Learning a Foreign language
 

Have any of you tried the Rosetta Stone foreign language programs?

I have not. I have looked around at language learning aids, and the stuff from Pimsleur seems to be highly rated in reviews.

I think a big part of it revolves around your desire/drive to learn. Another key is if you have the opportunity to practice much in daily life.

What language are you trying to learn? Makes a difference.

Yes, and although I knew Italian for living with my parents and family, I never learned proper Italian only dialect. The Rosetta Stone really helped when my wife and I went to Italy to visit. It bolstered the proper usage and added countless new verbs and pharses. I think it definitley helped.

I had dinner with a buddy last week whose wife is from France and so he bought Rosetta Stone to start learning French. He said it's pretty good and will work if you put the time in. But I think it's not cheap. IIRC, he said it was $350.

I'd like to get Mandarin, but don't know where to start. I don't need to start from scratch. I did a few courses already, but couldn't get to the third level because I was the only person to sign up for it, so they canceled it. Happened twice, so I stopped.

any local, native-speaking tutors, rick?

I think Fluenz is better than Rosetta Stone, at least for Mandarin.

Yes, my wife. But we're both lazy. Got another China trip coming up, so I need to hone the chops a little.

I NEED to learn spanish.... Took it in HS, but hated the teacher... Can't seem to get it into my schedule in college.

Ha, in some parts of America isn't English a foreign language? Hell.... I know it is in some parts of Sydney!

Yeah, Central and South America other then that, no.

A couple things on Rosetta Stone. Agree, how well it works depends on how much time you put in. I also found it helped my pronunciation, but beware to get the level that corresponds to your current level. If you've never touched the language before, Level 1/2 are great, but if you've had any more than that consider higher levels...just don't assume you have to start at Level 1. The other thing, and Rosetta Stone will make you very clear on this, you don't really own the software but are buying a license for use. If you try to sell the software to someone else, they'll give you a thousand reasons why that's illegal. Also, the license is only for 2 machines only. From that standpoint, I've not been happy. If I spend $300 on software, my expectation is to sell it to someone else when I'm done...along with the license, etc. Unfortunately, Rosetta Stone doesn't see it that way.

I took 3 years of French in college and did a study abroad in Quebec, I tried Rosetta Stone Level 3 last year and it was really easy!

I was acing the tests...I was expecting it to be harder. Good thing I was only borrowing it.

Speaking of cost, I was under the impression that the online (non-disc) version was cheaper, or is that no longer the case?

Anyway, the good thing about it is that you see and you hear it, I think it would stay in your memory fairly easily.

Of course, nothing beats knowing a native speaker.

mandarin would be tough.

my wife is teaching me. i'm not that lazy, and i practice making the sounds. those five "tones" are a beaatch! some of the sounds you need to make seemed impossible. like cirque de soliel for my tongue. the "T" sound, and the "Z" sound should have never been put together..ever.

like everything, i pick up the slang, and cute sayings better than anything else.

Learning Spanish in college would be like a German learning English at Harvard and then going to the hills of Kentucky to talk to the miners.