How effective is Rosetta Stone?

[GwJ]

Link to original post: [drupal=5151]How effective is Rosetta Stone?[/drupal]



I've been meaning to learn Japanese sometime and I just wanted to know if anybody has successfully learned a language with RS, and if so, how well?

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

My dad is using Rosetta Stone for Japanese in the event he comes visit me. He enjoys it and finds it easy to use. Personally, I liked using books and online materials personally. In my opinion, Rosetta Stone is a lot better than using online monthly subscriptions to websites.

My best suggestion is to attend Japanese classes in a college, community center, or if a high school has them since you get hands-on teaching as well as the chance to possibly talk with native speakers.

 

[Morin0]

^ this.

Most likely your teacher will be Japanese and while he/she may have an accent in their English, their Japanese won't so it's not a bad place to start learning!

edit: I think RS has native speakers too -_-. Uhh... I'd still recommend going to your local community college for JP classes.

 

[WindMajor]

I use Rosetta Stone for Japanese.

The way it works is that it teaches you a language like it was your first, essentially beating you over the head with the same words like "Momma" and "Papa" until it finally sticks, and you're comfortable enough to say it, write it, and read it. Although Rosetta Stone will get you learn the language to a decent degree, it helps a lot if you have someone on hand that can help you with things, because they'll be able to explain things to you in plain English like a regular person would as opposed to beating you over the head enough times with the same pictures until you sort of get what they're saying.

Rosetta Stone is fun and easy to use, I just recommend that you use Rosetta Stone along with another resource to make sure you're understanding things 100%.

 

[Meru.]

I personally do not really like Rosetta Stone. I like having someone explain me the grammar and the language extensively, not only to be able to understand everything completely, but also because I enjoy knowing the structures of a language. Rosetta Stone mostly trains you in speaking and I'd like to be training in the other skills (writing, listening, speaking) as well.

That said it can be a useful too but I would also recommend a kind of language class alongside Rosetta Stone, I don't think Rosetta Stone would in itself be sufficient to learn a new language, especially one that is extremely different from your own. Japanese is a language and languages are complicated (and as I said, very different from your own, making it even harder): even those who study it as a major for several years in college may have some trouble using Japanese, it requires a lot of work.

But as for some basics, it can be quite useful.