Steve asked a question on his blog about some of the other language programs out there, and their strengths and weaknesses related to LingQ. I thought I would post a review of Rosetta Stone.
I started off using version 2, and i H-A-T-E-D it. It was boring and simplistic, had limited content, and only used third person vocabulary… which is not very helpful as it is rarely used in conversation. Later…I started using version 3, which is a much better program, but I am still not sure that it is worth anywhere near the money that people pay for it. Still…it sticks to the target language…never deviating. While this is good on many levels…I also found it frustrating, as there are often grammatical rules that are not as intuitive as the creators of the program might believe. While it is certainly helpful with learning additional vocabulary, I’m not so sure about it’s help in actually learning how to speak the language.
Another program I used is the Pimsleur Spanish program. I actually like Pimsleur. The CDS are easily converted to MP3 and I take them everywhere. It is much more convenient than being tied down to a computer. Pimsleur uses a drill based system as well…but I found the content to be extremely practical and of value. the main weakness of Pimsleur is that the amount of vocabulary taught is minimal…even after many hours of study. Pimsleur is great for the absolute beginner, but I’m not sure of it’s use after that.
So how have these programs worked out?
Several months ago, My family decided to take a trip to Mexico. Three weeks before the trip, I started using Rosetta stone (Version 2) and Pimsleur, both for the first time. My wife chided me, that where we were going, there would be plenty of people that spoke English…besides…what could I learn in 3 weeks? Undaunted…I decided to continue my studies.
I’m glad I did, because…as soon as I arrived in Mexico, I needed to go to the store and buy some groceries. we were confused about the pricing in the store, and whether they accepted dollars…and there were no English speakers around. I approached a clerk, and began asking questions in Spanish. I was surprised that not only did I know the relevant questions to ask, but I was also understood. Pimsleur taught the grammatical patterns, and Rosetta Stone gave me some additional vocabulary, that I was able to fit into these patterns.
I wasn’t fluent by any means…but I was elated at having the ability to hold basic conversations which was good, because there were very few English speakers in the places we visited.