Comments on: Top Result for “Language Learning” = Rosetta Stone http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/ Just blogging about my language geekery. Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:24:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Josh http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/comment-page-1/#comment-22175 Josh Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:56:36 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=182#comment-22175 Hi Tammi, I checked out the teaser video, and the way they repeat the sentence, along with showing the breakdown of the sentence, reminds me a bit of how Michel Thomas goes about teaching a language. Regarding software in general, I've never found anything that impressed me much. However, I swear by Anki, but of course, you have to enter your own stuff into that. :) Hi Tammi,

I checked out the teaser video, and the way they repeat the sentence, along with showing the breakdown of the sentence, reminds me a bit of how Michel Thomas goes about teaching a language.

Regarding software in general, I’ve never found anything that impressed me much. However, I swear by Anki, but of course, you have to enter your own stuff into that. :)

]]> By: Tammi Shoemaker http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/comment-page-1/#comment-22153 Tammi Shoemaker Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:06:24 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=182#comment-22153 I have been looking for software that teaches relevant content that also has grammar lessons to back it up. Most everything on the market is half baked at best. However I did come across a new software that seems to be totally unique: PeanutButter language learning software has videos such as "Going to the bus stop" and "About the weekend" that feature closed captioned style text at the bottom in English, the target language and an awesome "word by word" text that really helps pick up sentence structure and vocabulary at the same time. The software is not ready yet, but you can download a free teaser on their website. I found the teaser on youtube too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abVvGT5UTWg Has anyone ever seen something like this? I have been looking for software that teaches relevant content that also has grammar lessons to back it up. Most everything on the market is half baked at best. However I did come across a new software that seems to be totally unique: PeanutButter language learning software has videos such as “Going to the bus stop” and “About the weekend” that feature closed captioned style text at the bottom in English, the target language and an awesome “word by word” text that really helps pick up sentence structure and vocabulary at the same time. The software is not ready yet, but you can download a free teaser on their website. I found the teaser on youtube too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abVvGT5UTWg

Has anyone ever seen something like this?

]]> By: Johanna http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/comment-page-1/#comment-15743 Johanna Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:08:17 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=182#comment-15743 Same for me. I have tested Rosetta Stone for several languages and what I found most troubling was the fact that they use the same pictures for all the languages... Like, you would see exactly the same horse in Arabic than you would see in Spanish. It's understandable from an economic point of view but what I was missing most is actually picking up each individual culture along with the language as you learn it. Because that is what makes foreign languages so lively and that's what I'm learning them for! GeoffB: for Spanish, I recommend the "Notes in Spanish" podcast. It's for free and the conversations are really fun to listen to and teach you useful words for everyday use. The company website also offers transcripts and other tools, but I haven't tried them yet. Same for me. I have tested Rosetta Stone for several languages and what I found most troubling was the fact that they use the same pictures for all the languages… Like, you would see exactly the same horse in Arabic than you would see in Spanish. It’s understandable from an economic point of view but what I was missing most is actually picking up each individual culture along with the language as you learn it. Because that is what makes foreign languages so lively and that’s what I’m learning them for!

GeoffB: for Spanish, I recommend the “Notes in Spanish” podcast. It’s for free and the conversations are really fun to listen to and teach you useful words for everyday use. The company website also offers transcripts and other tools, but I haven’t tried them yet.

]]> By: anka http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/comment-page-1/#comment-15142 anka Sun, 25 May 2008 21:02:45 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=182#comment-15142 It seems most language geeks aren't It seems most language geeks aren’t

]]> By: GeoffB http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/comment-page-1/#comment-15116 GeoffB Sun, 25 May 2008 03:17:37 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=182#comment-15116 Right now, I'm working through Le Breton sans peine and L'Espagnol sans peine from Assimil. The Breton has a bunch of country folk who hang around the café/tobacco shop. The Spanish has amusing conversations and lots to say about tapas, the food culture, etc. When I did Using French while living in France, not only did the language make more sense; the people did too. With Rosetta Stone, it seems like you get a similar batch of pictures, regardless of the language, and they're all rooted in giving a little vocabulary and illustrating structures. There's no connection between the language and the culture of the people who speak it. It's not just that hello and how are you are missing. It's that the language seems to exist as a way of pointing to things over there, not communicating with another human being. I've never gotten far enough with Rosetta Stone to know the full content, and maybe there's something there I've missed. But for the money, I think there are a lot of better ways to go. You can get the Teach Yourself and the Routledge Colloquial - with audio! - plus a dictionary, a grammar book and one or two music CDs for the language you're studying and still have money left for a nice dinner, compared to Rosetta Stone. (And, if you're lucky, you can find a discounted Assimil on Amazon to go with it.) You can add me to the list of people who aren't impressed with Rosetta Stone. Right now, I’m working through Le Breton sans peine and L’Espagnol sans peine from Assimil. The Breton has a bunch of country folk who hang around the café/tobacco shop. The Spanish has amusing conversations and lots to say about tapas, the food culture, etc. When I did Using French while living in France, not only did the language make more sense; the people did too.

With Rosetta Stone, it seems like you get a similar batch of pictures, regardless of the language, and they’re all rooted in giving a little vocabulary and illustrating structures. There’s no connection between the language and the culture of the people who speak it. It’s not just that hello and how are you are missing. It’s that the language seems to exist as a way of pointing to things over there, not communicating with another human being.

I’ve never gotten far enough with Rosetta Stone to know the full content, and maybe there’s something there I’ve missed. But for the money, I think there are a lot of better ways to go. You can get the Teach Yourself and the Routledge Colloquial – with audio! – plus a dictionary, a grammar book and one or two music CDs for the language you’re studying and still have money left for a nice dinner, compared to Rosetta Stone. (And, if you’re lucky, you can find a discounted Assimil on Amazon to go with it.)

You can add me to the list of people who aren’t impressed with Rosetta Stone.

]]> By: Josh http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/comment-page-1/#comment-15115 Josh Sun, 25 May 2008 02:04:02 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=182#comment-15115 Steph: Not to be a grump, but... you work for the company (Education Revolution) that makes Edufire.com, right? At least, that's what the email address you used tells me (ends in @edurev.com). While it's certainly possible you're actually using the site for your Spanish, it would've been nice if you would have pointed out that you do indeed work for the company that is making the site you're plugging. Steph: Not to be a grump, but… you work for the company (Education Revolution) that makes Edufire.com, right? At least, that’s what the email address you used tells me (ends in @edurev.com). While it’s certainly possible you’re actually using the site for your Spanish, it would’ve been nice if you would have pointed out that you do indeed work for the company that is making the site you’re plugging.

]]> By: Josh http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/comment-page-1/#comment-15081 Josh Sat, 24 May 2008 04:02:58 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=182#comment-15081 Rebecka: Same here. I don't do well with no grammar explanation at all, having to rely solely on "feeling" the right endings or whatever. I don't want to have to guess, I want to be able to turn to page 351, examine table <em>b</em>, and see that yes, indeed, the dative plural ending for... well, you get the point. ;) Rebecka: Same here. I don’t do well with no grammar explanation at all, having to rely solely on “feeling” the right endings or whatever. I don’t want to have to guess, I want to be able to turn to page 351, examine table b, and see that yes, indeed, the dative plural ending for… well, you get the point. ;)

]]> By: Rebecka http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/comment-page-1/#comment-15061 Rebecka Fri, 23 May 2008 08:41:01 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=182#comment-15061 I don't like it at all. I tried it briefly for Arabic and just got annoyed and bored with it. I don't like the "no effort" approach either, I prefer to feast my eyes on a grammar book. I don’t like it at all. I tried it briefly for Arabic and just got annoyed and bored with it. I don’t like the “no effort” approach either, I prefer to feast my eyes on a grammar book.

]]> By: steph http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/comment-page-1/#comment-15031 steph Thu, 22 May 2008 23:02:38 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=182#comment-15031 I have been using a free site called www.edufire.com for Spanish! I really like the site as they offer alot of tools for free...flashcards, videos, forums and social networking. They also offer tutoring sessions via video chat (these have a fee associated with the tutor you choose) but it's VERY affordable when compared to Rosetta Stone and I like that the site is interactive and that really helps me learn much better than just using software! Just my opinion! Check it out I have been using a free site called http://www.edufire.com for Spanish! I really like the site as they offer alot of tools for free…flashcards, videos, forums and social networking. They also offer tutoring sessions via video chat (these have a fee associated with the tutor you choose) but it’s VERY affordable when compared to Rosetta Stone and I like that the site is interactive and that really helps me learn much better than just using software! Just my opinion! Check it out

]]> By: Josh http://languagegeek.net/2008/05/21/top-result-for-language-learning-rosetta-stone/comment-page-1/#comment-14986 Josh Wed, 21 May 2008 22:42:42 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=182#comment-14986 Sakaya, Anka: Sounds like you both had similar feelings as me. I felt like the time I spent clicking pictures could be better spent doing another language learning activity. While I understand where they're coming from, that as a child we learn languages by seeing things and hearing people talk about them, how do you see nobility? Thoughtfulness? A million other abstract ideas, concepts? Agreed, also, Anka, specifically on the fact that I've yet to find any "no effort" language learning methods that actually work. Assimil has proven fairly painless, but I wouldn't call it "no effort." I'm acquiring a decent passive knowledge of French via Assimil, but it's going to take a lot more effort to get to where I can actually say something. Sakaya, Anka: Sounds like you both had similar feelings as me. I felt like the time I spent clicking pictures could be better spent doing another language learning activity. While I understand where they’re coming from, that as a child we learn languages by seeing things and hearing people talk about them, how do you see nobility? Thoughtfulness? A million other abstract ideas, concepts?

Agreed, also, Anka, specifically on the fact that I’ve yet to find any “no effort” language learning methods that actually work. Assimil has proven fairly painless, but I wouldn’t call it “no effort.” I’m acquiring a decent passive knowledge of French via Assimil, but it’s going to take a lot more effort to get to where I can actually say something.

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