# Rosetta Stone



## JonStewart87 (Jul 21, 2010)

Hey expats,
Anybody have good luck with the language software Rosetta Stone? I planned on picking it up to start some arabic training in my free time.

Just wondering your experiences with the Arabic package, or with another language using the software!

Still on east coast time here, can't sleep :ranger:


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

I've been here 11 years and only know very basic Arabic....I'm talking numbers 1-10 and a few "not so good" words 
This place is filled with Indians so never really felt the need to learn Arabic as Hindi was sufficient to get me around.
As far as I know, there are several different dialects of the Arabic language depending on the place you are from. So I'm not really sure which dialect you will be learning with this software. All in all, I think it's great that you're learning the language! Good luck!


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

Pamela raises a good point. Which Arabic is it? In the UAE they speak the Khaleeji dialect, also known as Gulf Arabic, whereas a lot of courses are for Egyptian Arabic.
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## xpatusa (May 8, 2010)

I'm using the Rosetta Stone right now.
It's a good supplement to keeping your ears open around town.
About 25% through the 1st lesson and I like it.
Of course it all depends on how you are with learning new languages. I'm not good.

From what I understand about the dialect is that everyone can understand Egyptian Arabic and it has a smooth cadence.
The Gulf Arabic is a bit more rough and may be hard to understand to someone speaking another dialect.
But this is not unlike the issue that I have talking with and understanding ********, Brits, and Geordies. So really no worries I think...


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## hachemjamal (Aug 11, 2011)

*How to get the kit into UAE?*

Hello i wana buy the spanish set online but it said that i can't get the CD into this part of the world.
Any hint to get them?


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## INFAMOUS (Apr 19, 2011)

torrent - hint hint


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

I've tried the Rosetta Stone and don't really like it, sentences like "the boy is under the aeroplane" I don't believe I will ever need to know. 

I would recommend the Pimsleur CDs. They have the Classical Arabic and the Levantine Arabic options.


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## lauramal (Mar 14, 2012)

All these self-study tools as as good as your self-motivation is and it also depends how much MSA you want to learn. However, if you are teaching yourself Arabic, another free and good online course is ArabicOnline.eu. Check it out. Good luck!


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

Rosetta Stone is only good if you are totally committed to learning the language and plan on investing significant time to go well into it.. Unless you think the boy is under the plane will pop up sometime soon. Also it is more geared towards listening and understanding than speaking. 

Pimsleur is a better course to learn basic conversational phrases which would come in handy.

The problem with any self taught course for a language like Arabic is that there are many sounds which you are familiar with. When you repeat these sounds, it may sound correct to you but likely not to someone that actually speaks the language.

I commend your effort, but as strange as it sounds Arabic is tough to learn here. You will not be immersed in Arabic. You will hear other languages being spoken far more (English, Hindi, Tagalog...)


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Egyptian Arabic is probably the best Arabic to learn as it is understood in the Gulf and other Arabic speak countries due to television and films being made in Egypt. I speak Egyptian Arabic and work with Saudis, Moroccans, Lebanese and Jordanians with everyone being able to understand me. If two Moroccans chat in their native Arabic no one but a Moroccan can understand them not even native Gulf speakers.


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