Rosetta Stone advice

GoodOmens

I've decided that this summer I need to study a language because I'll have a fair amount of free time. Maybe brush up on the Spanish I learned in high school, maybe seriously try learning Japanese for once, or maybe Irish for family heritage.

I'm finding myself learning toward getting Rosetta Stone, but I wanted to find out if anyone had experience with that system. As far as I can tell, it focuses largely or exclusively on the spoken language, not written (which, especially for Japanese, was my biggest problem), and I wonder if it's sufficiently flexible enough to allow natural improvisation in speech. Those concerns aside, when NASA and the State Department use it, that has to indicate something.

So, anyway...any ideas or advice is welcome. Thanks.

Wulf

I have the Japanese version of it, and I would recommend that you take advantage of their trial. I personally like the program (I have Ver. 2, they are up to Ver. 3 now) and am using it to get back to where I was after three years of not taking classes. It builds off a basic concept, such as boy, girl, dog, cat, then introduces stuff that adds to those basics.

CooterTKE

if you are close to a commmunity college look into their summer classes. I personally learn better in group then on my own.

Cauld

CooterTKE wrote: »

if you are close to a commmunity college look into their summer classes. I personally learn better in group then on my own.

This was going to be my advice. Also, price wise a semester of community college is comparable to Rosetta Stone (at least mine are).

Oz K. Fodrotski

The limiting factor would be availability of languages, between community college and software. While the learning environment would be superior at a school, you might be limited to a handful of European languages (French, Spanish, and German) leap to mind. Good luck finding a Gaelic or Irish teacher at a community college.

Wulf

Oz K. Fodrotski wrote: »

The limiting factor would be availability of languages, between community college and software. While the learning environment would be superior at a school, you might be limited to a handful of European languages (French, Spanish, and German) leap to mind. Good luck finding a Gaelic or Irish teacher at a community college.

Yeah, only reason I had Japanese at my school was due to the professor coming from Japan.

ihmmy

aww crap, here I thought you were gonna be asking about which dead language you should learn. I was gonna suggest cuneiform or mayan writing, they both look cool


anywho, yes, local language classes are best. You get to practise with real people, have your pronunciation and writing corrected by someone who knows it, plus you might also get to learn some of the slang/common expressions that are often skipped in solo programs

I think German is cool though, and more intuitive than Japanese is for the English speaker

Oz K. Fodrotski

ihmmy wrote: »

I think German is cool though, and more intuitive than Japanese is for the English speaker

To wit, having never taken a Western European language course came out in my favor when I studied Russian and Arabic -- languages so radically different from Spanish/German/French that experience in the latter three would have given me bad habits to shake in the former two.

Cauld

Wulf wrote: »

Oz K. Fodrotski wrote: »

The limiting factor would be availability of languages, between community college and software. While the learning environment would be superior at a school, you might be limited to a handful of European languages (French, Spanish, and German) leap to mind. Good luck finding a Gaelic or Irish teacher at a community college.

Yeah, only reason I had Japanese at my school was due to the professor coming from Japan.

My community college really surprised me with the languages they offered, so at least check online. Mine offers: Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic.

Wulf

ihmmy wrote: »

aww crap, here I thought you were gonna be asking about which dead language you should learn. I was gonna suggest cuneiform or mayan writing, they both look cool


anywho, yes, local language classes are best. You get to practise with real people, have your pronunciation and writing corrected by someone who knows it, plus you might also get to learn some of the slang/common expressions that are often skipped in solo programs

I think German is cool though, and more intuitive than Japanese is for the English speaker

Mayan is a bitch to write. Fun to read though.

Raere

Check out your local library's website. Rosetta Stone has an on-line version that some libraries have bought for their patrons' use online. I know mine has it, but they don't have Japanese.

Penguin_Otaku

I'm loking into this a well so maybe it will help me with my spanish classes 'm taking now.