Rosetta Stone Spanish Personal Edition Level 1 (Latin America)

Rating:
Summary: Overpriced
Review: This is a good program and method overall but the price is just too high in my opinion. I would recomend taking a look at Spanish Now by Transparent Language which is also has a good method and a very good program but much more affordable.

Rating:
Summary: expected more for that price...
Review: This program is a very good at thrusting you into a spanish speaking environment, but I think some supplemental materials are necessary. There is no documentation with this program, no vocabulary references - nothing. After a few weeks using this program I finally went out to buy a few books to help me out.

Rating:
Summary: For anyone learning Spanish, this program is a must.
Review: This program was a dream to use. I admit, I too was very skeptical about paying
So much for any piece of language software, but now after moving through the program, I see just how powerful the technique is. ... ... The Rosetta Stone software is much different, they guarantee your unconditional success, and if you don't achieve it, you return the software. That was enough to sell me. Also, if you need more proof, it's the same software the U.S. State department uses, as well as many other language schools throughout the world, with great customer service.
The most unique and most baffling aspect of the program is the fact that there's no grammar. For most who have tried venturing into a new language, doing so without grammar seems way too good to be true, but I'm living proof, it does work. More times than not, I felt frustrated that no translation was provided, but this forced me to pay attention more to the slight differences, and I think helped me pick up the language quicker. I used to think that was a terrible idea, it was indeed very frustrating, but since there's only four pictures to choose from, it won't take too much time for you to figure things out, repetition it a must, and your new vocabulary will stay with you for a long time. Also a plus, the program is simple to use, and very basic, no reading a long technical manual here. Recommend
As you can see, I strongly believe the program excels on all levels, but now, on to the things that weren't so great. The lack of a grammar book of some sort could be a major set back for those who get frustrated easily. Like I said before, the program is very simple and easy to use. This is also a drawback, yes, I like being able to understand the interface but, where were the sides games, I felt like the program was missing something in that area. Also, I feel the whole issue about the pronunciation meter is a little strange. In this program, you can talk to it through a microphone and it will tell you how fluent you sound. Seems fair enough but, there are many different ways to pronounce Spanish. There's the way they speak in Spain, in Latin America, (Mexico standing out as well) and different in southern America. The differences sometimes might seem subtle, but why not have the program address this with different speakers for different regions? Also, as a male, I found it difficult to pronounce words like the female orator. I don't know why they didn't record a male and a female version from which I could choose for everything.
This program is wonderful, with its minor faults. The most important thing I could say is, it is the best you'll find out there for now. No book, tutor, or [less expensive] software even comes close. I advise you buy the software and dedicate yourself to it for at least 30 minutes for ten days. The more you put into it, the more you will get out. If at that point you feel it's not working, send it back. I promise you'll be glad you tried it. I hope you achieve your language learning goals. ...

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as I was expecting
Review: This programs is good listening practice,and offers somewhat useful speech practice, and writing practice, but thats about it. There is no grammar practice at all. In Spanish this is critical. Learning verb conjugations are boring, but you simple have to understand them, same with pronouns ect. The Speech practice and writing exercises are simple repeating, and writing the Spanish you hear. This will do little for your ability to speak, because your going to have to translate the English to Spanish in your head, and vis versa. How can you say anything If you don't know for sure what the words and phrases mean.This is the way children learn right. (...). Want to say I want this or I need that, your out of luck, because this program does not show, or explain how. Everything in this course is third person. You get ton's of the boys are jumping, the girls are running ect. If you go to a Spanish speaking country how useful is this going to be? Like your going to strike up a conversation about someone else with a native Spanish speaker? No verb conjucations for I, you, we!!! A small problem considering you will use these verb conjucations at least 70-80% of the time in the present tense.If you get this course you need a dictionary, a verb conj. book, and if you can afford it the pimseur series, or Barron's FSI (IF you don't have the money). After about half way into the course I stopped, because I felt like I was on a vocabulary treadmill, learning new vocabulary words and little else. That's when I orders some good workbooks like Spanish the Easy way, The the practice makes perfect books, and wishing I would have bought these books first, as I use them and the pimsleur course, and put this course on the backburner. Anyway I will say that sadly this course is by far the best software program available for learning languages, but it's lacking and way overpriced for what you will get out of them. If you want to learn how to speak the language this is not the course for you. If you want to work on listening comprehention, and vocabulary building than you may like it.

Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful
Review: This will not work for you as the first or only program for learning Spanish. It is great as a supplement to other methods of learning Spanish. The method is entirely intuitive - there is no English anywhere, so you may also want to have a dictionary and a grammar book.

I have found Rosetta Stone language programs most useful for reviewing the information I have learned elsewhere, for brushing up on languages I haven't used for a while, and for expanding vocabulary.

It may not be the best choice for total beginners, but you can learn a lot by associating words and expressions with the images and occasional mini videos. I do consider it definitely a worthwhile purchase.


Rating:
Summary: All the work is in a little-used tense. What good is that?
Review: Unfortunately this course uses the present progressive tense throughout, where as in real life, the present indicative is usually the tense most commonly used. The present progressive tense indicates that the action is in progress right now, e.g. I am eating (now), He is jumping (now). In Spanish the present progressive tense is quite restricted and is usually limited to what a person is doing RIGHT NOW. The present progressive is formed by conjuagting the appropriate ending of one verb,the verb estar, and adding the gerund of the appropritate verb. Some examples from the course might be: Los muchachos están saltando (The boys are jumping (right now); El niño está corriendo, (The boy is running) etc. It's kind of like the old Dick and Jane stuff. The point is, you get a lot of work with the verb "estar" and a lot of work with the gerund (the "ing" form )of other verbs, but little else. This is a cop out and it is not the way people speak.

The present indicative is much more versatile tense and is the most commonly used tense in the spanish language (The present progressive, on the other hand, is little used). The present indicative can be used just like the present progressive, it can be used to express the future (e.g. Voy mañana, I'm leaving tomorrow), it can be used to express a polite command (e.g. Me trae un cafe, por favor--bring me a coffee, please. In most instances this simple command form is considered much more polite than using the imperative mood (Me trae...is all you'll ever need in a restaurant). The present indicative tense refers to the specific now (as does the present progressive), but it also refers to the general now (these days, this time period, e.g., I live in the U.S.; I'm going to the store, I'm studying Spanish (This is a good example that shows clearly what I'm talking about--I'm studying Spanish now, yesterday and tomorrow--an ongoing "studying" of Spanish--Estudio español (present indicative) as opposed to estoy estudiando español--I've got the book open in front of me and that's what I'm doing at this very moment.

With this program you learn the endings to the verb estar, learn the gerund of a couple hundred verbs and bingo, you're talking spanish. It's easy--no learning all those separate endings for all those verbs, no learning irregular verbs, etc. The problem is, it ain't the way people talk. This is such an egregious error, it's so impractical, that I'm surprised they continue to sell the program without correcting the problem. Technically, I think the program is well done (except this is a windows based program without a minimize button--what's that about?) -- anyway, two stars for technical aspects --sound quality, pictures, etc.