Rosetta Stone (TM)

The one question I probably get asked more than any other is: "What do you think about Rosetta Stone?" If I had a dollar for every time I hear that question I'd be able to retire very, very young!

The objective answer is that it is a very thorough, well-constructed, pedagogically sound program. For people interested in long-term language development, it will take you step by step through lots of the language and give you a chance to practice your speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.

The subjective answer - since people usually want to know if it's truly the "best" program available - is that while it is an excellent program overall, it may not be the best program for you and your needs. This is a bit harder to gauge. Here are three key questions to ask yourself before investing upwards of $300(US) on this program:

1. Are you the kind of person who likes to work independently at a computer, and will be disciplined and diligent enough to do it regularly for months on end? If so, it may be suitable for you. If you prefer the energy of a classroom, the opportunity to talk to a teacher, and the pre-set schedule of a classroom-based course, a computer program may not be the way to go.

2. Rosetta Stone is an immersion style program. This means there is no translation into English (or your native language) at all! Everything, starting from the very first lesson, is listen, repeat, read, and write words in the target language. You must inductively figure out what is being said. You will never see a verb conjugation chart or vocabulary list. Will this inspire and intrigue you, or drive you crazy and frustrate you?

3. What are your language goals? If they are for long term broad language ability, then this program will provide a strong foundation for general proficiency in the language. However, if you have a very specialized focus, want to start on a business-langauge trajectory right away, or have other functions you need to succeed in doing right from the start, this might take too long (months or years) before you get the vocabulary and structures you need. Not that your language needs are necessarily more sophisticated, but if you need to start with protocols and phrases for business card exchanges as soon as you get off the plane, for example, it may take a while to get there simply because the authors didn't address that topic until, say, Level 2. Rosetta Stone is very tightly structured, so you really need to follow their order for continuity purposes.

There is no such thing as a perfect fit, or a magic approach that will make you learn any language instantly, etc. But you can take an "off the rack" program and make supplemental adjustments that do meet your needs. So if Rosetta Stone is the only option available to you, or is the program your company has decided to purchase wide-scale for everyone, even if it doesn't inherently suit your learning style, you can successfully use it to learn any language you want. Stay tuned for further discussions about how!