# Thoughts on Rosseta Stone/other language programs



## JeanP (Sep 11, 2010)

So today I just booked my flight to head into spain next month for my fact finding trip. I was suppose to go a little later but luckily business is doing good and can have some time off.

Any who, for the past few months I have been learning Spanish through Rosetta Stone, although I can understand what is being said/taught within the program I was actually shocked when I streamed a live Spanish radio channel last night.

Firstly, the DJ spoke extremely fast and although I picked up a fair bit of the chat, I would say about 60% escaped me.
Was just wondering if anyone has any other good tools that could be purchased similar to Rosseta Stone, also, on my final move I do intend on joining a language class to improve on what I have learnt and still hve to.

Any opinions?


----------



## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi Jean

I used Rosetta Stone (and remortgaged the house to pay for it!) I found it quite useful but slightly confusing at times. This topic has been covered recently so do look for otehr threads but one tool I am in love with is LiveMocha - Language Learning with Livemocha | Learn a Language Online - Free! its FREE (although you can pay about £5 a month i believe) for the upgrade version.

It works similar to rostessa stone but is far simpler, easier to use, easier to learn. AND instead of those silly speaking excsecises (which the computer attempts to recognise yoru speech and always tells me I talk wrong) you record your speaking and other users (native) get to mark it.

Much more of a community, much more structured and generally much better. It was recommended to me by a spanish friend who used it to assist his english.

Be warned, the lingo is more south american than spanish but they are only subtle differences. Well worth checking out for free!

Biggest help for me was making friends with spaniards, they laugh at me like mad when I get it wrong but teach me so much more than any computer programme or class. Classes don't teach you the little things that we say in every day speaking or during every day life, nor do they teach you the body language that the spaniards use when they speak.


----------



## JeanP (Sep 11, 2010)

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the tips, yeah I know what you mean, I purchased Rosetta Stone level 1-5 and it is huge money to throw at a language course but still fairly happy with the purchase.

Concerning everyday conversations as you mentioned, I am pondering whether to go to Spanish classes or simply throw myself into a Spanish bar and chat with every soul I see lol. I have heard of Livemoch and many people have great reviews about it, however like you said it is based more on South American Spanish (with subtle differences) but those subtle differences will throw me off completely.

Living in SA my whole life and yet I cannot speak Afrikaans or any other of our languages, I am pretty impressed I got so far with Spanish.


----------



## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

JeanP said:


> Was just wondering if anyone has any other good tools that .....
> 
> Any opinions?


If you got 40% then you're well on your way. Not only the speed but also the slang, the frases that are common but do not translate, and the spaniards habit of holding 3 or 4 conversations at the same time 

You could try something like notesfromspain.com where they have dozens of podcasts at different levels, but always by the same people. Just move to tougher ones as you get the old ear tuned. 

Or the BBC series where it is like a soap opera. Again same people over a long period so you get tuned to their voices. 

And off course DVDs of TV series with English/Castellano sound and subtitles. I've have Maigret and Sherlock Holmes. Again same actors so repetition. Masses in El Corte Ingles or the equivalent.

I'd avoid buying courses if you understood 40% of a DJ. There are dozens of free resources and you can then spend money on occassional one-to-one sessions to iron out your doubts and questions

I'm not a natural at languages and I found it was important that the stuff was relevant to me and fun. That way I found I dedicated more hours.
HTH. Good luck and enjoy


----------



## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Hi JeanP

I find it hard to hear Spanish although I am getting quite good at speaking. I am using News in Slow Spanish to try to improve my ear. You might find it useful...


----------



## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

JeanP said:


> Hi Steve,
> 
> Thanks for the tips, yeah I know what you mean, I purchased Rosetta Stone level 1-5 and it is huge money to throw at a language course but still fairly happy with the purchase.
> 
> ...


personally i think a combination of lessons, self help things like websites and software, and of cousre mixing with locals is the best way to learn. they spanish speak fast (well it sounds fast to us), just like I sound fast when I speak english to a spanish person. BUT practicing what you learn, polishing it up, and improving on it with the locals is always good.

I always have a go now. Occasionally screw up big style...BIG style, but who cares, one thing about the spanish, they appreciate it when you try! Where I live there are so many brits who have the "i dont need to learn" attitude....makes me sick, so when I come along and have a go they always appreciate it and help me improve!


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

There is no substitute for having a conversation with a real live person! Try and find a Spanish person learning English, meet up a couple of times a week and spend half an hour talking in each language. We call this an "intercambio". Decide a topic in advance so you don't run out of smalltalk.


----------



## JeanP (Sep 11, 2010)

Thanks for the tips all.
nigele2, I have visited notesfromspain a while back and actually forgot about the podcasts. Thanks for reminding me about that, I plan to just throw immerse myself once there, I think it is the best way, similar to when I spent 8 months in France, no grasp of the language but soon got the hang of it, albeit I had very strange lessons in learning it and I doubt I would want to go that route again.


----------



## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

I first encountered Castellano when I docked in Buenos Aires in July 1964 on a Shell Oil tanker called Hindsia. A man on the dockside said, "Hombre está mucho frió," So I suppose I have been learning the language since then.

I have tried all sorts of means to learn, from making friends with people who can't or won't speak English, recorded programs, books and classes, my last teacher a lady called Marina from Bariloche, Argentina.

My advice is, keep it simple, don't try to run before you can walk, don't get disheartened, be patient, you will find slowly but surely you will start to learn and eventually it will all fall together.

When you start to conjugate the dreaded verbs tenses there is a helpful book, 501 verbs by Christopher Kendris, I found this to be invaluable and still refer to it even today.

My Castellano is far from perfect, however I am still learning and improving and enjoying doing so,

Hepa


----------



## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Hepa said:


> When you start to conjugate the dreaded verbs tenses there is a helpful book, 501 verbs by Christopher Kendris, I found this to be invaluable and still refer to it even today.
> 
> Hepa


I have the same book - very very useful! I am grasping the conjugating now too - before I came to spain I struggled with verb/nowns etc even in English (don't laugh). At school in the UK I learned how to talk, read and write but the whole grammer thing went over my head - now i MUST learn it and books like this one certainly help! :clap2:


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Hepa said:


> When you start to conjugate the dreaded verbs tenses there is a helpful book, 501 verbs by Christopher Kendris, I found this to be invaluable and still refer to it even today.
> 
> Hepa


Doing verb drills online is a good way of making them stick. Repetition, repetition, repetition ... deadly boring but it pays off. This one lets you go back and practice the ones you got wrong:

Spanish Verb Conjugation Drills


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Look at this thread, especially the more recent page 5 which has loads of links and also talks about Livemocha
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...in/4797-best-way-learn-spanish-quickly-5.html


----------



## Pip84 (Apr 1, 2010)

Hi JeanP

I used Michel Thomas for the basics but I have picked up so much more Spanish from talking to people, just get yourself out there and chat. It's really only that way that you pick up all the slang words and local ways of saying exactly the same words! I live in southern Andelucia and it's a very unique way of speaking Spanish, a bit like speaking Yorkshire like I did when I lived there!.


----------



## johnnyvegas (Sep 19, 2010)

I used rosetta stone and did the whole course...and learnt very little. Its too easy to cheat as you can guess a lot just by knowing whether its a man or woman speaking,as its sort of multiple choice.
Anyway i downloaded it free lol so i didnt pay the huge amount.

I also liked livemocha much more as you get feedback from real people....there is also one called buusu similar to livemocha free on the internet

I found michel thomas was best to learn basic things and gets you speaking quickly- just dont give up on him after listening to his funny introduction to the course- you can find free downloads of the discs on the internet


----------



## JeanP (Sep 11, 2010)

Michel Thomas, I have heard of it but never looked far into it much.
I will try it though!


----------

