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A great way to learn a language

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is our family's second 'Explorer' package. Our first was the Spanish language Explorer, which contained around 22 lessons. Those lessons were plenty to get my 12-year-old launched in learning Spanish, and we were so satisfied that we recently bought the Levels 1 and 2 homeschool edition of the full version.
Now I'm studying Indonesian using the Explorer, and considering buying the full version of it when I exhaust the 20-something lessons included in the Explorer.

All of the Rosetta Stone products are arranged the same way (as far as I know). Beginning with basic words and phrases, you listen to a native speaker and/or read a phrase and then click on the picture that matches the words you've heard/read. Beginning from that basic approach, all sorts of permutations are possible with this extremely well-designed package: you can toggle in a delay so you have to use your auditory memory; you can practice arranging the words in a sentence in the correct order; you can even practice your pronunciation using a microphone headset (included free when I bought the package, although that was a promotional offer -- you may need to purchase separately). Unlike many language-learning approaches, with Rosetta Stone you learn to read AND speak the language simultaneously. Multiple learners can use the same program, and their progress can be tracked separately.

It is helpful to have a dictionary for the target language nearby when you are using Rosetta Stone to check if your inferences about the meaning of words are correct.

This program is NOT a phrase-book approach to learning the language. You won't learn how to ask for your restaurant bill or the nearest bathroom, or how to give directions to a taxi driver in the first lesson. Such learning materials are available, of course. The Explorer version also does not have any written grammar instruction; you pick up the grammar intuitively through using the program. The full Homeschool edition comes with booklets, one of which has some guidance on points of grammar.

I find that to make the most progress in learning a language, I need to use a phrase/common vocabulary list as a source for flash-cards. I also translate material from the target language to English to get a sense of the way the language works. Of course, a grammar book is also helpful.

But none of those print materials can do what Rosetta Stone does so well. I find that the patient repetition Rosetta Stone provides 'sticks in my head' far better than work with any print resource. I wouldn't want to learn any language without Rosetta Stone!

best way to learn a language

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Learn by pictures, text and speaking. Easiest way to learn the language.

useful and fun too

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 14 / 17
Date: January 23, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This program is entertaining and easy to use. The interface is quite intuitive. The lessons flow naturally and are actually pretty fun and sort of addicting. A good indonesian-english dictionary would serve as a useful compliment to this product. It's only weakness is that it contains little on conversation. A listing of common phrases and their usages would be handy. You might also consider purchasing a good phrasebook.

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