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.

This comprehensive program provides up to 550 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, writing, and speaking. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists or drills. Previews, exercises, and tests accompany every lesson, and there are automated tutorials throughout the program. Graphical speech recognition displays your voiceprint and compares it with the native speaker to help improve your pronunciation. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This is great but too expensive

I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 because I think some of the vocabulary you have to learn wasn't well chosen, for example the parts about cowboys and also there are some tools I don't even know the names of in English. Also you learn numbers kind of haphazardly. The vocabulary is repeated in subsequent lessons instead of being all new in each lesson. I guess that is ok but since you can review the old lessons anyway if I were buying this I would want as much as I could get for the money. The lessons are easy, most of the lessons are beginning, not intermediate, with short sentences or just words. But occasionally you come across some harder lessons.
This is good if what you need is listening and speaking practice. You can always get a grammar book at the library. I am currently trying the online version and so far I like it just fine. I wouldn't mind having my own copy but it is a little too expensive for me.

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. ... 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

Features

• Comprehensive interactive language learning; ideal for beginners
• Easy and hard quizzes, plus a challenging memory game
• Compare yourself with native speakers; monitor progress
• Topics include phrases, food, shopping, telling time, and more
• On-screen help available in over 75 languages; printable dictionary

Features

• Comprehensive interactive language learning; ideal for beginners
• Easy and hard quizzes, plus a challenging memory game
• Compare yourself with native speakers; monitor progress
• Topics include phrases, food, shopping, telling time, and more
• On-screen help available in over 75 languages; printable dictionary

Features

• Comprehensive interactive language learning; ideal for beginners
• Easy and hard quizzes, plus a challenging memory game
• Compare yourself with native speakers; monitor progress
• Topics include phrases, food, shopping, telling time, and more
• On-screen help available in over 75 languages; printable dictionary

Reviews (1)

Easy and fun way to learn Czech
I found the Talk Now! Czech CD-ROM very helpful in learning some basic Czech words and phrases. It is a difficult language to learn and this program offers easy games and options to keep it fun and motivating. While it doesn't get into grammar and more complex Czech, it's a great start for anyone wanting to feel more at home in the Czech Republic! ... Read more

Features

• Comprehensive interactive language learning; ideal for beginners
• Easy and hard quizzes, plus a challenging memory game
• Compare yourself with native speakers; monitor progress
• Topics include phrases, food, shopping, telling time, and more
• On-screen help available in over 75 languages; printable dictionary

Amazon.com Product Description

This unconventional language-learning series offers games and quizzesthat make the learning process fun, relaxing, and, as such, more successful.Ideal for beginners, Talk Now! Croatian includes such topics as vocabulary,phrases, culture, and more. A handy print and picture dictionary producesentries with both text and pictorial references. This interactive software titlealso features a recording tool, so you can compare your pronunciation to that ofnative speakers (microphone required). Quizzes and a challenging memory game letyou test your newly acquired skills. You can also track your scores and printawards to celebrate. Best of all, you can change Talk Now! Croatian's onscreenhelp and menus to the language of your choice. With more than 70 languages fromwhich to choose, this software makes learning Croatian accessible to everyone. ... Read more

Features

• Croatian language learning software
• Study vocabulary, phrases, culture, and more
• Recording tool lets you practice with native speakers
• Games and challenging quizzes make learning fun
• On-screen help available in more than 70 languages

Reviews (2)

do not buy this item
I have given this item 1 star because there is nothing lower. It might be a good product, I will never know. The first thing you will find is that in order to view the product you will need to download a software package costing an additional $15. The next thing you will find is that if you want a refund from Amazon, you will pay the shipping because this is not their fault (even though this is not mentioned in the description). The next thing you will find is that if you delete the program on your computer you will lose shared files.

OK, but . . .
Everything said in the editorial review is true. This method is a lot of fun and the interactive bit really helps. The most useful feature is getting to see a picture, record the word or phrase in Croatian, and then playback your recording next to a recording of a native speaker. Obviously, your computer must have a microphone.

So why the so-so rating? I bought this same title for German and there are four CDs. It had a basic CD, a more advanced CD, a mystery game where you used your knowledge to solve the mystery, and a talking dictionary. I thought I'd be getting the same package, but apparently they haven't developed past the first CD for Croatian. And the one CD isn't much cheaper than what I paid for the whole German package.

There are nine lessons on the basic CD, each with about 15-20 words or phases. In two days, I've already aced six of the nine. Obviously, I'm still not quite ready to carry on a conversation. Contrast this to the German edition which lasted me several weeks despite my already knowing a good bit of German.

So while their method is a good one, and the presentation is very professional, I can't recommend this unless you'll be happy just knowing things like colors, food, numbers, etc. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn to speak Russian through complete immersion. The Euro Method is an easy and simple way to learn to speak a second language. Based on the same techniques that allow a 4-year-old child to speak a language long before that same child can read or write, the Instant Immersion Russian CDs teach users to speak Russian quickly. The software provides interactive lessons that truly immerse users in the language. The two CD-ROMs enclosed are from EuroTalk, a European publisher of language-learning software. Talk Now! and World Talk will take users from beginning to intermediate levels using fun and easy-to-follow methods.

Talk Now! Russian is designed for beginners who want to start learning a new language as soon as possible. Whether on a business or vacation trip, or even when meeting a foreign visitor, Talk Now! is the CD to use. By hearing and practicing authentic everyday speech, the user's natural ability for language will develop. The EuroTalk CDs are designed to be fun. The program uses quizzes, games, and stories to help reinforce the lessons learned.

The second CD-ROM, World Talk Russian, is the next level up from Talk Now! and goes on to the next stage with new activities, added dictation, and a new recording section. Topics covered include the calendar, building sentences, asking directions, and using numbers. With the recording feature, users can hear and compare their voices with those of a variety of native speakers. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

For The Beginner
This is a 2 CD set.

The first CD deals with beginning words and phrases, by playing simple games, such as telling time, colors, articles of clothing and asking questions such as where is the bathroom, how much is this and where are my suitcases. It teaches you certain foods like eggs, fruits, fast foods and eating utensils (including chopsticks!).

This first disc is easy going but a great companion to this program is the book "Beginners Russian Script" a Teach Yourself Product sold here at Amazon.com that helps you to define how the letters should sound. The first disc went much easier after I started reading this book.

The second CD jumps right into it with game playing on a higher level. Which if you haven't mastered the simple basics, you'll be lost.

Before I started this program I knew absolutely no Russian words and now I can speak the very basics. It's a great way to start learning Russian.

Not Bad for the Price
This is a two cd rom set. The first one gently takes you through some beginning exercises that are fun and teach you some VERY VERY limited vocabulary that might be useful if, say, you're on a guided tour of Russia with some one else to handle the language for you, and you just want to be able to say a couple of very basic things. (Especially number practice is very well done)

So far, so good. But then when you switch to the 2nd CDrom.. all of a sudden EVERYTHING is in Russian including the game instructions, verbal and written cues plus you're required to do some comparatively sophisticated manipulation of language in the games themselves--skills that the first CDrom did nothing to teach! It's sort of like being moved from first week, Level 1 Russian straight to a 2nd year college class. This produces a lot of frustration. To be effective there should be 4 more carefully stepped CDroms inserted between the 2.

Worth the price, but that's not saying much...
I bought this thinking hey, it's ten bucks, what have I got to lose? Well, the answer to that question is ten bucks. If you're broke and want to learn Russian, save your money for food and get a library card. Pass on this.

I'd only give it one star, but I'll give it two because it's so cheap and you could learn something from this if you put forth serious effort. But you'd be better off buying the Penguin Russian course instead for almost the same price.

useful tool in your language arsenal
First, to address some practical issues from other reviews:

1) I have XP. This CD works on XP.
2) This company does not make a more advanced program in Russian as they do in other languages. As far as I can tell, this 2 CD set is the full extent of their offerings in Russian.

I found this program very useful in learning some important basic vocabulary and getting more comfortable hearing and interacting with spoken Russian. The first CD is set up as a series of lessons and games on 8 different topics -- basic words (hello, goodbye, excuse me, etc.), foods, numbers, time of day, basic phrases, body parts, countries, and objects you might buy shopping like clothes.

In the lesson, a picture is shown, for example a plane. The word for plane is shown in English and in Russian (in cyrillic) and a Russian speaker says the word. There are two speakers on the CD, with noticeably different accents. It is interesting to compare the two accents and sort of triangulate the standard pronunciation. It also helps when you can't understand one of them, listening to the other one usually clarifies. SO, you see the meaning of the word, you see the word in English, you see the word in Russian, and you listen to a native speaker say the word. This is GREAT! I can't tell you how much of this I retained from all this great linguistic input!

So then there is a game to go along with each lesson, which is basically memory. They say a word in Russian and you have to click on the right picture. Simple. There are four different games you can play of varying difficulty levels. And it's really more of a test than a game, but hey when i graduated from college i got an engraved plaque saying i never had to take another test in my life. Didn't you? Anyways... This first CD was really helpful. I really have retained about all of the words on the CD, which is pretty amazing to me. There is also a speech/pronunciation section, but I didn't use it.

The second CD is a little different. It's more of the "immersion" that the title claims. They start spouting sentences full of words you probably don't know, and you're supposed to pick out like which picture they're talking about based on the fact that you heard the word "red" and "shirt" in there somewhere. But it's a little baffling. I'm going to hold off on doing the second CD until I go through some of my other books a bit more. But it's essentially set up the same -- lessons and then "games" to test and reinforce what you learned.

IN SUMMARY, very valuable vocabulary building. The setup of the lessons lends itself to a high level of retention, and the native Russian speakers are great for self-taught book people to hear. There are no grammar lessons, there are no writing exercises, there is no conversation on your part, there is no instruction in cyrillic, the list of vocabulary could have been a bit more extensive, and you don't even necessarily learn how to spell the words you learn. Therefore, it is only ONE weapon among many you should have if you really intend to beat the Russian language into submission. (just kidding) But it is very good at what it undertakes.

And need I repeat that for the price, you can't beat it.

Good Starter for willing students.
This is a very good program for people who are just starting to learn the Russian language. This program gives students a few basic words and phrases that will help a student get introduced to the language. It is worth the money in my opinion however the program is geared toward a younger age group and does not go very deep into the Russian language. Overall, this program would be a good way to start. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

World Talk is the perfect language-learning follow-up to EuroTalk'spopular Talk Now! series. In addition to new activities, the creators have addeddictation, worksheets, and a brand-new recording section. Topics are designedfor the intermediate learner and include reviewing the calendar, buildingsentences, asking directions, and translating weather terms and numbers. Theinteractive TV quiz is another useful learning tool, pitting learners againstthe resident champion or one-on-one against a friend. ... Read more

Features

• Designed for intermediate-level language learners
• Helps learners speak and understand a new language by hearing and practicing authentic every-day speech
• Learning topics include calendar, sentence building, asking directions, the weather, and numbers
• Monitor your progress with dictation, worksheets, and a recording feature
• Features an interactive TV Quiz

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn to speak Russian through complete immersion. The Euro Method is an easy and simple way to learn to speak a second language. Based on the same techniques that allow a 4-year-old child to speak a language long before that same child can read or write, the Instant Immersion Russian CDs teach users to speak Russian quickly. The software provides interactive lessons that truly immerse users in the language. The two CD-ROMs enclosed are from EuroTalk, a European publisher of language-learning software. Talk Now! and World Talk will take users from beginning to intermediate levels using fun and easy-to-follow methods.

Talk Now! Russian is designed for beginners who want to start learning a new language as soon as possible. Whether on a business or vacation trip, or even when meeting a foreign visitor, Talk Now! is the CD to use. By hearing and practicing authentic everyday speech, the user's natural ability for language will develop. The EuroTalk CDs are designed to be fun. The program uses quizzes, games, and stories to help reinforce the lessons learned.

The second CD-ROM, World Talk Russian, is the next level up from Talk Now! and goes on to the next stage with new activities, added dictation, and a new recording section. Topics covered include the calendar, building sentences, asking directions, and using numbers. With the recording feature, users can hear and compare their voices with those of a variety of native speakers. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

For The Beginner
This is a 2 CD set.

The first CD deals with beginning words and phrases, by playing simple games, such as telling time, colors, articles of clothing and asking questions such as where is the bathroom, how much is this and where are my suitcases. It teaches you certain foods like eggs, fruits, fast foods and eating utensils (including chopsticks!).

This first disc is easy going but a great companion to this program is the book "Beginners Russian Script" a Teach Yourself Product sold here at Amazon.com that helps you to define how the letters should sound. The first disc went much easier after I started reading this book.

The second CD jumps right into it with game playing on a higher level. Which if you haven't mastered the simple basics, you'll be lost.

Before I started this program I knew absolutely no Russian words and now I can speak the very basics. It's a great way to start learning Russian.

Not Bad for the Price
This is a two cd rom set. The first one gently takes you through some beginning exercises that are fun and teach you some VERY VERY limited vocabulary that might be useful if, say, you're on a guided tour of Russia with some one else to handle the language for you, and you just want to be able to say a couple of very basic things. (Especially number practice is very well done)

So far, so good. But then when you switch to the 2nd CDrom.. all of a sudden EVERYTHING is in Russian including the game instructions, verbal and written cues plus you're required to do some comparatively sophisticated manipulation of language in the games themselves--skills that the first CDrom did nothing to teach! It's sort of like being moved from first week, Level 1 Russian straight to a 2nd year college class. This produces a lot of frustration. To be effective there should be 4 more carefully stepped CDroms inserted between the 2.

Worth the price, but that's not saying much...
I bought this thinking hey, it's ten bucks, what have I got to lose? Well, the answer to that question is ten bucks. If you're broke and want to learn Russian, save your money for food and get a library card. Pass on this.

I'd only give it one star, but I'll give it two because it's so cheap and you could learn something from this if you put forth serious effort. But you'd be better off buying the Penguin Russian course instead for almost the same price.

useful tool in your language arsenal
First, to address some practical issues from other reviews:

1) I have XP. This CD works on XP.
2) This company does not make a more advanced program in Russian as they do in other languages. As far as I can tell, this 2 CD set is the full extent of their offerings in Russian.

I found this program very useful in learning some important basic vocabulary and getting more comfortable hearing and interacting with spoken Russian. The first CD is set up as a series of lessons and games on 8 different topics -- basic words (hello, goodbye, excuse me, etc.), foods, numbers, time of day, basic phrases, body parts, countries, and objects you might buy shopping like clothes.

In the lesson, a picture is shown, for example a plane. The word for plane is shown in English and in Russian (in cyrillic) and a Russian speaker says the word. There are two speakers on the CD, with noticeably different accents. It is interesting to compare the two accents and sort of triangulate the standard pronunciation. It also helps when you can't understand one of them, listening to the other one usually clarifies. SO, you see the meaning of the word, you see the word in English, you see the word in Russian, and you listen to a native speaker say the word. This is GREAT! I can't tell you how much of this I retained from all this great linguistic input!

So then there is a game to go along with each lesson, which is basically memory. They say a word in Russian and you have to click on the right picture. Simple. There are four different games you can play of varying difficulty levels. And it's really more of a test than a game, but hey when i graduated from college i got an engraved plaque saying i never had to take another test in my life. Didn't you? Anyways... This first CD was really helpful. I really have retained about all of the words on the CD, which is pretty amazing to me. There is also a speech/pronunciation section, but I didn't use it.

The second CD is a little different. It's more of the "immersion" that the title claims. They start spouting sentences full of words you probably don't know, and you're supposed to pick out like which picture they're talking about based on the fact that you heard the word "red" and "shirt" in there somewhere. But it's a little baffling. I'm going to hold off on doing the second CD until I go through some of my other books a bit more. But it's essentially set up the same -- lessons and then "games" to test and reinforce what you learned.

IN SUMMARY, very valuable vocabulary building. The setup of the lessons lends itself to a high level of retention, and the native Russian speakers are great for self-taught book people to hear. There are no grammar lessons, there are no writing exercises, there is no conversation on your part, there is no instruction in cyrillic, the list of vocabulary could have been a bit more extensive, and you don't even necessarily learn how to spell the words you learn. Therefore, it is only ONE weapon among many you should have if you really intend to beat the Russian language into submission. (just kidding) But it is very good at what it undertakes.

And need I repeat that for the price, you can't beat it.

Good Starter for willing students.
This is a very good program for people who are just starting to learn the Russian language. This program gives students a few basic words and phrases that will help a student get introduced to the language. It is worth the money in my opinion however the program is geared toward a younger age group and does not go very deep into the Russian language. Overall, this program would be a good way to start. ... 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 (14)

Simply an excellent program
This is a great program. Previously I bought another Russian language software program and it was pitiful compared with this one. Anywhere in this program you can right-click on a Russian word and bring up its grammar characteristics. An example might be (noun, feminine, 1st conjugation, possesive case). This is important to know when you are learning what ending a word needs based on that information. You can also hear words pronounced by Russian speakers at full speed or half speed and have the word repeated as many times as needed to imitate it. The only things this program lacks are a dictionary (you can download a free Russian/English, English/Russian dictionary off the internet from Russlang) and a "back" button to go to a previous training sentence. You can tell the program to go to a specific sentence and word (i.e. sentence #202, word #5), but without a printed-out sheet of all sentences how are you to know what sentence #202 says? Even so this is an amazing product and a great deal of work obviously went into developing it and it shows. One piece of advise though. You should also buy a good Russian language textbook to complement this program. Either one without the other will eventually leave you confused somewhere down the line. Just be aware that Russian is a complex language and the more reference tools you have at you side, the easier it will be. I have 3 books and often must read the same topic in all 3 to fully understand it. I give this product 2 thumbs up. If your local library has the book/tape series "Modern Russian 1" printed by the Georgetown University Press. I highly recommend you check out the book for a few weeks. It is a great reference tool. ...

Listen russian until your jaw drops.
I approached the russian language under two very different methods: this ultra modern CD-ROM and the old fashioned printed course, a.k.a. book. I am sorry to say that the Learn Russian Now! CD ROM, although impressive and nice, is not definitely the ideal tool for beginners. Someone will probably enjoy this CDROM if he is nearly an expert in russian language and wants to practice conversation and hearing skills. For the beginner, it can be frightening. Open the course and the first suggested section will take you to an intimidating 4 minute dialogue in russian which is supposed to be your first lesson using basic russian structures... basic for whom? Then, you are supposed to review what you just saw. Nice. Lessons are organized thematically (restaurants, how to catch a cab, around Saint Petesburg, etc.) and not by level of difficulty or expertise, so each one of them combines every imaginable verb tense (present, past, future, etc.) and language structure. This means lenghty monologues with incomprehensible russian chatter until your jaw drops or you turn off the computer. I simply could not learn russian using this method, only memorize some useful phrases, but that does NOT mean you are learning the languague.

Then I swtiched to the printed, step-by-step, old fashoned book (New Penguin Russian course VERY recommended!) and I'm glad I did. After dedicating one hour every other day to study my book, I am speaking russian after two months... and practicing online with russian friends :)

Not terrible, but definitely not good.
Not terribly expensive, but still not worth it. The Rosetta Stone software is far superior, albeit costly. If you're on a budget and MUST have software and are willing to put up with a klunky interface and poor quality, buy this. Otherwise, save your money.

Language Now!
The LanguageNOW! series happen to be very good. It greatly improves your listening and reading skills. Russian happens to be one of the hardest languages in the world. Even many Russians have a hard time with their language.

As for as Grammar goes, this software puts you on the right track. The only way to actually learn grammar is to buy a grammar book. I suggest Shaum's Outlines: Russian Grammar - it is probably the best!

Great Program
This program deserves the 5-star rating for several reasons.
1) Has a grammar turtorial (something a lot of language software is lacking)
2) Uses technology to its fullest with video, amazing audio(you can listen to over 10,000 words in Russian) , and voice recognition to help correct your pronunciation.
3) Good conversation practices
4) Extra learning material offered online
5)Uses native speakers

Overall, this program is a very impressive learning system unlike any other out there and I highly recomend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Though a bit disjointed and somewhat confusing at times, TransparentLanguage's Learn Russian Now! is an intriguing, multifaceted two-CD package thateducates in an entertaining yet fully immersive environment. The programpresumes that its students have had at least minimal exposure to the languageand the Cyrillic alphabet, or are otherwise immediately ready to undergo itsstiff learning curve; however, those who are serious about understanding Russianin its written form and speaking it with a moderate degree of proficiency shouldfind the software quite enlightening.

At the heart of the program is a group of four increasingly advancedsections--Fundamental Russian, Getting Around Russia, Survival Phrases forRussian, and St. Petersburg: A Window on Europe--each of which includes severaldiverse sub-elements. Getting Around Russia, for example, features acirca 1980s mini-movie chronicling the misadventures of an American businessmantrying his best to adapt to the country and the language. The video quality isgrainy and the audio portion marred by a mid-frequency hiss, but the tale isboth funny and instructive.

After watching the movie, students are encouraged to access various exercises,including word and sentence pronunciation drills, online quizzes, andedutainment games such as crossword puzzles and word scrambles. The program alsooffers numerous visual and practical aids, including a nifty waveform displaythat compares the pupil's version of a particular word or syllable with that ofthe original Russian-speaking instructor. Unlike a virtual school, Learn RussianNow! does not chart overall progress or grades, yet many of its elements featurehigh score tallies and visual indicators based upon aptitude and performance.

The program isn't structured linearly, and therefore may frustrate those wholike to follow a set path, but for those ready to speak and recognize thecharacters, words, and common phraseology of the Russian language, Learn RussianNow! is a fine educational enhancement. --Gordon Goble ... Read more

Reviews (11)

In Russian: "Ne Ochen Horosha!"
I must say that I can't suggest this software if you are looking to supplement a regular Russian language course. I bought Learn Russian Now! thinking that its record/playback features would help me with my accent, and that the dictionary would help me translate readings for class. Unfortunately, it didn't have a dictionary that looked up Russian to English efficiently, so it was impossible to pick a word from a homework assignment and find its meaning/pronunciation--you can only look up/hear words in the programs dialogs. Also, the playback feature would say my accent was perfect at times that my (human) tutor would cringe. If you don't have access to a real life person, this may be the next best thing to teach you Russian. However, if you are trying to find something to help you out with a class, a regular old dictionary might be a better investment.

Great program! But frustrating at first,
I got this for my 14th birthday, and for the first day, I was worried it waste of money, but I assure it's not. The best way to start (I think anyway) is to go to the fundamental, and go part one, part two, part three...It's long and slow, but if your as serious about learning Russian as I am, you'll get it. (Once the basics are learned, understanding it is a lot easier so later on when your trying to memorize things, it won't be so hard) But if your still not sure you want to learn Russian, don't bother buying it. Russian is hard! With a whole new alphabet. if you just want to learn a second language, go for Spanish or something.

Not good enough
Crashes regularly on Windows 2000. Does not have a module with the sounds of the alphabet, which makes it hard to get started. Overall, just lacks organization.

It will probably turn out to be a good supplement to another program, but by itself, is not enough to get started learning Russian.

The Cold War is Back, Comrade! Ah, the Good Old Days....
I bought this neat item after struggling with rewinding and fast forwarding Russian language tapes for the last couple years. Needless to say, I didn't get very much past the conversational ability of a Russian infant. Even though I haven't had this product very long, I can't say much yet about the speech recognition and whatnot but I'm already making larger strides than I ever did with those tapes, let me tell you! Repeating words and sentences is a snap, all you have to do is doubleclick. Want them to speak slower? No problemo, my friend! They have that function in there too. This thing will definately save you from the nightmare of tapes. Before you know it, you'll be shouting Russian and beating your shoe against a podium at the United Nations with the best of them.

Very good program.
This is a very good program to learn Russian in because it gives you the benifit of being able to instantly hear what you are looking at. Not only that but you get instant translations and full dialog on one screen. You can "bookmark" certain words, or write down thoughts that occur to you as you learn. It's a very good program and will help you learn quickly if you get into it. Learning a language is not 'easy', but it doesn't have to be the most difficult thing in the world either. This program is the best aid I've had in my studies of Russian so far. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Huge Amount of Content
I was extremely impressed with what Polish Now had to offer in the means of content. Thousands of useful vocabulary and phrases which are taught through many ways such as games, dictation ect. I really liked the feature that allows you to slow the speaking of a word down so you can really hear the correct pronunciation well. The grammar tutorial that is included is very helpful. To me it seems like Transparent Language covered every aspect needed to learn and advance my ability to speak Polish. This program also makes great use of video and audio to help forward your learning. When all is said and done this software is well worth the buy.

Good Product
This product by Transparent Language excels in teaching Polish. I would recomend this program for many reasons.
First of all they use many methods to teach such as games, conversation practices, and reading/speaking in Polish, ect. Secondly, they give you the tools to learn the basics of Polish such as a Grammar tutorial, alphabet reference, word dictation, ect. Another thing about Polish Now that I really appreciated was the vast amount of content(meaning language) that was in the final product. There were practice conversations for many situations and you could hear every Polish word said in the program. Finally, the depth of the program's features are truely amazing. It goes as far as allowing you to compare your pronunciation of words to the pronunciation of a native speaker's words.
Transparent Language did an excellent job with this product and I highly recomend it to anyone looking to learn Polish.

Good way to learn Polish
This software teaches Polish really well. I really enjoyed all the review/practice games. The audio and video features are superb. This product is excellent at what it does and I love it. My recomendation is to look here to start learning Polish.

Learn to Speak Polish
I spoke several foreign languages( Spanish, Italian, German) before picking up Polish Now and I must say this is a great way to learn a new language. Every other language I learned was in a classroom setting but Polish Now changed this. Everything I needed was in one program and it was very sucessful at teaching the basics. The games and other activities provided for hours upon hours of needed practice. The amount of practice and learning that can be done through this program is immense and very interactive. I was able to learn the basics of Polish and many situational phrases very easily. From there the program lead me into the more advanced areas of learning the Polish Language and did so quite sucessfully. I would recomend this program to anyone who wanted to try and learn another language.

Just... a terrible method.
This is just bad. That says it all. It throws you into a shark tank, with EVERYTHING being in Polish, from beginning to end. The only thing I was able to absorb was the Polish alphabet. Even learning the alphabet took me days. The book is a much better way to go when learning a language. This is too fast paced, spoken too quickly, and absolutely no good for beginners. Only people who know an intermediate amount of Polish will find this good.

Pros:
Easy to learn alphabet, with practice

Cons:
Too fast paced
Everything written in Polish from start to end
No Polish/English dictionary
NO GOOD GRAMMAR HELP (biggest problem)
Speakers talk to fast, making much of the talks sound like jibberish, especially if you are new to the Polish tongue

Overall, just plain BAD. Transparent Language's way to approach language learning just doesn't work. The book is a much better method. Just take a class with the book and it will be MUCH easier and less stressful to learn another language. And if you choose to use computer software, DO NOT use Transparent Language products. ... Read more