Review: Rosetta Stone Spanish

Rosetta Stone Spanish has been around a long time and it's  worth considering when you choose a program for learning to speak Spanish. It may well be the best-known Spanish language program.

Rosetta Stone is based on the idea that we adults can learn languages in the same way that we learned our first language as very young children. But current research shows that once past puberty, we don't learn in the same way.

What this means in practical terms is that their software uses NO English to help you learn Spanish. In fact, everyone in the world who is learning Spanish via Rosetta is using the same program, no matter what their native tongue. The program uses images and Spanish.

Rosetta Stone uses the word immersion about their method, but the word is more commonly used to mean living in a foreign country at a school where you only speak the language you are learning.

Some Pros:

• Many people really like this program and learn well from it.
• It is easy to use.
• It is well known.
• It is said to have good voice recognition software that can correct your pronunciation.
• It has a Latin American version, all the way through its 3 levels.
• Clearly a lot of work went into designing it.

Some Cons:

• Many people find its method to be boring and frustrating.
• It is expensive.
• People say that it did not really prepare them for conversational Spanish, that the words and phrases they learned first were not that important.
• No English exists to explain things.
• It is mainly meant to be used sitting at your computer.
• Users of the program at Amazon have posted reviews detailing problems they have had in dealing with the company.

How Does Rosetta Stone Spanish Compare with Other Programs?

See my comparison chart of Spanish language programs. I personally would choose Fluenz over Rosetta or Tell Me More (and Rosetta over Tell Me More), in the category of multi-media programs, but we are all different of course, and you have to go with your own sense of what will work best for you.

Where to Get Rosetta Stone Spanish

Given the high prices of this product, I recommend Amazon and eBay. If you consider buying a used copy, do be sure to get the most recent version, which is version 3.

Here's a list of some of the main Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish programs at Amazon:

And below is a display from eBay of the Rosetta Stone products sold by a highly reputable seller. They sell various languages, so look for what you want, particularly watching for Latin American Spanish if you want it.

They are authorized sellers of the program, and say that many adults enjoy using the Homeschool version as it offers extra features. Take a look and click through to see more:

If you haven't used eBay before, it's not hard to sign up. One of the things to be careful about is the quality of the seller and that's why I linked to this particular one.