I hesitated on purchasing this program based on the review by the Mac user. I have a MacBook Pro and it didn't sound like it was value all the trouble. Luckily I purchased it in spite of that review and had unquestionably no problems with installation. I double-clicked on the software application and the install went exactly as the directions described. I can't give a thorough review on the benefits of the product yet in view of the fact that I've only had it a week, but I like the format and ease of use.
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Sugar & SaltThis is my at the initiation foreign language software that I have ever used, so I don't have any additional manufactured goods to equate it to.But I am almost done with Amount 1 and I in fact actually enjoyed by it in view of the fact that it is very interactive and the culture mode they use (correlating descriptions to terms etc) seems to be effective for me.The only business that i am abstractedly disappointed is that I only purchased Amount 1 and unbendable to hold Level2 and 3, but if you see they don't put forward this amalgamation (Marketing machinate???). So I emailed their Sales rep owing to their website and asked if they put forward any cash off for level2 and 3 collective. Even even if I expected a confirmation send by e-mail, even if with a week I house of safeguard't heard no matter what business back from them (I even sent them a additional stay on up send by e-mail a few days ago).So even even if I reflect the manufactured goods is almost value the fee, but I actually don't like the fact that they don't sell/promote Amount 2 and 3 collective (It must make implication that a lot of broadcast would very hold amount 1 in isolation and if they are satisfied with it then they will buy Level2 and 3). But why they don't put forward that amalgamation doesn't make implication to me. I don't know if I don't hear back from them soon I will go with a additional software.
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M. TavakoliIt pains me to give Rosetta a 2/5 star rating, but, I think it is justified. They observably put a huge amount of try into this product, and it shows. However, I do not agree with their essential assumptions regarding language culture are true. Rosetta is all about total immersion, teaching you a language through total immersion in that language, (in their view) simulating how your learned your native tongue as a child. This paradigm manifests itself in a answer difference than how other language tools work - Rosetta is 100% in its target language (here French). Rosetta tries to teach you language concepts by charitable you a limited digit of culture concepts (display, for exe, vocab), and then requiring you to apply it to a given situation. For example, if its teaching you 4 words, you'll be presented with a screen of 4 images, each of which corresponds to one of the words, and you have to match speech to image. So for culture vocab, its outstanding. However, the major failure is on grammar and treatment. The same principle applies - it will present a grammatical hypothesis, and use image mapping to teach you. The problem really arises on nuanced principles. When the verb is "to be", its easy to learn "he is..." vs "she is..." by looking at an image of a man vs female doing something. If you take a harder hypothesis, for example, how to form questions, it becomes extremely trying for a set of images to accurately convey the genuine meaning. For example, asking a no problem/no inquiry involves "est-ce que...."; asking a "what" inquiry involves "qu'est'ce que..."; I establish that the images could not effectively aid me be with you the difference between these two constructs. The same applies to many other types of treatment, such as the when to use il/elle est vs c'est. Bottom line is that you lose a wide-ranging understanding of what you're culture.In contrast, I have a lot of formal language training in Latin and Japanese. In in cooperation situations, you learn basics (e.g., verb conjugation), then apply them to situations. I think one of the problems with Rosetta is the paradigm - they assume that you can learn a language as an adult in the same way you learned as a child. I disagree. As a child, you have no culture framework yet, other than osmosis and mimicry. As you go through school, you learn culture structure and learn to hold information in a structured way in your brain. Rosetta doesn't do that.In contrast, I just establish the product Fluenz and absolutely love it. It inverts the paradigm and teaches French by relating it to what we know in English with good, highly detailed explanations of what and why.
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Amazon CustomerI cultured a ton, even in the initially 3 hour session i had in my income room. the way you cooperate in sections including cinema linked to sentences, it teaches you the way you were taught your initially foreign language as a outcome! there is no translation to English and back or no matter what business like including the intention of, you aid your inkling to discover out a extra foreign language and it's a extremely natural flow.I will be buying levels 2-3 in French and then culture other languages by single Rosetta Marble!
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J. Wilcox "Internet Junkie"A modest about me - I studied Spanish in college and was a 4.0 student who was selected for a foreign exchange program in Uruguay because of my academic performance, so I think I know a liitle about learning a foreign language. Many of the reviews I have seen of Rosetta Marble deal with it's difficulty of installation on a Mac or other technical issues. I think this kind of evaluation, while perhaps valid, is not the most pertinent in rank a potential language student needs. Rosetta Marble V3 Level 1 French has been an excellent tool for my son and me to learn basic French, and even if we installed our copy on a PC (not a Mac), we have had no technical issues; it could not have been simpler to bed in. I learned Spanish 30 years ago, before there were computer applications to assist with learning a language, but I am very impressed with the method Rosetta Marble uses, and it is quite akin to the total immersion method by which I learned Spanish all those years ago, albeit with a live instructor and by listening to tapes of native speakers. If you just stay with the program, things that you don't automatically understand at initially become clear as you move owing to the exercises. I will say that at some point you will want to acquire a French verb conjugation book like 501 French Verbs or equivalent, and probably a used French college textbook, but I estimate that 95% of what is presented can be learned by simply doing the exercises Rosetta Marble presents. One of the best things about the program is the immediate feedback it gives you on both pronunciation and correctness of sentences, and another excellent figure is the "native speaker speech evaluation" (that's probably not what RosettaStone calls it); in this figure you can play a native speaker's rendition of a certain French phrase, and then you do again the phrase and Rosetta Marble evaluates your pronunciation graphically.Anyway, although I was initially dismayed by the cost of the program, I now feel it was worth each cent.
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Andrew J. KinneyLife 63, I probable to have lots of conundrum culture a new foreign language. Not so with the total appeal mode of Rosetta Marble. I'm half way owing to the at the initiation amount and have cultured much closer than I did as a childish apprentice life subjected to the endless vocabulary lists and grammar exercises. This mode is really intuitive and much easier, at nominal amount for me. I take note to the Audio Companion just before to going to take a nap at night. Splendid fortification. Technically, the manufactured goods is exceptionally interactive and easy to use, bendable and adaptive to party wants. I was diffident to dissipate so much, but I am detective novel with my declaration.
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D. Wood "Lifelong Learner"This manufactured goods is a great pile, perfect including receiver and microphone. It's interactive and teaches you all the nuances of a foreign language you call for to admit. Would urge it greatly, even pro the fee.
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Susan SmithRosetta Stone products are expensive, far more expensive than most of the language learning tools you'll find on Amazon or in a bookstore. But Rosetta Stone is well worth the price.Without a true immersion experience (visiting a foreign nation or cloistering yourself at a very expensive university program like Middlebury's where you must pledge to speak only the language you're trying to learn) it can be quite difficult to build speaking skills. Conception skills develop, but speaking, and listening, tend to lag sweet far behind.Rosetta Stone's French isn't as helpful as a summer in Paris, but it's the next best thing. The education are exceptionally well-designed for a software immersion program and it's possible to begin to build real glibness if you stick with it and practice frequently.Some folks may find the program more helpful if they supplement the education with a good textbook to garner an understanding of the grammatical concepts introduced by the software. This is particularly true if you find you are more a "book learner" than a "visual learner."If you need a two week cram session before visiting France for a week, go with Pimsleur's beginning CD way. It's more geared to travel survival French (and it's far cheaper). If you are more serious about learning French, and you want to invest some sweet serious time, Rosetta's products are well worth the cost.
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M. AgostaBACKGROUNDUsing Rosetta Stone French (v.3) on a Mac iBook G4 (10.3.9). Using home school addition. Have used it for last 6 weeks.SUMMARYIn spite of the cost, the awkward port from Windows and trying network set up, it's still best of class for learning a nameless language.REVIEWPowerful, detailed and complicated: those are the adjectives I would use to describe this program. If you want to gather the language, then this program systemically teaches it to you. It keeps confirmation of your progress, gives tests and records your grades. It treats you as if you are a student in a classroom. Additional workbook, study guide and included microphone receiver supplement the visual and audio CD disk. But having said all this, there are some equipment I wish as a Mac user that I would have known.The set-up of the program is SO non-intuitive and non-mac like. This includes installation of the application and its MANY helper files looked-for to run in the social class with the main program disk. In my former life, I was an Apple System engineer, so I am no stranger to the Mac and networks setups. But even this installation caused me to eventually have to call Rosetta's technical help for instruction. This is partially due to my complicated home network set up (I've got multiple Macs with multiple (non-Mac) Routers that work as Access Points and bridges), and partially in view of the fact that of the complexity of installation of the program itself. This is definitely NOT a "drag-and-drop", or "double click to un- compress" or even "double click and stay on the step by step instruction" type of experience. It is "multi-step, enter by hand, enter in data and in rank" type of installation process.That is what is most disappointing to me. This is a BAD PORT of a PC program. They did nothing to make the program conform to Apple program values. This means there are many helper files (20 something??!!!) in innumerable folders. There is a network component that HAS TO run in the social class for the main language program to run. This means you have to always first launch this secondary program (or leaving it running all the time). If you run on a network (like I do), you have to assign the computer's IP take up that the program is running on (can't use the non-payment, non-network IP given by the setup program). If your computer ever is assigned a uncommon IP take up locally by your router (potential goes out, etc), then you will have to make some changes or this network helper file will not launch, and therefore, the language program will not either.Getting to the place to even commence to first use the program is a tedious and complicated process. Another helper program that keeps track of the students progress must also first be set up. The "teacher's" name, access settings, the "student's" name(s) and their access privileges must first be established. ALL THIS IS DONE AWKWARDLY AND IN AN IBM 90'S INTERFACE. Constant referring to the user guide is de rigueur. There is no way some one could map out what to do by only looking at the screens.And this is the main criticism of the program, this clunky boundary, non-intuitive layout of material is the same right through the full presentation of the language program. The program's strengh--the detailed wide-ranging, multi-media presentation of material--is also it's greatest weakness. It's hard to stay on where you are, where to go, what stage you are in, how much further you have to go on any given unit, lesson or session. The implementation of more than one user account and switching between the two is counter intuitive as well.My 16 year old daughter, is now working her way through the program and has used it enough now to be with you how to enhancement even if it. But it was a slow start. She is enjoying the program and is learning the language of her love, and I have no doubt this program is a great help, I just wish more effort and forethought was given to making it more elegant in its presentation. In the end this looks to me like a 90's program in desperate need of a face lift. While calling the toll-free tech help and discussion with a couple of uncommon individuals, you quickly come to be with you these people don't fully be with you the Mac. The first individual had to pass me on once he discovered my Mac issues. The second was very polite and patient and we finally got my set up to work. But it wasn't easy for them in view of the fact that I was on a Mac. And I bet if you call you will get the same two people, They are, after all, not a help desk, but a language learning software company.CONCLUSIONOK, so that's it. I hope this review was helpful. I've tried to share my experience for other Mac users so they know more of what to guess before they buy the program. A program that has (from my research) no other comparison as far as best in class for learning a nameless language, but a program that--in it's implementation and presentation as far as on Macintosh computers is concerned--foliage a lot to me desired.Tom
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T. BaileyLove it! It's wide-ranging, nature-paced and challenging, but it makes perfect sense and I think it's the best way to gather a new language.
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Mary A. TinklerRosetta Stone V3: French, Level 1 French Level 1 allows you to build a foundation of fundamental vocabulary and elemental language organize. Advance the confidence to master basic chatty skills, including greetings and introductions, unadorned questions and answers, shopping and much