Review of Rosetta Stone

This review of Rosetta Stone is based on my evaluation of Rosetta Stone Spanish V3 Levels 1-3, along with Rosetta Stone Japanese Level 1 and Dutch Level 2.

When it comes to language learning software, two things impress me - lots of content and a personal approach. Content because the software medium provides an opportunity for a massive amount of it - audio, video, text, interactivity etc. A personal approach because that is difficult to achieve with educational software. Rosetta Stone has neither of these two qualities. Consequently, it just doesn't impress me. The short of it - not nearly enough content for the price. I prefer   as an alternative. Continue reading for more on why I feel this way about Rosetta Stone and how it compares to other language methods.


Overview of Rosetta Stone
This is just a basic rundown of how it works and what features it has. I have made some comparisons to Version 2 of the software, as well.

My Review of Rosetta Stone and Why I Can't Recommend it.
This is only my opinion, of course (everybody has one), so if you don't want to hear it then please don't read it.

Alternatives to Rosetta Stone
Here are a few other language learning software products that I think are better options for most people.

Visitor Rosetta Stone Reviews
Everybody seems to have an opinion of Rosetta Stone, whether they love it or hate it!

Write Your Own Review
Here's your chance to sound off and write your own Rosetta Stone review.


Overview of Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is now the 800 pound gorilla of language learning software and a marvel of marketing success. Their ads are all over the internet, magazines and TV. It's a household brand name and is probably the biggest selling language product. But does Rosetta Stone really work?


How Does Rosetta Stone Work?

Rosetta Stone claims to teach you a language the way you learned as a child. The way it does this is by immersing you completely in the target language - there is no translation. Words and concepts are presented to you in a series of pictures with the associated audio and with the text, all at the same time. You learn by trial and error.

In the activities, you will hear the sound of a word and see the text and you must select which picture is associated with that word or phrase. You may already have a clue as to which one it is or not. If you get it right, you move on. If not, you try again until you get it. These mistakes are actually essential to the learning process in Rosetta Stone.

In time, words become phrases, then full sentences. Ideas and concepts begin to replace simple objects and actions. New vocabulary and structures are integrated into what you have already learned. Through pattern recognition, more and more of the language is understandable. Slowly, but surely, you develop a foundation in your new language.


Features of Rosetta Stone Software

Rosetta Stone includes many of the same features common to other language learning software products - native-speaker audio, text, a voice recognition feature to aid in learning proper pronunciation etc. There are some activities like filling in incomplete sentences and some limited role-playing.

The software teaches the main four skills of language learning - speaking, listening, reading and writing. There are a number of basic exercises that focus on a combination of skills such as reading and writing over listening and speaking or vice versa, or focus on just one of the skills.

You can choose which units and exercises you want to study, or you can just let the software take you on its guided tour through the whole course. It's really pretty flexible. This means the student can focus more on weak points to improve them, and you can work at your own pace.

They've included a spaced repetition algorithm called Adaptive Recall. This is just a fancy name for spacing out repetitions of new material in order to optimize the memorization process. It's similar to processes used by other language products such as BYKI, Anki and Pimsleurs Graduated Interval Recall.

They also offer a Rosetta Stone online subscription. Rather than buy the software, you can have a monthly subscription and access the software from any internet-capable computer. It is a more flexible option that might appeal to some.

The best way to know for sure if Rosetta Stone is right for you is to try their online demo. Try it for yourself so you can see if it fits your learning style.


Improvements Over Version 2

They have spent most of their efforts improving the interface and graphics. It is better-looking and smoother. Instead of staring at four picture panels for activity after activity, they have varied the number of panels from three to eight. Also, there is often some movement as panels slide out of the way in order to make some room for text bubbles. It works well and makes it easier to look at. The Milestone is an interactive slideshow and provides a little bit more variation.

A new feature added since Version 2 is the Audio Companion. This is audio material you can use away from the computer. It presents the same material you have been studying in a slightly different way and does help to bring it all together.

They have improved some of the amibiguity in what was being asked and also increased the variety of the picture sets, in some cases to be more culture-specific. They have changed the content a little bit to include more conversational elements like greetings and introductions. Overall, it is an improvement over Rosetta Stone Version 2 but read the next section for why it's just not enough.



My Review of Rosetta Stone and Why I Can't Recommend it.

Several years ago, when language learning software was just beginning to become popular, Rosetta Stone was very exciting. It showed great promise. There were other publishers of software around also, but this one seemed like it might make a real breakthrough. Finally it seemed like all the benefits of books and audio, combined with pictures, video and interactivity you can't get any other way (short of a live tutor) was going to be married with a systematic learning method.

But, while computer capacity and capability has increased, multi-media capabilities have improved dramatically, and the internet has innovated some outstanding possibilities, Rosetta Stone has essentially remained the same. I think they have completely failed to take the software to the next level. This recent version represented a huge opportunity and they missed it. Instead of spending their efforts on their product or their service, they spent it on marketing and making more money. Hopefully they will put some of those profits into improving the next version of Rosetta Stone to where it should be.

No language learning method is perfect. And no language learning product can cover every aspect of learning a particular language. Each publisher necessarily chooses where to focus its efforts and which aspects of learning to let go. Rosetta Stone language software is no exception.

This is all just my opinion, of course, and it may work great for you. I encourage everyone to try their demo and find out for themselves how they feel about it. But, for the following reasons I just can't recommend it when there are better software options out there.


No Translations at All

I know this is supposed to be an 'immersion' experience, but a lot of people have complained about the lack of an English translation. This is a deal-breaker for many people. Would it be so difficult to just have a little button on the side to provide the translation for people who wanted it? It would make so many people happy.


No English Instructions

Numerous users have pointed out the amibiguity with some of the activities. Because there is no instruction or directions at all, it can be unclear as to what they are being asked which can lead to frustration. Many people would like to have that. Version 3 has addressed that to some extent (indicating that Rosetta Stone is aware that this is a problem), but it persists. Again, how about a global setting that could turn instructions off or on for people who want it?


Lack of Content

This is the real crux of the problem for me. There is just not enough vocabulary or structures that are useful. By the end of Level 1, the only conversation you could have would consist of "Hello, good afternoon, it's nice to meet you, my name is..., goodbye" and that's about it. And even this small amount wasn't even in Version 2, it's new in this edition. There's just not enough content to use in real life, especially after 25 hours of 'immersion' in Rosetta Stone.

Ok, so let's say that that isn't the focus of the program. The focus is to get a foundation in the language. I can accept that. But I can't really practice it with people which is kind of the point of language. The early content consists of 'the car is red' and 'the boy is running' kinds of things. But this is what you are looking at for activity after activity, it seems, and it feels like it continues on through Level 2 and 3. One of the very first things I see in Level 3 is 'the man is jumping off the ladder.' There were other structures in Level 3 (like past tense and other more complicated concepts) but none of it represents the flow of conversation between two people.

So, after 50+ hours of studying with Rosetta Stone, (through Level 1 and 2, that's nearly two months of studying an hour a day) you still can't really participate in a conversation? Yes, and it seems to just continue on that way. For comparison, the first few chapters of any Living Language or Teach Yourself coursebook (that you could buy for less than $20) would have those conversational elements plus a lot more. Competing software products like Tell Me More, Transparent Language and Fluenz all have extensive conversational elements, as well as additional content.


No Grammar Reference or Dictionary

Rosetta Stone has no grammar reference. So if you want to clarify a grammar point or look something up, you can't. Many people don't want to learn grammar, but some do. What is wrong with having it there for people who do want it?

There is also no dictionary. If you want to look up a word to see what it means, you can't. For comparison, My Tell Me More French has over 9000 words in its glossary, German has about 12000. Rosetta Stone doesn't have a glossary, but in the wordlist at the end of its Contents pdf, there are less than 2000 words combined for levels 1-3. But many of those words are just variations (like hermano, hermanos, hermana, hermanas) so the number of actual different words is considerably less. And it doesn't have the meanings - it's only to refer you to which lessons the word appears in.


Learn Like a Child?

Learn a foreign language like you learned your native language as a child. Great idea. Except, I'm not a child. I'm an adult. Any language acquisition professional will tell you that children and adults learn differently. Adults will always use their native language as a reference point while learning another language, consciously or unconsciously. Adults use a lifetime of reasoning, logic, associations and memory to help acquire a new language.

I'd be overjoyed to be able to speak a foreign language with the skill and proficiency of a seven-year old. Sure, they make mistakes, but they can (and do!) talk about anything all day long. But remember, it took them seven years to get to that point. An adult (learning like an adult) can do it in six months. Would you rather learn like a child or an adult? This 'learn like a child' thing is a marketing ploy.


Fastest Way to Learn a Language?

This is another of Rosetta Stone's marketing slogans. Personally, I think the program moves way too slowly and doesn't cover nearly as much ground as other programs or methods. Maybe it's just because the program doesn't have much variation and doesn't hold my interest that it just seems slow. Let's call it a clash of learning styles. Fine. Apparently, a lot of people share my opinion due to all the similar comments and visitor reviews you can read below.

Invariably, someone else will reply with a comment like "oh, you just have to give the program time to work." Really? Is it fast or not? Granted - "Rosetta Stone - You Have to Give it Some Time to Work" is not quite as impressive a slogan, and it certainly wouldn't sell as well.


Customer Service

I generally like to look at the product as completely separate from the company behind it, but there are some things we need to take into account here.

Starting from before the time Version 3 came out, I began to receive a lot of negative comments and criticisms of Rosetta Stone's customer service and policies. It became a little disturbing to hear horror stories, one after another, of bad customer service - problems with ordering, returning products, ordering the demo, lack of assistance with installation or replacing defective products etc (read many of them below). Every company is capable of making mistakes, but this was beyond what I have seen before.

At the same time, Rosetta Stone was pulling their software from public libraries, enacting a draconian 'licensing' policy, and using some underhanded, nasty or even fraudulent marketing tactics. My own experience with the company was horrendous.

While this doesn't neccessarily have anything to do with the product itself, it does give me pause. If we can't have confidence in the company, our confidence in the product will deteriorate.


Overpriced

In the visitor reviews below, you can read many comments from Rosetta Stone supporters who often recommend other products to learn from to supplement the software. In fact, some of those products include - a dictionary, a grammar book, one of those 501 Verbs books, an audio course, a textbook course etc.

I always recommend to people to learn from several sources. However, for what you are paying for Rosetta Stone, you shouldn't need to buy other products in order for it to be comprehensive. It should be a nearly complete solution by itself. If even its supporters recommend to buy other products to fill in the holes then what does that say about the program?

Just my opinion - I think Rosetta Stone is way overpriced for what it offers.


Alternatives to Rosetta Stone

So, since I can't recommend Rosetta Stone software, is there any other language learning software that I can recommend? Absolutely. Here are three perfectly viable alternatives from reputable companies. I heartily encourage you to do some research, check out demos, read reviews etc. so that you can get a language learning program that you are comfortable with.


I found Tell Me More several years ago when I began to get the feeling that something was going wrong with Rosetta Stone. I was actively looking for a software alternative and Tell Me More came along at the right time. They had just developed a new version of their software and I fell in love with it. They have even updated and improved it since then.

Tell Me More has the vast content that Rosetta Stone doesn't have. Here's a comparison - Rosetta Stone equates to about 25 hours spent per level. For the full 5 Level program then, you spend about 125 hours with the program. Tell Me More offers approximately 2000 hours with the full 10 Level program. Tell Me More dwarfs Rosetta Stone on content, interactivity and value for roughly the same price.

Tell Me More focuses on dialogues and everyday conversation, the kind of vocabulary and structures that are useful to everyone, everyday. There are extensive activities, videos, all with English translation if you want it, grammar etc. I could go on and on. Tell Me More has moved language learning software on to the next level and is my first choice alternative to Rosetta Stone. Read my review of Tell Me More.


Transparent Language makes software products for a very wide variety of languages. I have been using Transparent Language products for ten years. They offer a number of different software products, but the Premium Edition software is the one most competitive with Rosetta Stone. At just a fraction of the price of Rosetta Stone, Premium has many times more content and extra features. If budget is a concern, Transparent language Premium Edition offers a great deal of content and value for the motivated independent student.

Fluenz
In the opening paragraph on this page, I mentioned the two things that impress me with language learning software - content (which Tell Me More and Transparent Language Premium have) and a personal approach, which Fluenz has. If the slowed-down methodical approach that Rosetta Stone has appeals to you, you may want to take a look at Fluenz first.

What Fluenz does that really gives a personal feel is teach you with video lessons from a real tutor. Grammar concepts are taught to you in English and there are lots of follow-up activities to begin using what you've learned. The content can't match what Tell Me More has, but the subject matter is relevant and useful, especially for beginners and much more so than Rosetta Stone. Take a look at their demos to see if maybe their approach is what you are looking for.


Summary of Rosetta Stone Language Learning Software

It looks satisfying and gives you a pat on the back, but there just isn't a whole lot of substance. Whether you are a motivated language learner or a casual learner, there are better options.

If you want to learn another language and you've heard about Rosetta Stone or seen it on tv, do your due diligence before you plunk down the money for it. Do some research, try some demos, read reviews, find out what other language programs and methods there are out there first. Figure out what your learning goals are, what your learning style may be and what your expectations are. Rosetta Stone may not be the solution for you.



Rosetta Stone language learning software is available for the following languages for Levels 1 - 5 : Chinese (Mandarin), English (American), French, German, Italian, Spanish (Latin American), Spanish (Castilian)

Rosetta Stone language learning software is available for the following languages for Levels 1 - 3 only : Arabic, Dutch, English (British), Farsi, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Swedish, Tagalog, Turkish, Vietnamese

Rosetta Stone language learning software is available for the following languages for Level 1 only and has not yet been updated to Version 3 : Danish, Indonesian, Pashto, Swahili, Thai, Welsh







Write Your Rosetta Stone Review!

If you have ever used Rosetta Stone language learning software, tell us about your experience! Please try to include the language you studied, the levels and version of the software.

What Other Visitors Have Said About Rosetta Stone

Click below to see Rosetta Stone reviews from other visitors to this page...

¿Como se dice "Buyer's Remorse"? 
I've been studying almost everyday with Totale V. 4 since early January (today is 4/10/12) and one crucial technical problem has severely detracted from …

Rosetta Stone: a disappointing experience! 
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Marketing Scam 
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After 6 months I question how good it is. 
I have been studying Spanish with Rosetta Totale 5 for 6 months. I have not done the work 7 days a week but spend some time at least 5 days. I have become …

I worry that this is teaching way too slow.  
Well I am surrounded by spanish. I live in San Antonio, Texas. I am partly hispanic, and I am dating someone from central America. It is apart of my life...I …

Not Satisfied 
Beware! Rosetta Stone's policy is that they will not support any Rosetta Stone software that was not purchased directly from Rosetta Stone or a Rosetta …

For the $25 I paid, Rosetta Stone is worth it 
My school this year just began using Rosetta Stone in classrooms. The students in foreign language classes are required to do at least 45 minutes of Rosetta …

Not worth the money, but good for beginners.... 
Now, I borrowed my friends Rosetta Stone due to "I want to learn Spanish fast for school" The first CD from what I see is just a game of memory. If you …

RS Turkish 
I used V2 Turkish. For the extremely high price, Rosetta stone was not very helpful. Though Rosetta Stone was mostly good for learning general words, …

Tried it and not worth it 
I have been using Rosetta stone for about 20+ hours now and I have to say that your review on it is spot on. There is no content other than "The boy is …

The Real World 
Honestly, the reason why I bought Rosetta Stone is because the area where I am moving to has no English speakers, almost whatsoever. So Rosetta Stone is …

Irish 
Now, I agree that this program has it's flaws, just like any other learning program. To really learn the intricacies of a language you need a teacher, …

RS is a great foundation 
I have bought level 1-5 in Spanish (Spain), I am into level 2 and I really do think it is a good program, it has supplied to me a good base level understanding …

Rosetta Stone- Arabic 
I am a young girl learning how to speak arabic for my religion. I find rosetta stone useful, but since I'm only on level one, I probably don't know what …

Not what it's cracked up to be 
I used Rosetta stone for 3 solid years and still cant hold a conversation now. I studies japanese. I have in addition used japanese DVD's and am flabbergasted …

Product activation nightmare 
One year ago my company bought the Rosetta Stone course polish for me. Initial installation went well and the quality and efficiency of learning with Rosetta …

Worst piece of software ever! 
I purchased Rosetta Stone software to brush up on my French prior to a visit to France. The software would not install. The software required an update …

Rosetta's Dynamic Immersion Lost On Certain Languages!! 
I to have used Rosetta Stone which I found almost useless in learning Japanese. Here's a case where Rosetta falls flat on it's face. In Japanese you have …

Beware of Rosetta Stone Scams 
I am writing this to warn others who might be fooled like I was. I ordered the Rosetta Stone language software after hearing great reviews and was very …

Rosetta Stone works well. But whatever software you choose, have a friend to speak with! 
I am moving to San Diego, California and wanted to learn Spanish before I moved so close to Latin America. I've been using Rosetta Stone for several months …

Rosetta Stone and a native speaker 
I found the Rosetta Stone program to be quite rewarding only in the fact that I live in San Antonio Texas. Being around native Spanish speakers, the immersion …

Various Rosetta Stone Comments 
Here are some comments on Rosetta Stone that, for one reason or another, most likely technical, I didn't post them at the time I received them. They reflect …

How to enhance the Rosetta Stone Experience! 
I've been using RS Version 3 Spanish (Spain) for several months to learn Spanish from scratch, and I have found the immersion method enjoyable and effective. …

Rosetta Stone Spanish 
The advertisements are too hyped up for what it is worth. It is not easy to learn. I tried it out and will never recommend it to anyone. You have …

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Chinese Mandarin 
I was given RS Mandarin a a gift. I had a few lessons of Mandarin in the past.I found the RS program interesting, but it was frustrating to try to learn …

So far so Good 
I tried the first two levels of Tell-Me-More and I believe Rosetta Stone is much better. I just bought it about two weeks ago and I'm nearing the end …

Why would you throw away $500 software?! 
I can't believe all of the negative reviews!! Most of these have to do with a beef with the company. The program itself is amazing. I enjoy learning …

Too many bugs and questionable service 
while the software is great. It causes too many troubles to use it. You will likely spend 3x as much time troubleshooting the software and communicated …

No Support- DO NOT BUY Rosetta Stone 
I bought 3 versions of Rosetta Stone on Ebay, Registered online, unlocked the courses and started. After a year, my computer crashed and I lost all my …

Demo Bait and Switch 
I called in response to a radio advertisement for a demo of the Rosetta Stone program. When I called the guy basically tried to talk me out of the demo …

Rosetta Stone V3 Russian 
My mother is a Russian native speaker, but she never taught me Russian when I was a kid. Too bad, but then came Rosetta Stone ("RS" from here), and I tried …

French Levels 1, 2 and 3 (Completely useless) 
The worst Language learning tool ever. I do not regret anything more in my life that having spent over $500 dollars in something so useless. I …

RS works  
I recommend this product. Most likely posting negative reviews are those who stopped after 1 or 2 weeks. Keep it up for a month or so and you'll begin …

Not disappointed BUT Rosetta stone has weaknesses 
I see good and bad things with Rosetta Stone. The bad: 1) They do not explain the rules of the language. I could easily imagine that if Rosetta Stone …

Learning arabic with rosetta stone 
I have just begun using rosseta stone, and I am well sastisfied. though there are a few cans. It can be very difficult to learn a language that doesn't …

Rosetta Stone Greek Level 1 
I purchased Rosetta Stone Greek Level 1 in preparation for a visit to Mytilene. Because I am a third-generation Greek-American whose Yaya (grandmother) …

Pretty Good 
What most people don't get about Rosetta Stone is that, it builds with the basics first. Sure we all want to talk and understand the target language immediately. …

Good learning experience 
I decided to learn Hindi two years ago and after having tried cheaper courses bought Rosetta Stone version 2. I found that this gave me a reasonable basic …

Rosetta Stone Japanese - A good tool 
Rosetta stone has worked fairly well for me. A number of the negative reviews here don't match up with my experience. I've dealt with the technical support …

Just a terrible company, whether you learn or not. 
I purchased Rosetta Stone Spanish ($500) and Indonesian (ONLY $250), both directly from Rosetta Stone. When I finished with the Spanish version I offered …

Buyer beware - you will not own your software! 
If you are considering a purchase of any Rosetta Stone softwares, be aware that you will NOT own it. This means if you decide to sell it later, you cannot. …

Rosetta stone - a good supplement 
Okay, so I agree with a lot of people - Rosetta stone is ridiculously expensive (unless you feel like pirating it - like me), is can be pretty confusing. …

Rosetta Stone (Mandarin) no good 
I have had the Mandarin version of Rosetta Stone for a couple of years. I bought it cause they had a guarentee. My fault for not reading more into it, …

Not Buying!! 
Thank goodness I ordered the free demo. First of all, I ordered the Spanish version and received the German version. Ok, no big deal. I then installed …

Korean Level 1 
I found Rosetta Stone immensely helpful and my Korean students were impressed by my rapid progress. I think one of the key things is to commit at least …

ROSETTA FRENCH 
I have studied french off and on since junior high (I am 35 now). My french is very broken and bought level 1 and 2 to refresh myself and rebuild all that …

Horrible company, but great product 
I love the product very much so, it helps me learn what I need. I hate the customer service, I hate the policies. I hate them so much so that just because …

other programs/softwares 
My husband gave me Rosetta Stone-French on Christmas. I was soooooooo happy and in love just to see the yellow box, because I just love to learn French. …

Not particularly pleased with product. 
I would give it three and a half out of five stars if there was a rating system. The one thing that did surprise, and delight me the most, was when my …

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Better Than Traditional Classroom Instruction 
I have to say that I am very happy with Rosetta Stone so far. Admittedly, that opinion might be different if I'd paid full price for it, but I didn't, …

German 
I've read a few reviews, particularly about Farsi Rosetta Stone, because that is something I'm interested in purchasing. I've been using German Rosetta …

Rosetta Stone Rip-Off 
I have been very interested in learning Japanese, so I bought a Rosetta Stone Level 1 and 2. After 10 minutes of using it instantly after getting the CD's …

No Easy Way to Learn a Language 
We are a society that wants things fast and immediate. And in such a fast pace world this is often possible. However; there will always be goals that …

I want to learn what each word means 
Rosetta Stone with its emphasis on selecting one photo out of four with no knowledge of what each word means, leaves me missing the pieces of the puzzle. …

Rosetta Stone Japanese 
I have Rosetta Stone Japanese; it was given to me as a gift. I have to say, I'd discourage anyone interested in purchasing it. It's expensive, and I personally …

Farsi 
I've just begun working on the online version for Farsi and truly enjoy it. I would have to agree with some of the other posts regarding grammar difficulties. …

Perhaps unreasonable expectations? 
I have struggled learning Spanish all my life. I grew up in a border town within walking distance from the border, had native Spanish speaking friends, …

noname 
I have found no programs so far that actually engage in conversational elements that help to build language spontaneity. I am in no way, shape, or form …

Rosetta in Greek 
I bought Rosetta Stone levels I and II in Greek in anticipation of an extended trip to Greece including my father's home island. Since I heard Greek frequently …

Great program but has its flaws 
No single language program on its own is going to teach you a language, no matter what the gushing commercials say. A good program, and I consider Rosetta …

student of language 
I would never never never buy another product from this company. Very poor customer support. Microphone has been a problem from the beginning, but after …

Customer Service is Terrible. 
I owned and used version 2 of Rosetta Stone and made the $620 mistake of purchasing the version 3 edition. One of the primary reasons I purchased Rosetta …

BEWARE - you return it or sell it 
I found out the hard way that Rosetta Stone has a funny little quirk written into their license agreement. YOU CAN NOT SELL IT, EVEN IF YOU NEVER USED …

Never buy this product 
I purchased this product with the first three levels. The product would not operate correctly. The support tech blamed it on my computer. I argued but …

a weak overhyped product 
Time and time i find myself looking for new language materials and going back to pimsleur (in my opinion the best way to learn languages along with web/tv/movie …

Learner. Completed Levels 1 and 2 
I formerly studied Russian at the Language School in Monterey when I was in the service, and worked as a Russian linguist while in the service, so I well …

Marketing Genusis Software Idiots 
Rosetta Stone Rosetta Stone Rosetta Stone... that is a name we hear frequently when it comes to foreign language software. however just because we all …

RS isn't all that bad 
Look look, RS isn't really all that horrible. People just need to chillax and understand that you will need find some other methods to accompany this product. …

A good start, but no substitute for a brain, a teacher, and live communication.  
I'm a qualified ESL teacher so I know a thing or two about teaching and learning languages. I am currently using Rosetta Stone to learn Farsi, which does …

Retired Educator 
I'm Disgusted! Native speakers (Spanish) speak too fast and sometimes run two or three words together as one. Instruction is poor. Their Customer Service …

An Easy and Fun way to learn Spanish 
I'm currently halfway through level 1 Spanish, and I'm happy with the experience so far. The interface is intuitive and you end up learning the language …

A Medley of Rosetta Stone Rants 
Here are a number of negative or just-plain-harsh reviews of Rosetta Stone that I have received in the past several months. These are visitor-submitted …

Works for me...Spanish (LA V3).. online  
I'm using the Spanish (Latin America) V3 online edition through the USAF. I had 5 courses in spanish in high school (6 years ago). I traveled to mexico …

From a different perspective 
Spanish is my native tongue, I recently thought of buying the Spanish version of RS for my Fiancee who wishes to learn the language. After reviewing a …

Click here to write your own.

Questionable At Best 
I purchased Rosetta Stone to learn Korean before I went to Korea for a year. I never looked at Korean or any Asian language for that matter. Immediately …

A Waste of Money - Made for Children only 
This program would be great ... if I were 6 years old. But for adults, it's a waste of money. i've gone several hours into "lessons", and so far all I …

Korean Rosetta Stone 
I have a lot of korean friends, so i thought why not learn korean through rosetta stone. I have the BASIC foundation of korean, i can pretty much just …

So Far this best but still falls short 
I am also using Rosetta Stone to learn Latin American Spanish. It does give you a good foundation for subject words but the action words get lost because …

Happy with Rosetta Stone, but it could be better. 
I am 80% happy with Rosetta Stone. It introduces a lot of vocabulary. I wish a person could click on the word and it would tell you what it is. Thank …

learn language through real life experience not a $500 program 
I checked out the Rosetta Stone after already being fluent in Spanish just out of curiosity. A friend of mine had bought it and I wish I knew earlier …

Not Really Working For Me 
I been learning Korean for a while now and I have got ok at it I can say things like I like think, I want, please take me here and a few other things. …

So Far Not So Good 
I know three persons who have used the Rosetta Stone program: 1. My wife to learn English. She hasn't learned a thing. 2. A friend to learn Spanish. …

no results from Rosetta Stone 
I am a native Russian speaker. I have a friend, who wished to study Russian. He is so driven and goal oriented that he worked on his Rosetta Stone like …

Still checking it out 
I have to disagree with some of the people who are so critical of the program, and most of the stuff I agree on is kinda nit-picky. I took it in high school …

OldFogie 
The first thing to note is that Rosetta Stone grossly overcharges for their programs. They make a big deal that you learn as a baby does, as you did …

Why I am no longer considering buying this. 
I was initially dazzled by the endless commercials, the testimonials and the pretty packages. I read and reread their website, but the more I research …

limited 
after studying rosetta stone for 2 1/2 years I find the vocab repetative (in a limited way) and it just doesn't immerse you in the way you need. If you …

Very disappointing 
It looks good to start with, you learn basic words, but it takes ages to teach any conversational skills, which is what you need in the beginning. Also …

from a language learn, 2 thumbs up 
Hey. I am well qualified to review this because I have studied a few langugaes. Specifically, I studied spanish in high school for a couple years, studied …

Using it for my 3rd Language 
When I learned French (native English) in the mid 90's there was no Rosetta Stone. I remember very distinctly that prononciation and retention (I'd …

Rosetta Stone French 
I opened the packeage to discover headphones with ear-caps unattached and one of them had the copper of wires exposed. I inserted the Application disk …

Rosetta Stone is overrated... 
Quite simply, this product is not worth the $300 - $400 that it is. It is alright because it does teach you some general concepts but overall it's not …

Korean Level 1 
I purchased this before I came to Korea as I thought I would get an extra punch to learn Korean. After some technical snafus (noted below), I was able …

Answers to the criticisms of Rosetta Stone 
Let me start by saying that Rosetta Stone is a good product and will teach those who really want to learn a new language, Although it does NOT work miracles …

Customs Fees 
Hi, I'm a US citizen in Mexico for the winter -- and then headed for a French-speaking country. I have had RosettaStone Spanish for a few years and liked …

Living in Japan using Rosetta stone 
This won`t be long. I functionally speak Spanish, Japanese and English. I use a multiple attack method when I learn languages. Essentially I: (a) …

Very disappointed so far in Version 3 
I made it through Rosetta Stone level 1 and 2 of Dutch in version 2. I was somewhat frustrated with these because the program often reverts to baby sentences …

Be aware if you need to access from more than one computer. 
The family is going to spend a month in S. America and we agreed it would be helpful for us all to learn the language. Rosetta Stone was installed on …

An honest, detailed review 
I rate the program 5 out of 5 stars. It's fantastic and is a great supplement with other language-learning methods. My father, who moved to Chile a …

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Rosetta Stone is Over Rated 
I have had RS for a couple years. My Russian wife bought it for me to learn with for when we went to visit her hometown and see her parents who speak …

Good software, Bad company 
I have used Rosetta Stone for about a year now and have learned a lot. I recently bought a new PC with a 64 bit operating system and it will not even install …

Rosetta Stone: Good and Bad 
I first heard of Rosetta Stone from all the commercials I have seen everywhere. I knew that my mom wanted to learn French and I German. I was hesitant …

Used by NASA? 
I currently work for NASA and have for about 4 years now. I had never heard of Rosetta Stone until I started seeing their commercials, and I became incredibly …

Did Rosetta Stone version 3 NOT correct the flaws in version 2 ? 
I purchased Rosetta Stone version 2, both French and Russian. I do not recommend it. Besides typos and other scattered, random errors, Rosetta Stone has …

Rosetta Stone Is Terrible 
I am a fluent speaker of Spanish and Italian as well as English. Most of my Italian was learned through formal instruction, and my Spanish was learned …

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