Amazon.com Product Description

Now you can 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. It's the natural way to learn.

The Rosetta Stone Explorer contains 22 lessons for beginning learners with nearly 900 real-life images and phrases spoken by native speakers. It develops all key language skills--listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing--while its systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. Includes previews, exercises, and tests for every lesson, with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A great way to try the best language learning software
This is by far the best language learning software out there for the DIY language learner. It uses total immersion without any English (this is a good thing). I own the full length courses for both Russian and German 1 and 2, and while it was no small investment, it was definitely worth it. The Rosetta Stone software is like the Pimsleur tapes in that it's the best of its kind and you get what you pay for. I bought this program to try it and passed it on to a friend when I bought my full courses.

Again, this is great software but you won't acheive any level of fluency with the abbreviated programs. But since the larger programs are extremely expensive, it's a good way to see if you like the system before you take the big plunge and spend the bucks on the full courses.

Great deal on fantastic software
As other reviewers have noted, this is the only language learning software series worth buying. It's very, very good. You really do learn to think in the new language from the beginning. I have only one quibble with this Russian version: you'll need to learn the Cyrillic alphabet, and obtain a keyboard chart, on your own, or else you'll be stymied by the writing exercises. (I called Rosetta's help desk, and they told me that other versions of the software had onscreen keyboard maps, but this one does not.)

The "Russian Explorer" package comes with two additional happy surprises. First, along with the 22 lessons of Russian you paid for, you get a free sampler of introductory lessons in the twenty-five other languages Rosetta Stone offers. Even better, you get a coupon for a very substantial discount (you come out ahead) when you're ready to purchase the next levels of Rosetta Stone software. And you will: it's addictive. You can't go wrong by starting with the Explorer.

Well Conceived Sampler
I reviewed many "beginner" systems and found this one to be the better choice for me. It introduces you to the Language in much the same way you learned your native language, visually and audibly. The words are there, too. I am half way through this "sampler" (you are given 22 lessons, which have four layers each) and find it very enjoyable. As you learn to speak, you also learn to read, too. A technique I am employing is to daily go through every lesson from the beginning, advancing every few days to the next lesson as I feel I've begun to absorb and retain the material to which I am exposed. To me, repetition is key to retention and comprehension. Pronunciation improves with each pass, retention improves with each day, and my ability to identify the subject(s) improves with each pass. However, be advised that this is not all there is to learning languages; I also have printed materials with which I work as well. Is it the better system of the few quality offerings? I can only speak from my experience. My Russian friend says I'm doing pretty well for what I know thus far. As my goal is to be able to have decent literacy in Russian within six months, I am confident I can attain it with the help of the Rosetta Stone system (beyond the Explorer sampler).

A good beginning to Russian
Before using this software I thought of Russian as being really "hard" to learn. Thanks to Rosetta Stone I was learning without noticing it. I would learn words the same way a child would. By associating the word with the picture of what it represents instead of translating it. I haven't gone through all the exercises but I am pretty happy so far. I wish they included a handbook as a guide for the beginners but it is not bad. I recommend it.

Even my wife enjoys it and she is Russian!
Apart from Assimil , this is the best and most enjoyable way of learning Russian. It helps if you learn their alphabet first, it only takes a week while shaving! You will be amazed by your progress. The first CD holds 22 of the 92 chapters available from Fairfield Language Technologies. The pronounciation is clear and correct. Please forget Language Teacher,their pronounciation makes my wife roll on the floor from laughter. ... 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 (1)

Most Impressive
Although I'm not a linguist or language teacher, foreign languages are my passion. I've pursued, to varying degree of mastery, successful study of six foreign languages via methods ranging from independent study with books to private tutorials to university classes with language labs. But using computer software is new for me. This Transparent CD-ROM language course blows the other methods out of the water-I can scarcely contain my excitement.

The Transparent course is presented in four modules or "titles": Most Common Words, Survival Phrases, the Polish Family and Discovering Poland. The latter two are actually lengthy articles with video components. You may study the titles in any order you wish and concentrate on any aspect of Polish, whether it be spelling and orthography, grammar and syntax, pronunciation or vocabulary. The program is incredibly flexible and you can customize the titles to reflect your preferences.

If your primary interest is speaking the language, you can concentrate on interactive dialogues (you will need a sound card on your computer) and hide the text. You can even record yourself speaking and compare your pronunciation with that of the speakers in the program. If you want only reading knowledge of Polish, you can hide the sound and video components and read only the text.

If you want full reading and speaking facility, though, this is where the flexibility of this course comes into play. If you get bored memorizing phrases, for example, you can switch over to interactive dialogues or pronunciation exercises. And if you want to test your knowledge, the program offers numerous fun games (unscramble, crossword puzzles, etc.) that you customize as to content-plus you can track your scores to mark your progress.

Not having studied Polish before, I am essentially a beginner. Yet I have already mastered the basics of Polish pronunciation (which is difficult if you haven't studied Slavic languages) and can recognize lots of basic words just by their sound. Having studied Greek and Latin, there wasn't going to be much to stump me grammar-wise about Polish. But Polish grammar is quite complex. For those wishing to explore grammar, there are concise explanations on noun declension, verb conjugation, adverb formation, etc. In the text contained in the titles, the root form of the highlighted word will be shown in a separate box along with, for nouns, the case, number and gender and, for verbs, the person, number, aspect and tense.

This course is intended for beginners or early-intermediate students of Polish. If you studied Polish at a university for two years, you would probably find this course useful only for review or pronunciation practice. If you wish to pursue Polish seriously, you will also want to acquire a good Polish grammar (easy to find) and a good Polish-English dictionary (not so easy to find). ... Read more