Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Buy this right now!
I was interested in learning Latin, and my high school only offers Spanish and French. I resolved to learn it on my own, and this product was invaluable. It was amazing how fast I picked up Latin! Within a couple of weeks of study, the language seemed to flow off my tongue. Buying this product is the single most important step you can take to learning Latin. My only criticism is that there isn't a Latin II product to continue my studies. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Jumpstart Advanced toddler
We bought this as a Christmas present for our son that just turned 2. We were looking for an educational computer game for him and we already had Reader Rabbit Toddler (which he loves). When I first started Jumpstart Adv. Toddler I thought it was way too simple, then I discovered that most activities have 2 levels. Level 1 is pretty basic and doesn't require the kids to do a whole lot...my son was very bored with this. Level 2 is much better...in fact it is more advanced than Reader Rabbit. Most of the activities do not require toddlers to click on the mouse, but if you can click it goes faster. I was surprised by how fast my son figured out the activities. He can do most everything by himself, but he still needs me to help him navigate some. This package comes with 3 cd's - school time, song time and art time. THe song time cd has several fun songs that he just loves. Overall I really like this game and have found it to be very educational. As soon as my son has mastered clicking the mouse we will be getting the preschool version.

JumpStart Study Helpers Math Booster
Knowledge Adventure's Jump Start Study Helpers Math Booster... is another real winner for all children in grades 1st-5th - like is partner - Knowledge Adventure's Jump Start Study Helpers Spelling Bee - this program has cute, fast paced, great music and sound three styles of arcade-like games to teach your children their math facts - no more boring math flash cards - learn math on a fast paced pinball machine, or arrange math facts for the the "burpers" or "smack" space ships and and space rocks to get correct answers to math problems - fast and fun - even for an old Grandma, me - all games are controled using the arrow keys and space bar excep to the outer space game where you shoot with a mouse - like the Spelling Bee it has over 800 pre-programmed math problems - all basic subjects are covered - addition, subtraction, muliplication, division, decimals and percentages in SIX different leveals - will auto advance at your child's own speed - on screen instructions for everything - also, like its partner, Jump Start Study Helpers Spelling Bee - you can program your child's "real" weekly math problems in to this program so they can learn their "real" weekly school math lessons in a fun arcade style of learning - you will love it for the small price tag - your children will love it for all of the fun they will have - and you will love it even more when your child brings home a A+ grade on their report card in Math. The [low price] is "right" - please buy it - once again this old Grandma is happy to be able to send my first grader, and my second grader back to school this year with this GREAT study tool. Knowledge Adventure can be very proud of these two programs ther Jump Start Study Helpers Math Booster and their Jump Start Study Helpers Spelling Bee - buy them both and enjoy!
A very pleased Grandmother,
Jacqueline Lee Wilson

JumpStart Spanish a winner
My 5 year old loves her new JumpStart Spanish program. She has learned to count in spanish and her colors so far. Very fun games and rewards. She is really picking things up fast. We have not had any real computer problems, it has locked up once, but that has happened on other software as well. The sound works well. For the price I would recommend this as a beginning spanish program.

My daughter simply loves it!!!!
My 2 year old loves this set of CDs. I found that it reinforces all the things we are teaching her.... shapes, colors, numbers the ABC. The duck that sings is very sweet to their ear. I found it sooo great I am buying it for my daughter's school so the other kids can benefit as well.

Jump Start 4TH GRADE ADVANCED
I rented this software from the Library. It is a 3 disc program. My 3rd grader (almost 4th grader) loves the Ultimate Field Trips and Mystery Club volume 3. The fundamentals disc is a little too hard for her right now, so it is challenging. I played it because it looked fun and it was fun for me to play. I love the "mystery" tone of the software. I like these programs because there are fun games that do not get boring, and while your kids are playing the games, they are also learning a lot. I am going to purchase this software and the 3rd grade ADVANCED program so my child can review through the summer. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The ONLY worthwhile language learning software!
The Rosetta Stone series of language instruction software is "Pimsleur" level of effectiveness and unfortunately, Pimsleur level cost as well.

The programs work on a total immersion basis, with no English used at all. There are several types of drills, ones where you hear a word or sentence and pick it out of a group of pictures, another where you read the text of the word and pick out the pictures, etc. There are also typing drills in your language to help you spell (without having to download special fonts), pronounciation drills that allow you to hear a word, speak it to your computer and hear your voice in comparison to the native speaker played back to you.

This is the first program of it's type I've found where this feature actually works!

I own both German and Russian 1 and 2. There is a LOT to learn here, especially if you do all the types of drills for each lesson. You learn grammar from inference, such as word endings when the subject is "in" something rather than "on" or "under" it. You see the same endings used, compare them with the pictures and you start to recognize patterns.

But one of the best things about this software is the user interface. Since it's an immersion program, there's no English used and by it's very nature needs to be intuitive. This is how it should be done. I've used other types of language software that had a klunky, confusing interface with features that didn't work, etc. None of that is the case with the Rosetta Stone software.

On another note, I switched to Mac about nine months ago and Fairfield Language Technologies sent me out a new Mac OS X systems disc for free, no questions asked. At this price level you'd think this would be commonplace, but it's not. Adobe allowed me to change from PC to OS X when I upgraded from Photoshop 6 to 7, but Macromedia wouldn't and expected me to buy all new software (I didn't). So kudos to FLT for their stellar customer service!

Is it too expensive? I'd say yes, but this is a serious language learning tool for serious self students, and it's a lot cheaper than classes at the U. The axiom is true with both this and the Pimsleur method tapes; you get what you pay for.

Great! Help me so much!
It is a great way to learn or review. It makes you learn by seeing a picture and than remembering what it means. It works very well, I used this product at school and it's worked beautifully for me. I had been trouble remembering the pronocation or the spelling of the words, I used this for a couple of times a week. And it helped wonderfully for me.

First its in sections with listening, reading, and translating by pictures or them telling you. The great thing is you can repeat it as many times as you want or you can just click the little icon on the right of the screen and see the answers so your not clueless.

It seperated by units, like one unit would be food or going to the supermarket another unit could be what you do on the weekends like 'I like to sit home and read'. It helps you have conversations with the people and even helps you by testing you at the end of each unit. (And it has many many units ranging from just listening and reading or listening and seeing the picture and repeating it.)

The flaw is that if you are a beginner it would be a Little challenging since it speaks to you a bit faster, hard to understand most of the words. But it makes up for it with some units by viewing the sentance from above.

It's a great program, above much others.

Excellent program with a few drawbacks
This program is a fun and fast way to start recognizing Russian words and sentences. You learn by hearing and seeing written cues along with photographs that represent various concepts. Click on the correct photograph and get a rewarding sound and move forward. It is intuitive, and you will find that you recognize a great deal very quickly.

There are a few drawbacks to the program, however. Because the program teaches using photographs, it is difficult to show that "I" am doing something or "you" are doing something. Most of the sentences, therefore, are in the third person. This is a challenge when you go to speak to someone and find that most of your conversation would be in the first and second person.

The other drawback is that there is no explanation of the grammar, and no translation of new vocabulary. I use this program with a Russian/English dictionary at my side. I understand that the point is that you learn the word for a concept rather than a translation, which is a better way to learn. On the other hand, it is not always clear what the photograph is trying to convey. For example, a photograph of a 1950s vintage green car has a word you have learned to be car, and an adjective. I had no idea what it was getting at until I looked up the adjective to see that it meant "old." Occasionally you might get an answer wrong because you mistook the action in the photo not because you didn't understand the grammar. It's not a major problem, but you do feel a bit cheated when it happens!

Also, it would be useful to have a function that would allow you to look up a grammatical rule behind new vocabulary so that you could not only hear that a certain ending is being added, but have an explanation of why it is being added.

Overall, however, I would recommend this program for its ease of use. It makes you feel that you're making progress very quickly, which helps get you past some of the discouragement you can sometimes face with a text book full of declensions.

I'd recommend using it with a good Russian/English dictionary and the book Master The Basics Russian which has good grammar charts.

You will really learn.. more than you realize...
I've edited my original review since I've used this software for over a year now... see below...

From my original review: you don't have to be a "rocket scientist" to learn with this product. It actually makes learning FUN, and you don't even realize you are learning as you are using it... and yet I find after using it, the retention of the things I've learned is excellent. It has a very intuitive interface, and you are given examples such as "The boy runs" and then shown a picture of a woman dancing, a man walking, a boy running, and a dog jumping... simply select the right picture... or shown a picture and you select the right phrase that goes with that picture... a chime or applause or "winning sound" indicates a right choice, a buzzer or a sigh sounds if you are wrong... you can choose which sound you want to hear, or let the program select the right/wrong sounds at random... Well, before you know it, you are actually learning using pictures and ideas... the same way you learned your own language way back when...

Update a year later and three trips to Russia, a 4th one planned:

Since I first bought this product I've made 3 trips to Russia and made many Russian friends. They have all complimented me on how well I pronounce my spoken Russian. Also, I'll say that while this program did not make me ~fluent~ in Russian, it certainly gave me many words to use that helped me out in every day situations. And I did not even realize how MUCH of this software I was absorbing, until I was actually there IN Russia and speaking with Russians, and then the "images" associated with the sounds and the words and the dialogs in this program were just ~there~ for me.

Yes, I've also found it is handy to have a pocket dictionary handy (on occasion) to look up some of the words when you first encounter them.

However I totally disagree about needing grammatical syntax. That is the LAST thing you want to involve yourself in when you are first exposing yourself to a new language.

Yes, once you begin to know a language, it's definitely important, but if I hadn't gotten the "head start" on learning how to speak and how to read and how to pronounce Russian, as I did with this product, then I wouldn't have made the progress I did.

I notice that one other person prefers the Learning Russian Now! product instead of the Rosetta Stone.

I bought that product too, and as a pure BEGINNER, that product was way over and beyond my abilities at the time. It was way too much to deal with as a beginner learning Russian and just totally frustrated me to the max.

This product will give you a good sound basis to advance your Russian language skills from.

Without having used this product first, a more complex or complicated product, such as one that introduces grammatical rules or complex series of dialogs, would have been way over my head, and would have only frustrated me.

My advice? If you are beginning from Square One learning Russian, start with this product and then move up to more complex products only after you've achieved BASIC skills and abilities in Russian.

And Rosetta Stone will give you those in a fascinating, addictive, FUN environment. A year later and it's STILL fun and I've learned many things going back over the earlier lessons I thought I had down cold. You learn more grammar and syntax than you are even ~aware~ of learning, and that's another reason why this product is so good! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

10x cheaper directly from ABBYY
This software costs only $40 if bought directly from the seller. ANy ideas what Micro 3 Corp is, and why is sells it for $300? Go to www.abbyyusa.com. Overall, good dictionary, found it very useful. Software could have been written better, so I'm upgrading from version 6.5 to 9.0, hopefully they improved the soft. But still the best dictionary on the market in my opinion

Tough to evaluate
The actual dictionary and convenience is superb. Dictionary is huge and works very well. That side of the product is a clear five stars.

Now about the problems:

Protection is a huge problem. It's inconvenient to store (you need to store floppy with CD), it's a hassle to install, and it's just a can of worms (or bugs, if you prefer).

They provide "integration" with MS Office. Don't choose it! It sucks, and it does not work with all versions of Office, and even when it does, it does not make much sense.

Also, I've seen copies of this software stopping to work and crushing after a certain period of time. It seems like this software is suspectible to other software upgrades, it probably uses a lot of shared Windows code, which is not carved in stone. So they need to put some work into stability (may be at the cost of some cool but stupid features like hot keys or "Office intergration").

And last but not least, the price is ridiculous. I would not pay for this more than [money amount]. After all, that's just a dictionary. We are not buying software, we are buying a useful functionality, in this case that's the dictionary, and equivalent printed dictionary is [money amount]only. If they have [bad] programmers and marketing, that's not worth paying for, that's their problem.

Beware! Old dictionaries of 70 -80 years and written new!!
Works very unstably because of protection on enclosed 3.5" diskette (The Lingvo set is CD + 3.5" diskette w. security-key). Permanently it is necessary to reinstall the Lingvo-program. Two times because of it should be reinstalled my Windows. The interface of the program some more of times of Window 95. To work inconveniently because of a plenty of pop-up windows. Bad support of fonts. Periodically instead of Russian characters there are not readable characters. Linvo-support does not answer the mails! Dictionaries (dictionary bases) hardly obsolete. In the documentation to Lingvo is written, that the dictionaries from 2000 - 2002. Practically all dictionaries of 70 years, exampl. Russian-English dictionary of the writer Kuznetsov - 1973, and is written, that the dictionary new. The English-Russian polytechnic dictionary - is written, that dictionary published 2002, and actually paper dictionary has left in the beginning 90 years. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The ONLY worthwhile language learning software!
The Rosetta Stone series of language instruction software is "Pimsleur" level of effectiveness and unfortunately, Pimsleur level cost as well.

The programs work on a total immersion basis, with no English used at all. There are several types of drills, ones where you hear a word or sentence and pick it out of a group of pictures, another where you read the text of the word and pick out the pictures, etc. There are also typing drills in your language to help you spell (without having to download special fonts), pronounciation drills that allow you to hear a word, speak it to your computer and hear your voice in comparison to the native speaker played back to you.

This is the first program of it's type I've found where this feature actually works!

I own both German and Russian 1 and 2. There is a LOT to learn here, especially if you do all the types of drills for each lesson. You learn grammar from inference, such as word endings when the subject is "in" something rather than "on" or "under" it. You see the same endings used, compare them with the pictures and you start to recognize patterns.

But one of the best things about this software is the user interface. Since it's an immersion program, there's no English used and by it's very nature needs to be intuitive. This is how it should be done. I've used other types of language software that had a klunky, confusing interface with features that didn't work, etc. None of that is the case with the Rosetta Stone software.

On another note, I switched to Mac about nine months ago and Fairfield Language Technologies sent me out a new Mac OS X systems disc for free, no questions asked. At this price level you'd think this would be commonplace, but it's not. Adobe allowed me to change from PC to OS X when I upgraded from Photoshop 6 to 7, but Macromedia wouldn't and expected me to buy all new software (I didn't). So kudos to FLT for their stellar customer service!

Is it too expensive? I'd say yes, but this is a serious language learning tool for serious self students, and it's a lot cheaper than classes at the U. The axiom is true with both this and the Pimsleur method tapes; you get what you pay for.

Great program
I really liked this program and highly recommend it.
Two things though:
1. You need a dictionary
The small booklet only contains the text of the course in its original language
2. If you are sure you want to buy Level 1 then do NOT buy the Explorer. The Explorer is merely a subset of Level 1.

Good program
I started using this program so that I can learn German. I live in a Dutch speaking home and Dutch was my first language. Since the two languages are very similar I decided to begin learning German. The program is very good, although translations would be helpful, and if the grammar was explained. Also it would be nice if they introduced the definite articles with each noun introduced in the vocabulary, this would make it much easier instead of having to eventually figure out the noun gender. But all in all this program is quite good to learn basic German, move on to the second version of this program to learn more advanced things.

Great, but an option with translations would have been nice.
This program is the best I have run into for learning a foreign language. It starts with basic German words and pictures, to which is added other words and pictures so that one learns phrases and then eventually sentences. Your mind associates the sound and spelling of a word(s) with a picture representing the word(s), and in this way you learn intuitively instead of having to think or translate. A few pictures, however, can be interpreted in more than one way, and it would have helped to have had an option that allowed one to view a translation. When I was unsure of the meaning of a certain word based on the picture, I used a dictionary and this solved the problem. The different sections in each lesson interactively teach you how to read, listen, speak, and write. For example, you will hear and/or read something and you will have to match what you hear/read to the one of the pictures shown. If you match it correctly you hear a pleasant sound and continue. If you match it incorrectly you hear an annoying sound and you try again until you get it right. For the writing section you hear words associated with a picture that is shown. One of the writing exercises consists of choosing the right words in the right order and another consists of typing in the correct word, phrase or sentence off the top of your head. I liked the speaking section because you can listen to German spoken at a normal speed, a slow speed and an even slower speed: the slow speed helped me hear better how words were pronounced so that I was more confident when attempting to imitate them. This personal edition level 1 course teaches you just basic German. You end up learning to ask and answer questions like "how do I get to the train station?" You also end up learning grammar intuitively. The reasons this program works well I think is: because you learn language naturally through pictures; because it does a good job building from the basics; and finally, because it tests you a lot. I had fun using it because it tests you continually and I like getting "Skinnerian" positive feedback every time I answer something correctly. It's a great way to begin learning German, but I recommend buying a dictionary in case you feel you have to look up a word or two. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Minh noi tieng viet!
The Rosetta Stone products are great. I have bought Vietnamese level 1 and Japanese level 1 and 2. I consider vietnamese to be a much more difficult language to learn since it is a tonal language.
This software helped me a lot and now I am even able to chat on the internet with vietnamese people. However, don't think that this software is all you need to learn the language. Since there are no translations(it is only based on pictures, sounds and text in vietnamese) I had to use several dictionaries to help me through the lessons. In this page is a nice and free dictionary for ...And I also recommend a dictionary such as The Rough Guide Vietnamese dictionary where at the beginning is a reference to the basics of the language. This is where you might want to start before studying the lessons in the RS Vietnamese I.

Great product
This is a great way of learning a language and I highly recommend it. It works for me and I have fun doing so.
Remember that this is a software program and you have to sit at your computer. The small booklet that comes with it only contains the text of the course in its original language, there is no translation of the text. I suggest you also buy a dictionary (I bought Langenscheidt's Pocket Dictionary which I like).
If you are sure you want Level 1 then do NOT buy the Explorer. The Explorer contains a subset of Level 1. Unfortunately I was mislead because most people who bought Level 1 also bought the Explorer. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

More valuable than meets the eye!!!
Does it "teach? Yes and no. If your native language is English, the Rosetta Stone method is an acquired taste, since it uses no English, or any other language for that matter, to teach. And you'll find it more difficult than the traditional word memorization method.

HOWEVER, the pronunciation and the listening value of Rosetta Stone Chinese is superb! I cannot emphasize enough how important good voice actors can be for language learning software. China is a very large country with many different dialects. Having a proper northern accent is like the difference of having a Hollywood accent and a Texas redneck accent. The voice actors are the best I've ever heard, and a zillion times better than Wenlin's voice actors.

5 out of 5 stars! Not just because they have good voice actors, but because they have IMPECCABLE voice actors. I've been learning Chinese Mandarin for over 6 years, and my native language is English. This is the only software that will get rid of your accent, if you don't have time to travel to China.

Sad difference between this and the sample.
I bought the Rosetta Stone Powerpack. It has a bunch of different languages to choose from. I got to the end of the Manderin lessons. Each of the Samples has 2 levels with 10 lessons. So I bought THIS package, which has 8 levels, so I could continue.
I already took some classes in Bei Jing, so my Chinese is not too bad, but this tought me some more things. The powerpack is great. It is very simple to learn from. It shows a girl, and says "female person", a boy, and says "male person". Short and simple. AND they talk slow, so you can understand every word. And as you progress, they add new things to it.
This Personal Edition is not ADDED levels. It is all new lessons. The speakers are different. The words are different. They seem to use to Bei Jing Way of speaking, not the Proper Way of speaking. They have all these RRRR sounds to things. Boy child is "Non Hie", but in Bei Jing they say "Non Har". ONLY in Bei Jing they use this. Poor Choice for such a big sofware package.
And the first lesson, first page, is no longer "Boy Child", "Girl child", "Boy Adult", "Girl adult". That is simple and easy to understand. Instead, they say "That is a Boy Child" "That is a Girl Child". How is anyone supposed to pick that many words up so quickly? And Chinese use measure words (kind of like La, Los, Le in other Europe Languages, but in Chinese there are about a hundred of them) so how are we suposed to figure this stuff out in the first lesson on the first page?
Also... They talk as fast as someone on the street. Blazing through each sentence, so you can not make out the tone, or even the pronunciation.
Even if you have some Chinese background, this is a hard package. It gives an advanced speaker new ways of saying things, but the beginer is better off getting the Power Pack, and the Instant Immersion Chinese 2 CD set. Also look ... for CyberChinese ... This is a computer version of one of my text books at school: Practical Chinese Reader.
Also get Basic Chinese : A Grammar and Workbook by Yip Po-Ching. I can not say enough good things about this book. It is the best reference book around, and super handy when taking a class, or learing with a computer.
Good luck, and Zai Jin!

The stupidest system ever sold
The computer based speech recognition is fantastic and makes duplicating the nuances of the chinese language easier. But the fact that the computer system and accompaning texts give you no, absolutely no, english translation is the stupidest mistake ever made by a teaching system. Rosetta says it interferes with the "full emersion" system of learning. They forget that full emersion is when you go live in the community and can constantly receive feedback on sentence structure, meaning and tense.

For instance, the standard Rosetta first lesson show a picture of a girl and a spoken phrase in chinese to match the picture. You can also see the picture and a chinese character phrase or pinyin english phrase. But nowhere is there an english translation of the phrase you are learning. So you do not know from just seeing a picture of a girl whether you are saying, "this is a girl", "a girl", "girl", "I am a girl", or "you are a girl".

My chinese speaking friends had to explain to me the phrase meant girl in the singular form and that the singular form was typical for all "feminine" objects.

I have called Rosetta and there is no english translation available when it would only cost them cents to reproduce. Do not buy this system unless you have a chinese tutor available to you.

The easy way to learn chinese
I have been a litlle sceptic when I purchased this product but after having been using it for a year I am amazed by the progress I made. With the Rosetta Stone can I not only learn the vocabulary it also forces you to think in the language and to repeat phrases. The different features enable you to chose speaking reading or wrting excersices, in order for you to work on all of these skills seperately until you are satisfied. Why no five stars? Well unfortunately there's no way of learning Chinese Kalligraphy on the computer so the only writing excersices are in pinyin which uses the latin alphabeth. But on the whole I can recommend this product to everyone who wants to learn Chinese! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The addition of the curriculum text manual is great!
I bought the Arabic Level 1 edition soon after using the "Explorer" version. To my great relief, Level 1 includes a 200 page text which provides all the written Arabic screen prompts used throughout the program, in two formats no less, modern standard without the short vowels as well as fully-vowelled. This really beats trying to copy down everything by hand for study notes. As the lack of this text was the only shortcoming I found with Explorer, I am now a very happy camper. The other reviewer comments on Level 1 are right on the money as far as I am concerned.

It can be done!
Tell most souls spawn from an academic mileu that you want to learn Arabic on your own and you'll get a wry smile and a patronizing mental-pat on the head. Ignore the nay-sayers! As the above reviewer mentioned, this program is a vital tool for Arabic self-study. Along with it, I recommend purchasing "Alif Baa" along with the Cd's to learn the script. Also pick up Wehr's dictionary along with the 'Oxford English to Arabic' dictionary. Around lesson 4.05 of the Rosetta program, you've reached the point where you're ready for some supplementary material. So far, your approach to the language has been passive, and if you have a desire to write in the language, as well as understand long strands of verbal narrative, you'll need more material. I recommend Vol. 1-2 of Al-Kitaab [the 'red' book] along with the accompanying Cd's. Also, if you have a thirst for grammer and more traditional structure, try "Elementary Modern Standard Arabic" [the orange book] Vols. 1-2. You can also purchase a marvelous software program entitled "Emsa Companion" that is critical for those covering the material on their own [see creativeworks.byu.edu/HRC/arabic.html]. Learning a colloquial dialect can also be fun--and critical if you need to find a toilet while touring the Middle East. Try 'Levantine Arabic for Non-natives' (see the reviews before buying.) There's so much more, but I grow weary of the keyboard. Master this material and you'll be well on your way. It may sound expensive, but it's far cheaper than a couple of semester of school. Adieu

Excellent addition to other study materials!
I've just started to learn Arabic in August of this year and have done a lot of looking around for materials to help me. I've read all the reviews on the Rosetta Stone software and have begun using this product. My opinion:

This is a fun tool to help you acquire vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and see how the language works. Some people don't like the fact that there are no English translations anywhere, but I actually enjoy the total immersion because it becomes a puzzle for me to figure out. It keeps me studying longer than if I was just looking at a bunch of flash cards. And since there aren't many Arabic speakers in my neck of the woods, the speech recognition part is indispensible.

Yes, sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what meaning the picture is conveying. That's when I pull out a dictionary and look the word up to confirm my guess as to the meaning. And it's not going to teach you phrases you need for travel, either. I have a pocket phrasebook and a Pimsleur CD for that.

Also, I wouldn't recommend that a rank beginner start right off the bat with this. First learn the alphabet and how the script works, because this won't teach you those things. But once you get a little feel for those things, then this would be a fun addition to your program.

No book or tape or software product can ever replace talking with native speakers, but for those of us who can't get to native speakers, this is a darn good 2nd choice.

Highly recommended so long as you understand that it is one of several tools to use to learn the language.

Rosetta Stone works
I've always thought learning a new language would be impossible. I'm not disciplined enough to go over vocabulary lists over and over. The way Rosetta Stone's program is laid out has made it very easy to use. You just sit back and click. You'll be suprised at how fast you'll pick stuff up. It's almost as easy as watching TV. If you're lazy or a dummy,or both, and want to pick up a language; then I recommend you get this. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

YOURE PAYING FOR A LOT OF CONFUSION.
This is a well meaning program that will leave you with nothing but doubt and unanswered questions.

Fairfield uses a "picture to words to sound" method for teaching different languages. This is an excellent way to teach a language. It lets the user hear proper pronunciation while seeing the proper spelling (romanized or japanese) for the word. They also slap a picture of the subject so you can achieve a visual connection with the word or words mentioned. That's it, and thats where lies the problem. There is no confirmation in English to what you just learned. This leads to doubt because you don't know if the picture matches the word 100%. You cant make the vital connection between the Japanese word and the English one. To make matters worse not all the picture are crystal clear as to what is being refered to. Anyone who has studied Japanese knows what a difficult language it is to grasp and Fairfield thinks that you can just jump into it with this poorly thought out program. I don't know how well this method works in other languages but it fails in Japanese without that English reasurance. So in closing :

1. Dont be fooled by the "impressive" list of users of this program.
2. The poor structure of this program will leave you confused and reaching for your dictionary more than you'll be able to stand.
3. The price of this software package is ridiculous for what you get. It doesn't make $en$e.

Will not give you proper education
You learn the language through immersion. The software immediately presents you with a set of pictures, along with their japanese text and pronounciation, and you have to match the text with the pictures. The text are available in romanji, kana, and kanji. There are no english explanations at all.

First, if you're serious about learning japanese, you have to learn how to read and write kana, and this product gives you nothing in terms of learning kana/kanji. If you leave the text set at kana or kanji, you will be hopelessly lost. If you set the text at romanji, you will be looking at the romanized version of the japanese text, which is useless because you won't see romanji anywhere in Tokyo.

Second, you can pretty much guess at the right answer by process of elimination. The software isn't "smart" enough to deduce that you've actually understood the images presented to you. Also, some of the images are ambiguous. It's possible that you misinterpret the picture and end up with the wrong definition.

Third, this software is horribly slow. You will learn very little after hours of use, and in the end, you will have little or no grammatical knowledge at all.

Given the price of this product, I do not recommend it at all. I suggest you spend your money on the Pimsleur series. They are also expensive, but they will give you a solid foundation to speaking japanese properly. I suggest buying the Japanese for Busy people Kana workbook for learning Kana.

Great Software but takes Patience
You know that a child doesn't learn a language overnight. However they do learn their first language with out anyone really explaing to them what this word or that word means.

This program uses the same concept of learning. You learn by looking at pictures and actions, and you try to understand what is going on and attribute that to the sound that you hear.

Overall this is great!! It works, and is very comprehensive however it takes alot of patience and work.

If you want to learn a language fast and don't need to know so many words then this program is not for you. However if you don't mind waiting and going through many lessons, and getting a comprehensive understand of the language then this program is for you.

In the end it really depends on your needs.

Best language software I have seen so far
The way this software works is simple. It shows you four pictures and gives you a word or phrase describing each. Then it will ask you to match up pictures and phrases. Later sets of pictures build on vocabulary learned in earlier lessons to build up more complex phrases.

The user interface is one of the easiest to use I've seen, and the sound and picture quality are better than I've seen from other language software. The reason I really like this software though is that it is the easiest and most effective learning method I've found. Rather than trying to memorize words, you hear them used in a bunch of different contexts until their use becomes natural. Also, this method is much better for developing listening comprehension than other methods, which are often mostly visual.

This software doesn't explain any grammar rules. It merely tries to provide enough examples that they can be inferred from use. I find that having a grammar reference that I can refer to in addition to this software really helps with the trickier bits of the Japanese language, although for many things it is unnecessary.

Overall, this software is expensive, but if you are serious about learning Japanese, I would say it is definitely worth the price. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Product is awful
Two main flaws which caused me to return the product:

1) Interface is shoddy at best. I was never able to start a drill lesson in the middle by skipping pages. If I returned to a prior lesson, I had to click on answers in order to advance, instead of being able to move forward as the interface supposedly should work.

2) Much more importantly, there were grammar mistakes in the product. My wife is native Korean. During the first lesson, the product tries to teach you the words/concept of "above" and "underneath". My wife and 4 of her friends who are also native Koreans all listened to the drill and they all said that the phraseology would never ever be spoken by a Korean. They said that the phrasehology was actually incorrect.

Other than that, while I echo the other comments about the navigation being unclear, I did think that the drills would help one learn vocabulary words.

Marginal Interface and Hard copy Materials
This program completely lacks a structured approach to learning the Hangul alphabet and completely lacks the ability to teach ANY Hangul using the keyboard. Some of their other programs have this ability, but not the Korean one.

Also, the teaching approach is completely by example using photos with no explanation of sentence structure, culture, etc. If you wanted to use it and repeat the lessons over and over and over you could probably learn the material, but the overall interface on the thing is lacking.

I'm having a blast...
I bought this software because my nephew is adopted from South Korea. He doesn't know Korean, but I know someday he'll grow up to probably have some interest in his heritage, and I thought it would be a cool thing if I knew a little Korean by that time.

I worried about blowing such a wad of cash on this software, but I took a risk, and I've been very happy with what I got. I'm still in the first "unit," so I have a long long way to go before I can actually speak or understand any real Korean, but I have found the exercises entertaining, and I have discovered that the knowledge does stick. Learning anything is hard; learning a foreign language so very different from English is super-hard, and learning it as an adult is downright daunting, but I'm finding that I'm not worried about that, and I'm just enjoying being exposed to something totally new.

I think this software could definitely benefit from some better directions; since everything is in Korean, you have to learn even the basics of navigating the lessons just by doing, and I found that a little frustrating at first, since I was already feeling pretty overwhelmed by the weird language. And there are lessons where they're going over the difference between boy and girl, man and woman, and sometimes the photos aren't clear enough to tell what gender the subject is. I have also found some sort of bug in the written exercises, where you can click in one frame and it'll react as if you clicked in another, but that doesn't go wrong very often.

I've had the software about two weeks. If you're in a rush to be able to ask the way to the bathroom on your upcoming vacation to Korea, this isn't the right approach for you. But if you're looking for a fun way to stimulate your mind and to learn something interesting and new while you do it, this is ideal.

Worse Product EVER!
This was the MOST useless product I have ever used in my life. I've been studying the Korean language for almost 4 years now but had absolutely no clue what was going on with this software! I can't imagine anyone being able to gain or further language skills with this ... I can't believe that any company would claim such a shoddy product or have the gumption to charge [amount] for it. Run away from this software as fast as you can. ... ... Read more

Features

• 92 immersion-style lessons for the serious language learner
• Over 3500 real-life color images and phrases
• Selected by the U.S. State Department, the Peace Corps, and NASA
• 250 hours of mastery instruction in comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing
• Previews, exercises, and tests accompany every lesson; automated tutorials throughout

Amazon.com Product Description

Instant Immersion Japanese delivers an authentic Japanese language-learning environment to your desktop. Based on the Euromethod--an approach that immerses students in a country's language and culture--this four CD-ROM suite includes Talk Now!, World Talk, Human Japanese, and JquickTrans. It's filled with cultural videos, entertaining games, easy-to-follow lessons, quizzes that test your progress, and interactive dialogues with native speakers, so you'll be speaking Japanese in no time. Rounding out your immersion experience, the JquickTrans CD-ROM is a remarkable Japanese dictionary, study guide, translator, and kanji reference source providing Japanese-language online chat and surfing support. With Instant Immersion, you learn by hearing, seeing, and doing. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Winner
If you're starting to learn Japanese, a feat to be applauded in itself, this is an amazing package. It's fun, interactive, and educational. Don't even think about trying to get a foot in the door without this. Books are great but to be able to see people pronounce the words with enthusiasm in correlation to the picture of the word is SO helpful and helps it stick amazingly well too. Another commenter posted that the games were worthless but they're only useless if your not focused on learning. This makes it so simple AND enjoyable, something I've never found with any other software out there. I was at first hesitant by the low price wondering how it could possibly deliver. BUY this as it's a steal and for the dedicated learner, a great way to start.

Terrible.
Your money would be better spent on a book that teaches you grammar AND vocabulary. This set comes with no directions, just a bunch of CDs in a box. Using the software isnt explained, the games are useless as you can win just by clicking all over, you dont have to learn anything.

Learning phrases isnt helpful for any language if you dont know how to take vocabulary and form your own phrases.

Honestly this is a waste of cash. Get a book. If you need pronunciation help buy a book with an audio disc included.

Some hits; some misses
This product consists of 4 CDs. This product is far from perfect but overall it is a good value and an excellent supplement if you have other learning tools at your disposal.

#1: Talk Now (rating: 5 stars): This is a fun CD for building a simple vocabulary of words and phrases. It makes learning easy by associating the words and phrases with the actual object or action instead of over-emphasizing the English translation. This helps you to start thinking in Japanese instead of thinking of an object in English then attempting to translate that word into Japanese. The games and quizzes are entertaining and keep your interest.

#2: World Talk (rating: 0 stars): This CD is practically impossible for a beginning student to understand. It is not a logical progression from the first CD. The help button gives you some clues as to what the lesson is attempting to teach, but it is very inadequate and confusing. There is also a section for transcription. There is a control to adjust the rate at which the sentences are read, however, it actually only adjusts the amount of time BETWEEN sentences, not adjusting the speed at which the words are spoken. Most people have a difficult time transcribing their own spoken language at normal spoken rate, so to transcribe a foreign language is incredibly difficult.

#3: Human Japanese (rating: 4 stars): This is an online textbook that covers grammar, vocabulary, writing hiragana and katakana, and even a little culture, too. It is written in a very readable, easy-to-understand manner that's not sterile like a typical textbook. New vocabulary is introduced in an accessible manner. The instruction for learning hiragana and katakana is excellent.

#4: JQuickTrans (rating: 3.25 stars): This is a nice translator. The interface is a little bit confusing, even for people who are very comfortable using computer applications. You should definitely read the Quick Start Guide to get a better feel for how to use this program.

A very helpful and [inexpensive] product
...this is one of the best Japanese software programs I've ever seen. It's better than some I've pated [much more] for, and it's well woth it to anyone who wants to learn to speak Japanese.

Human Japanese (Disc 3)
I have read several other reviews of this software. Apparently, I have a different version or something. I have read comments from "XP bugs" to "doesn't teach anything." I have had no problems with XP, and if you actually buy the four disc set, disc three has a very useful piece of software ("Human Japanese") that is a wonderful teacher. Not only is it thorough, the author used excellent teaching techniques to help you understand the content. The only thing it really doesn't hit on is Kanji. If you want to start learning Japanese, I cannot urge you enough to try this software.

The other CDs are useful as well, but are only programs to test how much you know; not teach you (there is also a good translator program on disc 4, JQuickTrans). ... Read more

Features

• Learn body and hand positioning for grammar and fingerspelling
• Video lessons and explanations of ASL phrase syntax improve beginners' foundation in ASL
• Hands-on ASL dictionary packed with over 6,000 words - plus synonyms and written sign movement descriptions for each entry
• ASL Phrase Guide offers real-life communication -- over 600 phrases are introduced, with video demonstrations of each entry
• Complete reference guide provides overview of the scope & history of America's third most common language

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

With the modern PC having a variety of possibilities of which traditional language-learning methods could only dream--voice recognition, video dialogues, and so on--the past few years have seen an extraordinary boom in language-learning software packages. However, as picking through this surfeit can be tricky, it is important to find a reliable brand, and the Learn Now! series is definitely among the best software packages.

The program comes equipped with 2 CDs, one of which has various key sections--useful "survival phrases", fun activities, conversations, and practicing speech against the voice of a native speaker--while the other has a thorough grammar tutorial. This combination is certainly a valuable one for people who are serious about learning a language, and the product is clear and easy to use: in role-plays, phrases are highlighted in a box and their English translations placed underneath, while the voice recognition software allows you to measure your own voice against that of a native speaker, and the games hone the things that have been learnt. Sections are tailored to various activities, such as getting around, going out, and business situations, while at any point you can call up a grammar tutorial which explains a particular point on which you are unsure.

In addition to these sections, the part on survival phrases will be of much use to those who have already reached a basic level. There are several practice dialogues based around commonplace situations--in the hotel, the bar, the airport, etc. Although some of the advice borders on the infantile ("When you decide to travel outside the USA, you will probably need a passport"), much of it is useful, and rounds out what is a well composed package for someone starting out on the road to using the language overseas. --Toby Green, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A great way to learn Italian
I found this software to be extremely helpful. The sentance dictation section was excellent, as it allowed you to hear spoken phrases (not just one or two words) by native speakers. In addition, you could adjust the speed of the spoken phrases (either fast or slow). I used this software while I was taking Italian languages classes and it was helpful in reinforcing what I learned in class. In addition, the video clips used in the software are from a video series that is commonly used in Italian language courses. The downloadable grammar guide was also an excellent resource to have on hand while using the software. As you do the drills/exercises, you are also able to click on most words to get detail about the grammar rules. I would definitively recommend this to a someone who is trying to learn Italian quickly.

Best Italian Software
I found Italian Now to be quite good for learning the Italian language. It gives you the ability to start almost anywhere making it ideal for beginners through experts. Being a beginner when I bought this program I started with the alphabet reference and a grammar tutorial. These were both very good features and after some practice they helped to lay a good foundation for further learning. From here there are endless things to do. This program does an excellent job of teaching vocabulary and useful phrases. Perhaps one of the best things this program does is working on your pronunciation. In several different activities I had to speak Italian into a microphone and it was compared to a native speaker's pronunciation which helps you to drastically improve your own pronunciation. I am more than satisfied with this program and I highly recomend it.

Eh, good if you get them cheap
You will NOT learn a foreign language by one of these programs. The vocab is way too limited, and neither the Version 8 series nor the Version 9 series addresses past or future tenses substantively. I have purchased six of these over the past couple of years, four Version 8 (German, Irish, Latin, Hebrew) the other two Version 9 (Spanish, Italian), and for some idiotic reason, the Version 8s are SUPERIOR to the upgrades. The Version 8s have more texts and thus more variety. LatinNow Version 8 is probably the best program I have seen from this company, good texts of various grade levels, plus you can fresh up on your Roman mythology!

These "tapes", and that is basically what they are, computerized language tapes, are only going to be useful if you plan on dedicating time for rote memorization of grammar and vocab outside of the program. These programs can be good to help supplement textbook study, as we need to hear the language and grammar for it to sink in. If you think any one of these programs in and of itself is going to make you fluent, you're very sadly mistaken. I would recommend finding them cheap and working on them while you eat breakfast, then spending 15+ minutes a day per language w/ grammar, vocab, writing (ie thinking w/in the language), out of a textbook. That way you can cover your bases, if you are the self-guided student looking to master a new language to get a head start on college credit or to learn it just for the heck of it.

Also, the Hebrew keyboard layout is atrocious and barely functional. I assume this might be a problem w/ all non-Latin/Germanic alphabets, like Chinese and Russian. This makes the games worthless--and the games are probably the best part of the program.

The worst possible way to learn a language
The user interface is so hard to follow it's unbelievable. You have to scan up the screen, then down to the right, then over to the left and track all of this while trying to learn vocabulary.

I bought this thinking that it was only $40 so how bad could it be...well it is BAD!

Buy the FSI courses or Rosetta Stone - they are much more expensive but worth the price, especially if LanguageNow is the alternative. I have French, Spanish, German, and Russian and each of them are fantastic. Of course they are two different methods of learning but both are effective in their own way. At the end of the day you need to go to the country where the language is spoken and spend some time to really learn a language...

Good start but lacks cohesiveness in its (Italian) method
The single major flaw in this product is its lack of direction for the beginner. I purchased the Italian version to compare it to Rosetta Stone's method. The difference in price will tell you which is the better one. This product has good ideas (dialogs & memory games) but Rosetta Stone's approach is sound and well organized.

This product DOES have more resources than Rosetta Stone but they're left to the user to figure out how to utilize them when studying the lessons. For beginners this will lead to a lot of wasted time and frustration.

Stuffing the product with goodies does not make it better. They need to concentrate on the HOWTOs. Until such time this product is not very useful to beginners. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Best Program for English as a Second Language
When my cousin and her family arrived from Venezuela to join our family business, I knew that the first thing we needed to do was to teach them English. I asked around and found that the Rosetta Stone was the best program that they used in all the schools here in Miami. We bought the Level One and were soon amazed to see how fast my cousin and her seven year old daughter began to learn English. We all have a lot of fun with this program and it has so many beautiful pictures. Now my cousin is working with us and she is speaking English to the customers. We bought the Level Two which has even more lessons than the Level One, and some of the pictures are little movies! I would recommend the Rosetta Stone program to anyone who wants to learn English very quickly. ... Read more