Has anyone used Rosetta Stone to learn a new language?

[Danmel]

I am thinking of learning Spanish for work related purposes and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it.
Gracias!

[OffWithTheirHeads]

1. Bought it for my wife several years ago. Still no habla.

[tarheelsunc]

2. I personally found it boring and repetitive.

For me, Pimsleur is a much better way to learn but it is all a matter of personal preference.

EDIT: and guess what ad just appeared at the top of the page!

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[tavernier]

12. I agree

I learned basic French with Pimsleur, and it was very helpful when I went to Paris. Lots of fun as well.

[IrishEyes]

3. I liked it.

I learned Japanese with it. It is expensive but worth it if you practice.

[Chan790]

4. There is no substitute for immersion...

so you'll never really know Spanish until you're having conversations in it...or failing to converse in it.

If I were relearning Spanish (and I should, now that I am no longer using it frequently, my vocab is becoming rusty.) I'd probably use LiveMocha (www.livemocha.com) and the Coffeebreak Spanish podcast (15 minutes a day to fluency over the span of 6 months.) because those are free. Add in a weekly meeting with another learner or 3 to have conversations and you'll do a lot better than with RS.

[avebury]

5. I don't know if you have cable

at home but if you do, does your cable line up carry any Spanish channels? If so you might want to spend some time watching those channels.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. With the closed captions on

I studied Spanish in high school, and before I went to Cuba, I watched Univision with the closed captioning on, because I could read Spanish better than I could speak it.

[MineralMan]

11. I learned some basic conversational Swedish by watching

A Swedish soap opera on my cable, with the captioning turned on. It was surprising how quickly I got the basics.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. It's overpriced and doesn't really teach you much

I've done some of the sample lessons, and I can see how it would build a certain level of understanding, but not speaking. Most people can learn to speak a foreign language only by speaking it with another person.

Your local community college probably has evening or weekend Spanish classes, so I suggest starting with one of those. You'll have a teacher who can correct your mistakes and classmates to practice with. The important things are not to be scared of the language and not to try to fit it into an English framework. Each language has its own internal logic, and you just have to accept it. The students who keep saying, "Why do they say it that way?" are the ones who end up unable to cope. The students who translate in their heads instead of just reacting never make it very far.

On the matter of not being afraid, as noted on another part of this thread, I reviewed my high school Spanish before going to Cuba, where very few people speak English. Did anyone laugh at my mistakes? No, not one person. They were simply glad that I could communicate on any level.

[Danmel]

8. I was going to take an adult ed class offered through our school district

But my mother in law, who had terminal cancer, declined very rapidly and I was unable to take the class- I had family commitments that got in the way. I work for an elected official- we were redistricted and our new district is more latino and I would like to learn more Spanish so that I can communicate with our constituents. I have some time, it doesn't take effect till 2014, but I am old and learn slowly! (lol)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. Well, then, either start with a class or decide whether you learn better by eye or by ear

If you learn better by ear, get the Pimsleur series of audio materials and listen to them while driving around or walking or whatever. I've tried out a couple of the introductory lessons available on iTunes, and they seem pretty sound.

If you learn better by eye, go to the language-reference section of your nearest large bookstore, and it's likely that you will find a whole shelf full of Spanish textbooks. (It's by far the most popular foreign language in the U.S., not surprisingly.) I like the Spanish Now! books, because they contain a lot of reinforcement exercises. Just be sure to get a native speaker or recorded materials to check your pronunciation with. (If you're in New York, it's likely that the Spanish-speaking constituents are Puerto Rican or Dominican, so get someone from those places to help you. My high school Spanish teacher was Mexican, and when I got to Cuba, I found a whole different accent.)

[Danmel]

10. thanks

Lots of the Latinos here are from Central America, Salvadernos, Guatemalans, some Colombians as well. Lots of good food too! Maybe just go out to eat a lot and talk to the people in the restaurants.

[krispos42]

15. That was me in middle school

I can ask for a cold beer, the bathroom, and the US Embassy in spanish.

[mysuzuki2]

13. Just out of curiosity, what is the difference between Rosetta Stone and the Pimsleur approach?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. Pimsleur is strictly audio and uses lots of repetition

and insists that you say the words and phrases out loud.

Rosetta Stone uses a multiple choice approach with pictures.

[spinbaby]

14. Try LiveMocha.com

Same thing except for free and you can exchange lessons with native speakers.

On edit: I haven't used the site in ages and when I checked, it looks different. May no longer be the good free language lessons.

[LuckyLib]

16. The producers of Rosetta Stone have made millions due to two things:

(1) Americans believe anyone can learn another language easily if they just "put their mind to it" with the help of a good program. False. Most folks don't know how to find ways to let language learning take place, trust technology to make it happen, and even in the best of circumstances, fluency is a very elusive goal.
(2) Superior marketing (witness the kiosks in airports).

Don't waste your money. Try lots of suggestions mentioned above, from finding folks to chat with in local community settings, television, films, magazines, books, regular coffee meet-ups with a native speaker, and best of all, living within a community either here or outside of the US where you have to use the language to get along each and every day. In natural contexts, used for real purposes, the language will come.