Revelation From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 8076 posts, RR: 13 Reply 1, posted (3 months 3 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 1193 times:
I haven't tried it.
I've had good luck with Pimsleur CDs.
I put them on in my car during my half-hour commute.
It gets you to speak the language, which helps the confidence a lot.
And doing this in an empty car is a good thing!
I can imagine they are pretty cheap to find used on the usual Internet outlets.
They even have web sites that specialize in trading in the sets you use and selling you used ones cheaply.
einsteinboricua From Puerto Rico, joined Apr 2010, 1639 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (3 months 3 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1176 times:
I think the only complain I have is its voice recognition. It sometimes says you aren't saying it right even though you are saying the exact same thing. It's a good tool to help you write, but I think there are better ways to learn a new language.
"You haven't seen a tree until you've seen its shadow from the sky."
FingerLakerAv8r From United States of America, joined May 2011, 259 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (3 months 3 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 1136 times:
My mother bought it because she wanted to learn Polish. She is a Billing Director for a large company and is in contact with many people from many countries and became frinds with her contact in Warsaw. She used Rosetta Stone and speaks it rather well.
Well, it SOUNDS good to me, the non Polish speaker
einsteinboricua From Puerto Rico, joined Apr 2010, 1639 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (3 months 3 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 1136 times:
Quoting AM744 (Reply 3): Quoting einsteinboricua (Reply 2):
I think there are better ways to learn a new language.
Would that be a different software or formal classroom lessons?
I've found out that classroom lessons are way better. You are forced to learn the language. Rossetta Stone is a good software as is Berlitz, but just like a home exercise program, you'll have the problem of not doing a lesson one day and falling back until you eventually forget you even had the program.
"You haven't seen a tree until you've seen its shadow from the sky."
Revelation From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 8076 posts, RR: 13 Reply 6, posted (3 months 3 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 1129 times:
Quoting einsteinboricua (Reply 5): I've found out that classroom lessons are way better.
I had the opposite experience. I took a class in a local school, and found it moved too fast for me. With the CDs I used, I could stop them and back up when I missed something. In school we spent a lot of time using fancy grammatical terms and learning verb conjugations, which is great if you want an intellectual understanding of linguistics, but IMHO not so efficient for the goal of obtaining a working knowledge of the language.
Your main point is the school enforces discipline, which is a lot different than saying it's an efficient way to learn a language you don't know.
zckls04 From United States of America, joined Dec 2011, 245 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 months 3 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 1063 times:
I much preferred Fluenz. For me the "immersion" method of learning language annoys me. I like to know the grammar and the rules behind it, otherwise it just frustrates me.
I think it depends on how your brain best absorbs information. I think you can get trials of both though to try them out.
QFA380 From Australia, joined Jul 2005, 1834 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (3 months 3 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 1009 times:
I use it, however it can be extremely repetitive which gets frustrating, as you end up doing each 5-15 minute lesson twice I'm not sure how good my language is but I have a little knowledge. The trouble again is how diligently you use it. Good to set up a pattern on when you use it. I think even just a small amount a day will help, as even if you say you'll just do 15 minutes you'll end up doing an hour most of the time.
I think immersion is best used in conjunction with a book outlining the grammar so you know why your saying what your saying rather than hoping that eventually it will click and you'll understand.
I think immersion is best used in conjunction with a book outlining the grammar so you know why your saying what your saying rather than hoping that eventually it will click and you'll understand.
Exactly. It's no different than how you learned English (as a native speaker). You learn how to do it, then you learn why along the way.
Rosetta Stone is good, but it takes a lot of self-discipline to keep up with it. Eventually, you will have to speak it with a real person and ask questions and learn the "why's" of the language you want to learn.
As far as it being "expensive"... you'll spend more taking classes at a school. There's no "cheap" way to learn a new language, unless you learn it in high school or get a scholarship (or have your job pay for it).
Revelation From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 8076 posts, RR: 13 Reply 11, posted (3 months 3 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 880 times:
Quoting Maverick623 (Reply 9): There's no "cheap" way to learn a new language, unless you learn it in high school or get a scholarship (or have your job pay for it).
If you prefer the school approach, you should investigate your local school board's adult education classes, or those in your region, which usually allow you to attend via various agreements between school boards. That's how I took a class cheap. The book was fine, the teacher was fine, but the schoolbook approach didn't work well for me.
rfields5421 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 4871 posts, RR: 21 Reply 12, posted (3 months 3 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 866 times:
Quoting Maverick623 (Reply 9): it takes a lot of self-discipline to keep up with it.
That is the key. Self-discipline to stay with the program. Whether it is a computer program, or a classroom, or whatever.
Quoting Maverick623 (Reply 9): There's no "cheap" way to learn a new language, unless you learn it in high school or get a scholarship (or have your job pay for it).
Also important.
One factor in Rosetta Stone success from folks I know is the price. Some of the people in the international division of the company I used to work for failed at other methods - which were mainly cheaper. When they put their own money down to buy Rosetta Stone - they stuck with it to justify the price, and learned quite well.
Again - the method you use has to be what works for you. For some classes and personal interaction works, for some self learning with a good program, which Rosetta Stone, Berlitz, are.
But success will only be a result of your motivation and self-discipline.
notaxonrotax From Netherlands, joined Mar 2011, 359 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (3 months 2 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 651 times:
Thanks folks!
Unfortunately, I get a bit of an ambiguous feel……..a lot of arguments from both sides make sense!
In my job---> hotels, a bit of office and a lot on the road…….I do feel that with dedication, it could be the way to go as I simply don´t have time to attend classes at a school--> which by the way; was exactly how I learned my 3rd language.
This was achieved by contracting a private teacher (in a country where this is affordable!!)--> brilliant, consider flying to a country (which costs money, I know) but where you could blend with the locals, have a holiday and at the same time enjoy the perks of a private teacher!
Very effective, but again; this depends on what country we´re talking!!
I will give it another browse on the "World Wise Web"……..and make up my mind.
If the mods leave this thread open, will give you my feedback too.
Cheers,
No Tax On Rotax
Als vader voorlicht, kan je merken dat hij achter ligt.
I put them on in my car during my half-hour commute.
This is the advantage of Pimsleur. I used it for Mandarin. If you have longer than a half-hour commute it is easy to stick with the program. I found that after 3 or 4 times, I was ready for the following lesson.
My only criticism of the program is that after Mandarin 1,2, and 3. you still only have a 500-600 word vocabulary and there is nowhere to go after that.
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 28959 posts, RR: 66 Reply 16, posted (3 months 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 461 times:
I am considering picking up the system to learn Russian.
I made a threat to a couple of Russian women at work (including my boss at the time). But I wasn't going to tell them so I could listen in to their private russkie chit-chat about me!
I transferred departments a year ago so now I am just looking at shocking the hell out of them at the Xmas Party.
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
Sponsor Message: 
From Netherlands, joined Mar 2011, 359 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 8076 posts, 
From Puerto Rico, joined Apr 2010, 1639 posts, 
From Mexico, joined Jun 2001, 1595 posts, 
From Australia, joined Jul 2005, 1834 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
