Rating: 
Summary: The best way to learn
Review: For those who have never been able to learn a foriegn language this might work. It's tediously repetitive, introducing material at such a slow rate that even the most mentally challenged should find is easy going. Perhaps this explains its popularity in the State Department.
The pace of the course is so slow though that anyone trying to use this to learn a language at a reasonably rapid rate is going to find it little more than frustrating. After a few hours you will finally be able to put together sentence like 'The men are dancing.' That's absurd. Adults dont'NEED to learn languages like children do. We can learn them much more quickly and more efficiently.
All of the exercises provide the user with crutches. One is never forced to come up with the phrase in a foriegn language. One merely has to choose from among those provided. The written exercises are merely dictation. The accent reduction exercises are really exercises in pure mimicry. In short the software is very low-powered. There is no fancy AI here. It's really very crude.
At this price the quality is simply not adequate.
So that reduces the demographic for this product to mentally challenged individuals with a great deal of liesure time, and a great deal of money. If you fit into that category, you might give this a try. Otherwise find something faster, cheaper, better.
Rating: 
Summary: For those with much time and litte ability
Review: For those who have never been able to learn a foriegn language this might work. It's tediously repetitive, introducing material at such a slow rate that even the most mentally challenged should find is easy going. Perhaps this explains its popularity in the State Department.
The pace of the course is so slow though that anyone trying to use this to learn a language at a reasonably rapid rate is going to find it little more than frustrating. After a few hours you will finally be able to put together sentence like 'The men are dancing.' That's absurd. Adults dont'NEED to learn languages like children do. We can learn them much more quickly and more efficiently.
All of the exercises provide the user with crutches. One is never forced to come up with the phrase in a foriegn language. One merely has to choose from among those provided. The written exercises are merely dictation. The accent reduction exercises are really exercises in pure mimicry. In short the software is very low-powered. There is no fancy AI here. It's really very crude.
At this price the quality is simply not adequate.
So that reduces the demographic for this product to mentally challenged individuals with a great deal of liesure time, and a great deal of money. If you fit into that category, you might give this a try. Otherwise find something faster, cheaper, better.
Rating: 
Summary: technique seems to work, program not exactly friendly.
Review: I am not a natural to new languages at all, but I seem to be picking up some Spanish here and relatively easily. The teaching technique is quite good.
The program takes over the computer which is extremely annoying. There is no way to take a break and check email etc. with this program running. You need to exit the program every time you need to use your computer for anything else. I do not find their user interface very intuitive either, but it does not take long to figure it out so this is of minimal impact.
Rating:
Summary: The best way to learn
Review: I have looked at nearly a dozen different Spanish programs, but this program really mimicks the way a native tongue is learned. Any program that says that you can become fluent in a language in 2 months is lying to you. How did you learn your native language? Did your parents give you an English grammar book when you were a baby and have you conjugate verbs? Of course not! You heard your parents, their friends, and relatives speak it to you over and over and over again. Through that, you began to pick up words and phrases and were able to associate them with their meaning. But it took you quite a while didn't it? You weren't speaking your native language 4 months after you were born, were you? But over time you became fluent. People who live in other countries usually become fluent in that language in about 6 months to a year, depending on the language. And that's with hearing it 24/7, speaking it, reading it, and having no choice but to understand it. They are immersed in the language. That is what Rosetta Stone is trying to do. It is immersion. You see the picture, see the words, and hear the phrase or words associated with them. And this way, you never forget it. It's much easier to remember that caballo is horse when you have seen a picture of a horse with the word superimposed on that picture while a native speaker is saying it. It is going to take a while. There is no such thing as fast-food language. You have to be patient and you have to be dilligent. Repetition in the program is excellent, but the dilligence of the learner is the key to seeing results!
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite
Review: I have purchased several different Spanish training courses but the Rosetta Stone is the one that I spend the most time with. I think the program does a fine job of synthesizing the natural process by which all humans learn their native languages. The price is a bit steep, but after working with level one for quite some time I went ahead and purchased level two as well. I figured that based on how much use I'm getting out of it, the money spent on The Rosetta Stone was money well spent.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite
Review: I have purchased several different Spanish training courses but the Rosetta Stone is the one that I spend the most time with. I think the program does a fine job of synthesizing the natural process by which all humans learn their native languages. The price is a bit steep, but after working with level one for quite some time I went ahead and purchased level two as well. I figured that based on how much use I'm getting out of it, the money spent on The Rosetta Stone was money well spent.
Rating:
Summary: The best product in the worst category
Review: If you have your heart set on learning a language while sitting at the computer, then this is the best computer based language learning program there is. The competition in this genre is terrible. Rosetta Stone software is stable and usable. And it is the only program I've seen with a user interface that doesn't look like a children's book.
Having said that, I wouldn't recommend that anyone who is serious about learning a language use a computer program as a primary tool. Sure, you need a computer to load up your mp3 player and write to your foreign language speaking pen pal. But it takes some really serious determination to sit in front of a computer, night after night for hours learning Spanish. Don't set yourself up for failure.
Unless you are a very exceptional learner, you're going to have to practice for at least a half-hour every day. For me, that means fitting it into my lifestyle. I study while I'm driving, washing dishes, waiting in line, whenever. And I've been doing it for years. If I had to sit in front of a computer, it wouldn't have lasted a week.
If you still really want computer based language training, this is the best I've seen. I believe they've added a third level to the Spanish program which should make it more complete. The boxed edition is very pricey, but Rosetta Stone has an online version for which you can pay monthly. They also have sample lessons on the website.
I would recommend starting with an mp3 player and a good comprehensive audio course (Pimsleur or Platiquemos). Forget the computer programs, or use them as a supplement.
Rating: 
Summary: It'll improve your listening skills, but not much more
Review: Rosetta Stone Spanish lacks learning Spanish "drills." The Rossetta Stone Spanish lessons teach you how to speak Spanish using pictures. From my experience, you need drills in order to learn Spanish or to learn how to speak Spanish proficiently. Only drills will make you "think" quickly and sharply in Spanish. An example of a learning Spanish course that uses drills would be a learning Spanish plan with Spanish lessons that asks you questions, and then requires you to make your response in Spanish. The "drill" method is probably the most effective way to learn Spanish. Not a method that relies entirely on pictures such as Rosetta Stone Spanish. But the Rosetta Stone Spanish method can be useful if used in conjunction with another course that uses the drill method such as Learning Spanish Like Crazy or Pimsleur's Spanish.
However, one thing that I really like about the Rosetta Stone Spanish software is that the Spanish lessons have excellent sound quality. In a nutshell, the course is good if you want to improve your listening skills. But if you want to learn Spanish and improve your speaking skills, then you will need a Spanish course that actually teaches you how to speak Spanish and think in Spanish. For example, Learning Spanish Like Crazy or Pimsleur's Spanish lesson plan.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Excelent Program
Review: The Rosetta Stone product is a wonderful way to learn a language. It uses your intuition to teach you and you can choose whether you want to learn to speak, listen, or read and write. You may advance in one area more quickly than in others and more than one user can keep track of their scores. The ease of the program and the ability to quickly learn the language is wonderful. The only drawback to this program is that it does not start with conversational spanish. It also does not break down the verbs and grammar, etc. The books discuss these things, but you travel through the program and learn the way you would if you were having to hear the language (or read it). I love it and so does my 10 yr old. I am not a natural at languages, but have recommended this program to all of my friends. I also have dealt with the company and found them to be wonderful at tech support and in getting me answers to questions.
Rating:
Summary: Great for the Unconventional Learner
Review: The Rosetta Stone, Spanish Edition is fantastic! I am extremely happy with the results so far, and believe me, I am not at all gifted when it comes to learning foreign language. I took one year of high school Spanish and felt like I learned nothing by the end of the year. I've had this software for less than a month, but already I feel that I've learned so much. Most important of all, it's fun to use. The program uses colorful photos to help the learner associate these images with the words written and spoken on the screen. Some of the pictures are really funny too, which helps keep the interest level up. For example, today in chapter 3, I came across a photo of a midget clown putting on a pair of pants.
If you're looking for Spanish software, Rosetta Stone is the only way to go. But be advised, a Spanish dictionary alongside you is crucial since actual vocabulary definitions are not provided on the program. I use "Harper Collins Pocket Spanish Dictionary" which has thus far, provided me with every definition I've been looking for.
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