Customer Rating: 
Summary: A Different Way to Learn Language
Comment: I opted to study French when I was in grade school, but I have always been interested in learning the Spanish language. This set is very well thought out and comes with everything you need, except for the computer of course. '-) It also gets an extra star because it it Mac OS X compatible!
I've been using this for a few weeks and although I am not yet a fluent Spanish speaker yet, I think that the Rosetta Stone's techniques, along with a good deal of practice, can have a committed person learning the language in a very short time.
So slap on the included headset (it allows the program to evaluate your pronunciation), and Aprenderemos hablar español!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Easy to Install and Comprehensive
Comment: First things first - I was able to easily install the software following the directions provided. This is somewhat significant in that my DH is a technical person and I've done very little of this on my own. Of note is that 600 mb is needed for each of the Language Levels. I did struggle and had to ask for help installing the headset/microphone, but the techie had little difficulty and I'll admit I surrendered to offered help too quickly and believe I may have been able to do that on my own as well. I write this only for those of you who may be intimidated by programs and are hesitant to buy something for fear you won't be able to figure out how to install and use it.
I'll confess I haven't gotten very far at all with the program and can't tell you that I feel confident I'll be understanding written and spoken Spanish and speaking it fluently any time soon - but I do have hope that this program is what help me improve beyond my current very minimal level. Incidentally, you have the option of modifying your lessons so that you can choose to learn speaking only, speaking and listening, speaking, reading and listening, etc., although they recommend selecting it all. I was tempted to select speaking only, but decided if I was going to do this, I may as well do it thoroughly. Finding the time is going to be the biggest challenge, but I have been heartened by the relatively short - 30 minutes - time for each lesson I've encountered so far in Level 1.
I find the immersion concept of teaching to be an interesting one and am hopeful their methods will be effective. I especially like the use of images as I think that serves as visual reinforcement and greatly assists in remembering. I'll update my review as I make progress with the program and see how well I'm absorbing and retaining what I'm taught. So far, I've been impressed with everything I've encountered. I was very concerned that I may not follow through with the program, but I have found it to be an appealing way to try to learn something new in a new way at an age when my learning skills are rusty.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: ¡Una diversión y una manera lista de aprender!
Comment: This is the perfect learning software for me. I learn best by doing, and you certainly are doing a lot here. This is far better than any books or cds you could ever buy. And in some ways, it could very well be better than a classroom.
You are in full control of your learning and you do it without worrying about remembering a lesson. You do each lesson feeling like you just forgot everything, and then realize days later, you know phrases for situations in your life, or simple items that you come across. It is highly impressive.
The difference here is all visual. You see a boy eating an ice cream cone, and you know how to communicate anything that could relate to the sex and age of a person, the act of eating, food and the amounts or sizes etc. The program refreshes a variation later on, which could be a woman drinking soda, and you know the difference with the appropriate and specific communication.
You interact in many ways with the program, including speech recognition. It will even pause until you say the phrase correctly. All of a sudden, you are presented photos, no words, and if it's a girl walking a dog... you are speaking spanish telling the program what you are looking at.
This is great for any age, and I highly recommend it for children. It should be in all schools as well. I have no attention span to speak of, but this kept me going, wanting to learn more. I still have more to go, but I hope to afford the Italian version as soon as I can... which leads to the only negative aspect... the price.
For the most part, it's worth the price, but, not fair for most. If this is way out of your reach, please try your local library. Otherwise, it is worth the investment.
Product cosmetics need to be revamped. The box could be library ready without stickers and tape ripping the outer carton. And the inside is poorly constructed to hold the disc due to the slot for the headphones that will never go in the box again. For the amount of money, the storage box should be more functional.
I have tried several recorded language programs before. This is by far the best.
Customer Rating:
Summary: John McCain would say: "Como Estais, Amigos!" ...
Comment:
I live in an area where Rosetta Stone heavily markets their products to the aging and retiring baby-boomers that have all been told by their General Physicians to start studying a new language to help stave of the onset of Alzheimer's. Being 36 years old myself, I have yet to worry about that just yet.
At nearly four hundred dollars though, the entry price on this is a bit of a downer. When you look at things in terms of price points, that kind of money, in this economy -- doesn't bode well. I'm reminded of a quote by Matt Damon in the film Good Will Hunting:
"You dropped a hundred and fifty grand on an education you coulda' picked up for a dollar fifty in late charges at the Public Library."
Yes, your local public library probably has a multitude of learning materials for learning Spanish. A language that is still difficult, but definitely not as difficult as Chinese. If you live in the United States, you would also be hard pressed not to be able to find, or even know, and be friends with some folks who either speak Spanish fluently or do so as native speakers. The Spanish language is so ubiquitous in the US now, a person could almost learn the language just from riding the city bus.
So, the point I'm making here is a simple one. Do you need to drop $400 to learn Spanish? The answer is simple. No. I think of Rosetta Stone like a gym membership. They're expensive and often tedious to pay, but worth it only if you use it.
The product itself is quite good though, if you already have moved past any concerns of money. The system Rosetta Stone employs is state of the art, as they say, and they do their best to immerse you into the language immediately. It really is unlike any other Spanish Language program that's out there for the purchase. So there really is no comparison.
Having been a previous customer with the Rosetta Stone Japanese 1,2,3 ... I was pleased to sharpen my skills in Spanish. Both of them are a fantastic product to say the least.
I give it four stars. One minus for the price.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable Program of Learning Spanish
Comment: Rosetta Stone represents an easy and fun process of relating words and speech to images....without any English translation at all. Learning Spanish is fast, effective and as fun as playing a game but, you are also learning the language at the same time!
It is the same way you learned your language as a child.
Calling it "Dynamic Immersion" with four dynamic strategies, which are: intuition, interactivity, instruction and images.
All aspects of learning the language is by simple activities. Beginning with the nouns, verbs and other basics.
Pronunciation, through speech analysis and recognition. Using repetition and correction until the pronunciation of words and phrases are perfected. There is even an advanced speech analysis graph that you can compare your speech to the "native speaker". The speech recognition software is an outstanding accomplishment.
I started with level 1 course "speaking and listening" and I was off learning Spanish. Under each level there are many "units" to practice and learn. There are 3 levels altogether to work through. After completing the course work there are 3 levels of audio companion (4 cd's each level) to help you practice what you have learned in Rosetta Stone version 3 software.
Through The Rosetta Stone, learning a new language is not a heavy task. Anyone can and will learn just by following the program.
I highly recommend this for one who needs to learn Spanish in a short amount of time.
Rosetta Stone Personal Edition contains everything you need to start learning a language. It's built around our award-winning Rosetta Stone curriculum, which has been adopted by organizations around the world including the U.S. Army, NASA, major corporations such as Deutsche Telecom, IKEA, Royal Dutch Shell, and over 10,000 schools worldwide--and is available in 31 languages spoken by over 90% of the world's population. | The comprehensive language-learning solution that fits your life. 
Learn Naturally
Learn your next language the same way you learned your first language. Dynamic Immersion empowers you to see, hear and comprehend without translating or memorizing. You already have this ability, Rosetta Stone simply unlocks it. Engage Interactively
Get feedback to move forward. You learn best by doing, and you'll apply what you've learned to get to the next step. Rosetta Stone adapts to your individual needs and skills, because you drive the program with your progress. Speak Confidently
Start speaking immediately. From the very first lesson, you'll speak. You'll begin with essential basics, which form the building blocks of the language. Soon you'll create new sentences on your own using words you've learned. Have Fun
Best of all, Rosetta Stone is addictive. With every entertaining activity, you'll feel success. You'll want to use Rosetta Stone to have that next moment, that next breakthrough. So you'll keep using it, and you'll learn more! | The Fastest, Easiest Way to Learn a New Language Proceed at Your Own Pace
Rosetta Stone is considerate of your time. Anytime, anywhere, you can learn a new language with Rosetta Stone. You learn comfortably without feeling pressured or overwhelmed. Rosetta Stone provides guidance to make your language learning effective, fast, and enjoyable with a process that is intuitive, interactive, and visually engaging. At the end of each lesson, you are given the opportunity to test your new skills. And, since Rosetta Stone automatically records your progress, you can easily pick up where you left off, when other priorities arise. Make Language Learning Intuitive with Dynamic Immersion
Rosetta Stone uses rich visual imagery to help you learn. You will be presented with sets of images to match correctly with a spoken or written phrase in the new language. You will advance to the next set of prompts once you've successfully matched words and images and pronounced the words correctly. With Dynamic Immersion, you learn by directly associating your new language with images--nothing is lost in translation. Fun, Easy, and Immediate Reinforcement
Interactive exercises create a learning environment that is engaging and game-like--it's fun! How It Works As children, we gradually learned our first language through a process of associating mental images with words or phrases, accompanied by complete immersion in our environment. This approach was simple because it was natural and allowed the brain to adapt to increasing complexity. Rosetta Stone recreated this natural way of learning by developing a method that uses a computer to mimic the environment in which we learned our first language. We call this Dynamic Immersion. A simple, intuitive interface and advanced technology confirms learning at every step of the process by prompting you to make connections between images you already understand and the new language. You receive immediate feedback, which helps you to reinforce learning. This systematic structure builds from simple nouns and verbs to more complex concepts and phrases very quickly, helping you achieve your language-learning goals faster than you ever thought possible. Level 1, 2 & 3--Connect With the World Connect with the world around you. Build a foundation of fundamental vocabulary and essential language structure. Quickly gain the confidence to enjoy social interactions such as greetings and introductions, travel, dining out, giving and getting directions, shopping and other recreational activities. Learn to share your ideas and opinions, express your feelings and talk about everyday life, your work, your interests, current events, and much more. Features & Benefits Faster and More Effective
Rosetta Stone will teach you as fast as you can learn! Leveraging your natural language-learning ability, Version 3 immerses you immediately in the new language, providing just the right context to prompt you to speak, pronounce, read and write in the very first lesson! Intuitive, sequential learning builds progressively and makes every lesson count. Our Dynamic Immersion method is so fast and so effective, it's used by the Fortune 500, the U.S. State Department, and over 10,000 schools. Convenient
You pick the time, the place and the pace! We are ready when you are because there are no class schedules or missed lessons to make up. From your desk or your dining room, your valuable time can be turned into productive language learning that fits your lifestyle. Enjoyable
When something is fun, it captures your attention...and holds it! The interactivity in Version 3 instantly engages you. Rich, vivid imagery, real-life context and voices of native speakers make Rosetta Stone different from any other product out there--never tedious or boring. Rosetta Stone provides a captivating, game-like experience. Milestones
Learn and apply! Our MILESTONE feature lets you try out your new language knowledge in real-life situations. Track Your Progress
New ADAPTIVE RECALL feature tracks your progress, reinforcing your strengths and revisiting your development areas. New Speech Recognition Technology
State-of-the-art new speech recognition technology helps you learn to speak your new language even faster. And our new Speech Analysis Tool compares your voice to that of native speakers, helping you perfect your pronunciation. Life-like Context
Our New CONTEXTUAL FORMATION feature uses real-life simulations and vivid imagery to give you exactly the context you need to produce new language--all on your own! Level 1, 2 & 3 Set Includes: The Basics
Nouns, verbs, adjectives, numbers, questions, colors, clothing. Friends and Family
Ages, family relations, household items, introductions, landmarks, states, descriptions. Work and School
Times of day, greetings, calendar terms, body parts, speaking, personal hygiene. Shopping
Buying, selling and shopping; entertainment and sports; merchandise, speed and weight, comparing and contrasting. Travel
Destinations, transportation, directions, locations, telling time, distance, cost, weather. Past and Future
Tenses, letter writing, school subjects, signs, workplace terms, polite requests. Friends and Social Life
Months of the year, arrivals and departures, social interaction, celebrations, meal courses, quality terms, apologies. Dining and Vacation
Future tense; terms for art, architecture and music; emotions, places of worship, travel and lodging. Home and Health
Terms for home, garden and backyard activities; household items and appliances; terms for strength and physical activity. Life and World
Emotions, continents, life milestones, oceans, botanical terms, terms for animals. Places and Events
Opinion and judgments, currency exchange and transactions; measurements, household repair tools, culinary terms. Talking About the World
Nationalities, governmental leaders, political terms, media terms, business terms, religious terms. Doing things!  Audio Companion allows you to take Rosetta Stone anywhere: in the car, the gym or on-the-go. | Audio Companion--Taking Rosetta Stone to the Next Level Introducing Audio Companion from Rosetta Stone, the newest enhancement to the world's #1 language-learning software! It's a great addition to the Rosetta Stone experience, allowing you to take Rosetta Stone anywhere: in the car, the gym or on-the-go! What is Audio Companion?
Audio Companion CD-ROMs enhance language learning anytime, anyplace. You can learn new skills on the computer, and then reinforce them with Audio Companion. Play the CDs on a stereo, or download them to a MP3 Player and go! Enhance the Rosetta Stone Learning Experience
Audio Companion activities correspond to Rosetta Stone CD-ROM software lessons. You can listen to Audio Companion and practice what you've been learning, turning travel time into productive language learning time. Extend Study Time
Now, you don't have to stop learning when you leave your computer. Audio Companion lets you access lessons whenever and wherever you want. It empowers you, and works within your busy lifestyle! Build Vocabulary and Pronounce Words and Phrases
Audio Companion features distinct words and shorter phrases to make them easier to hear and repeat. Build good enunciation habits by hearing native speakers pronounce them first. Speak and Converse
The speaking portion of Audio Companion lets you listen to questions and answers, repeating them to use later. To help them build your conversation skills, first you'll listen to a conversation and then repeat phrases individually.
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