Spanish.

HTH, SuperDad

[ravinlunachick]

Thank you, SuperDad! :)

[warneral]

We had a free year of it for dozens of languages because of my husband's job at the time, I used it for Latin for a bit and my daughter used it for Spanish for a bit, I was not impressed, even for free. At the time, I switched to a few Latin books for myself and a few different Spanish books for my daughter, I know enough Spanish to teach the first few years of Spanish. Now, I have things that I like even better that are working well for us:

 

I am actually liking my $5 Spanish app better than Rosetta Stone Spanish. (It is iStart Spanish with a little penguin. They have other languages, too.)

 

And, I like Latin Alive with the DVDs better than Rosetta Stone Latin.

 

Thanks, I think I'll get this app and we could all practice Spanish before our 3week trip to Costa Rica in April

[RubberChickenGirl]

In a word, no. I see it as a vocab builder and that's it. It's great for that. But I suppose the grammar is supposed to be all intuitive and I don't think that works if you are not a baby or toddler. Atleast it didn't work for my son and wouldn't work for me. I need direct teaching on things like conjugation. We often mock RS by using sentences like, "The boy is standing under the airplane holding a ball." Lots of vocab there, but *why*?

 

My oldest couldn't say, "Where is the bathroom?" or "Do you speak Spanish?" by the end of 2 years. Granted, he is bright and lazy and fine with "C" work, but he memorizes stuff nearly instantly and still didn't get gain the ability to say every day sentences in Spanish. He couldn't do a present tense conjugation of the verb hablar or ser.

[butterflymommy]

DS 15 has been using it for about 1 year for spanish. I'm bilingual so I can tell how good/ bad he sounds. I wasn't impressed at first but by this point he has a surprisingly good accent & decent pronunciation. However my impression is that it's mostly good for phrases, accent, and vocab. When I try having an actual conversation with him in spanish he can't understand me or reply meaningfully. He can watch spanish TV and catch some of what's going on. So it seems more like a supplementary or enrichment resource than an actual course IMHO.

[justLisa]

To be fair, I think very few people learn a language to the point of it being useful to them unless they spend time being immersed in it . So I don't think there is any magical program or book that will do that alone.

 

We use it and it suits our needs. We have a native speaker in the house. When my kids hit high school we plan to add more intensive book study.

 

I don't think RS is "magical", but I think it's probably better than (or at the very least it is as good as) getting a book in an unfamiliar language and thinking you are going to teach and or learn from it. That might be possible with an extremely motivated learner and teacher, but I doubt it's typical.

 

 

Same here. I learned Spanish for 4 years in school. 2 in late HS and 2 in College. I never learned as well as when I used RS AND book study for Polish, along with a native speaker (DH), and I am fluent. Not saying you can't learn another way, but this works for us. I don't want heavy book study. Later on yes, they will study in the language more. I've got bookshelves stocked with Polish books for pleasure and study. But really I think RS is a great place to start. And it does not require my help. We speak in the home though, so they are obviously progressing faster than if we had no other speaker.

[...................]

My dd8 is having smashing success, but she does a minimum of 3-4 different exercises per level. And she doesn't move on until she gets 90% mastery. And we actually do the workbook. And we actually study the textbook and memorize the vocabulary.

 

It's NOT meant to just be the computer program although that's the main meat of RS. Repetition, moving slowly, using the workbook, studying the textbook, and memorizing and quizzing oneself on vocabulary is all important.