Review by Spike D.

I have been very curious about Rosetta Stone language teaching program. You saw their commercials everywhere, from airline magazines to TV ads, and wonder if it really works. After several lessons, I can say that it works! Like everything else, you need to invest time and patience, but if you can’t learn from Rosetta Stone, you need a human teacher or you just don’t have aptitude for learning a second language. IMHO, Rosetta Stone is among the top language learning software out there. If you can’t take a live class, then Rosetta Stone is for you.

The software comes with both Windows and Mac, which is a pleasant surprise. It installed and run on my Mac without any issues. The package included language learning software and 3 levels of Spanish language. It even includes a high quality headset and microphone so you can learn without bothering other people. There are 3 audio companion disks to aid with learning. The whole thing took about 15 minutes to install. I installed all 3 levels. You can select different goals: read, write, speak and listen or just to read and write. I selected the whole thing: read, write, speak and listen.

Now for the lesson part. Rosetta Stone uses a natural learning method, which associates spoken and written words with images so it is very different from other software. No English was spoken, you have to work at guessing the words at first, but then it becomes easier as you build up vocabulary. First, you match text to an images (reading), then you have to pronounce the words for each image (speaking). The last part for hearing, you select the correct image as the software pronounces it. The sentences get more complex as you progress through lessons. The images used in the software are very nice and high quality.

At the end of each lesson, there is sort of a quiz to review what you learned. Each lesson is also short enough, about 30 minutes, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting what you learned. After each lesson, there is a pronunciation part to help you speak correctly,nnYou are still the key to learning a new language. Without commitment, no software or teacher in the world can help you with it. But if you really want to learn and can’t get to a live class, Rosetta Stone is the best option.