Review: Rosetta Stone language learning software

An alternative way to master a foreign language

In an attempt to recreate the environment in which we learn our first language as a child, Rosetta Stone focuses on image association rather than word or phrase translation as its teaching technique.

The Italian course we tried online involves 19 units, each comprising of 50 assignments combining reading, listening, writing and speech, so there’s certainly plenty to be getting on with.

We signed up online (£59.99 for a three-month subscription) to work through the course using Shockwave media pages. Alternatively, you can purchase a CD (£139 for Level 1) and install it the traditional way.

The advantage of the online subscription is that you can continue your learning on any PC with an internet connection.

Courses involve working through units and assignments until you’ve passed everything or decide to move on. You’re given clear goals and targets, and can test yourself to confirm your ability when you’ve decided you’ve mastered a subject.

The technique is really what’s being tested here, and it’s something that has certainly achieved success in the past. In practice, we found it effective at first and you can associate it with a child learning its first words.

However, there are differences. To start with, a child is surrounded by people speaking the same way, and while Rosetta Stone claims to "immerse you completely" while you learn, this isn’t strictly true.

To get the most from the software, you’d need to work through the lessons in as short a time as possible so as not to forget the information at hand, making the software far more suitable to those who need to quickly get to grips with a language; for example, those about to move to a foreign country.

The range of lessons is impressive but, as you progress, it’s hard work remembering all of the associations you’ve made from previous units and you‘ll often end up using a process of elimination when selecting the correct answer from the choice available.

If you’re learning a language because you plan to move to or live in a foreign country it’ll give you a good basis to build on, but for those looking to simply learn a language for fun it’s not nearly as suitable.

Also consider:
Auralog Tell Me More
A thoroughly enjoyable way to learn a new language

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