Rosetta Stone Version 3: Chinese Level 1,2 & 3 Set with Audio Companion

Rosetta Stone Version 3: Chinese Level 1,2 & 3 Set with Audio Companion | GREAT Product, but Put the TIME in!

software:

Rosetta Stone Vers...

	Rosetta Stone Version 3: Chinese Level 1,2 & 3 Set with Audio Companion Mac OS X, Windows \| Rosetta Stone, 2008 average customer review:based on 39 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Once again, exceeded this military linguist's expectations.

A month ago I had the opportunity to review Rosetta Stone Version 3: French Level 1, 2 & 3 Set with Audio Companion, and while my immersive learning experience for Korean while a Marine had made me skeptical that a piece of software could actually teach someone a language, I came out thoroughly impressed by Rosetta's approach, and high on its potential. I noted, at the time, that I had a few years of French going in, and that I wondered what the experience would be like if I were going into a new language completely blind with this system -- so when the opportunity to try Chinese came up, I was both intrigued and excited.

Backing up briefly to the nuts and bolts, this is easy software to install. You install the base learning platform, and then each of the modules (Chinese 1, 2, and 3, in this case) individually within. The happy result of this modular system is that you still only have one install even if you have multiple languages on the system. Which is to say that because I had already installed the software with French, when it came to install Chinese, all I had to do was load the new modules into the existing software. Whether you'll be doing a new install, or adding modules to an old, it's quick, easy, and intuitive -- just like the software itself. Post-installation, you're taken into the learning process straight away. After calibrating the included microphone headset, I was invited to repeat and pronounce "ni hao," just as "bonjour" had been the first of many steps for the French.

As I said in the French review, the software is intuitive, and the approach is intelligent. You don't have that native speaker standing in front of you scowling because you're butchering the music of their language in the early going, but you do have the software giving feedback and similarly identifying where you might require a little more attention. The program constructs in the user a solid base of simple vocabulary, establishing a basic understanding of the mechanics of the language on which additional vocabulary and structure may be built. With regard to the interface, the absence of a tutorial (as far as I saw, though I didn't look hard because it was so easy just to start using) was a bit surprising, though it took a very small amount of time to get into the swing of things. The earliest exercises range from matching phrases to their appropriate pictures to out-loud (through a microphone) pronunciation tests to proper spelling and grammar training. The pronunciation recognition ability of the software is pretty sharp -- if you're off, it will tell you, but the program allows the user to improve before moving on to the next test.

Chinese is one of the most difficult languages for Westerners to learn and master, simply because of the complete departure from the basic construction and rules of those with Latin and Greek roots. Which is to say that you can often apply basic logic learned from English mastery to concepts in French, Spanish, Russian, and the like. Chinese is also character based (as opposed to alphabet-based construction of words), and tone is often critical to meaning. We may pronounce "boat" any way we choose, and our audience is likely to understand what we mean. In Chinese, a single word given different tonal inflections may carry several different possible meanings.

So, getting back to my closing question from the French review, can someone come in completely unfamiliar with a language, and master it with Rosetta Stone? I don't like to speak in absolutes, but that certainly seems a stretch after a month of working with Chinese. Despite my background with Korean, which employs a small range of Chinese characters in its own fashion, and despite genuinely enjoying the process, Rosetta alone won't bring you to mastery, and perhaps not even to a point where you could cleanly communicate with native speakers without real help. But that's not the point, which is why it's not a knock on the software, or their (in my estimation) brilliant approach to language learning. Rosetta builds a foundation, a very strong foundation, upon which you may pursue mastery through use. By building a cornerstone of vocabulary, concept, and a basic framework of common means of communication, you are given almost everything you need to to practice, practice, practice -- and in the process, learn. I would argue that the most difficult part of learning a language (though this varies from person to person) is the foundation, and Rosetta is a terrific solution, either as a standalone approach, or as a supplement to other classes or exposure. In my case, with Chinese, it's only been a month, but I'm already building that base. Another month, tossing in a few hours of learning time here and there? Who knows, maybe by then it will be time to go looking for patient native speakers who might be able to further mold and instruct me. Foreign languages are out of no ones reach, it's just a question of how far you might try to take it. Rosetta levels 1 through 3 aren't going to do for you what 47 weeks with native speakers at the Defense Language Institute will, but it will definitely put you on the same path, and I can assure you it's much more fun this way. As before, I find myself an enthusiastic fan of this software and approach.

for more information click here

GREAT Product, but Put the TIME in!

This is a great product for learning a foreign language, in this case Chinese with a specific dialect to be exact. It gives you all you would need, reading, and listening (just like in school). And it starts at a basic level and works up.

Now the thing is you have to put in the time on a regular basis. Just like in school, if you put in a hour (or more) each day or every other day and concentrate (not watch TV while using it), this works. I was able to start off three times a week and both weekend days. I was grasping it, and learning. But then this thing called "life" caught up with me and I missed days then went down to just weekends. I'm planning on starting up again after this storm damage cleanup is finished.

However if you are a student or must learn this for a trip or work, then I would highly recommend this program. Now I could be wrong, but I always thought Chinese was a difficult language to learn and I still think it is. But Rosetta Stone makes it easy and kinda fun. I'd think Spanish and other languages are the same.

It's expensive, but would make a great gift or investment for someone learning a foreign language. But remember, you have to invest in the time for learning it as well.

for more information click here

Very good program for a very difficult language

Admittedly, being a westerner, getting a good grasp of a vowel mad language like Chinese, is very difficult. I have only met one westerner who claimed he was able to learn Chinese MUCH easier than Latin based languages such as Italian or Spanish, et al. Suffice it to say, he's the exception.
But in the spirit of the recent Olympic games I decided to put my faith in Rosetta Stone, in helping me learn Chinese. It is very slow going. The program does a good job of easing you into the basics of the language. Starting with easy words and relating them to pictures. Note, that unlike a conventional course, you're not going to be getting any true grammar lessons; you won't have to sit and memorize how to convert a word from past to present, or male to female, or singular to plural. The beauty of RS, is that you'll be eased into intrinsically learning it as you go, almost without thinking about it, as you continuously relate words and phrases to pictures.
One other thing I must add, that like French, Chinese is heavy on proper pronunciation. The only way you can learn this language even a little bit is to several (I should say many) times listening to the word/phrases being spoken and repeating them back to the computer, trying to match up your pronunciation with that of your computer teacher/expert. This is not easy for me, but the program lets you go at your own pace, unlike a conventional class, and won't bug you if you're too lazy to one day sit down at the computer. But I must underscore that with an Asian language, to a western mind, you must practice everyday because it is extremely simple to forget a word. That is what the audio companion of this package is all about, and for Chinese, is worth spending the extra money for, as opposed to the RS package that doesn't have the audio companion. Take it along with you, maybe not to pronounce the words back as you hear them (people on the train may think you're mad :-), but to at least remind yourself of what you learned the day before, and mentally repeat it back to yourself before you continue studying after work/school. That way, you won't have to bother reviewing and wasting your time, and instead will be ready to move on to the next section.

for more information click here

Easy to use and learn

I've always wanted to learn Chinese but where do you start? Rosetta Stone is a good starting spot. The software is easy to use, instructive, and well thought out. I love the speech recognition, although I don't think I'm nailing the accent just right. I have no doubt I sound like an American speaking Chinese but hopefully it gets me by.

The software is easy to install and the included audio files are a nice touch to install on your MP3 player for refreshers in the car. The included headset is well built and I had no problems getting it to work on my Windows Vista machine. I'm only about half way through the lessons but I'm very excited with my progress so far. I'm sure this software is no substitute for living abroad or taking classes, but if you need some help or you are good self learner than this is a good starting point to learn Chinese. I work with several Chinese people and I'm looking forward to testing out my knowledge (once I get a little more confident :))

for more information click here

Probably the best out there, but could still be improved

I've tried a few different language learning packages. Instant Immersion makes the mistake (for me, anyway) of going through all the basics first - numbers, months, days, blah blah. Useful but boring. Pimsleur says the same phrase umpteen times. And so on. So this approach seems the best so far in terms of interest, and some of my comments will seem like nitpicking, but it could be better.

Rosetta starts with matching words to pictures, and includes hearing, speaking, reading, and writing. You can choose which of these activities to include, but you can't fine tune it to have just reading and no writing. You have the option of displaying simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, pinyin, or both. If you choose both, however, the pinyin is shown above the script in a font that's a little too small for easy reading on a 13.1" or 14.1" laptop screen. The title text at the top is also unclear, even on fullscreen, because it's antialiased, but that's not a huge problem, since it doesn't affect the lesson. Other than that, the interface is bright and pleasant and refreshingly different from the normal Windows dialogs.

The lessons available are limited to about half the full content until you activate the product, i.e. tie it to one PC. I've heard horror stories about transferring the activation, so be warned.

The picture/word matching thing seems to work for the most part, but there are sometimes problems. Is that a boy or a girl? What are they doing? Hard to say at first glance, since they use a couple of different pictures for the same word. Also feels strange to match "he is not doing this"-type phrases to the pictures of someone ... er ... not doing it.

Because it's an immersion-type course, sometimes you have to figure out what's going on with little or no explanation - for example the different numeratives ("one tail of fish"). You aren't told why a bicycle is called what it is. But that's part of the immersive learning process.

The program defaults to moving along automatically. Problem is, there are pages where it should stop for you to review, but it doesn't - it moves along after a second or two. If you set it to manual, you have to advance by clicking on the button for the next lesson - from a tiny row of boxes at the bottom. That could've been designed better.

In general, response is slow - a couple of seconds to get to the next page, for instance. It's a little annoying because you're not sure if the program recognized your input, so ... get used to it, or get used to clicking twice just in case.

I've heard many actors simply butcher Mandarin in movies or on TV (Serenity *cough*). For those of you having trouble with the accent, may I suggest that you think of it in terms of singing the phrase, see if that helps.

Is it worth it? If you want to learn the language at your own pace, and the price is within your budget, I would say yes. I give it three stars because of the price and the room for improvement - and the activation requirement. Considering what you pay for it, you shouldn't be treated like a criminal or inconvenienced in that way.

for more information click here

reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

products you might be interested in