Rosseta Stone? Anyone ACTUALLY use it?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I always hear that Rosseta Stone is really good. But, I always hear it second hand, "My friend said it is great"...has anyone on here used it? It is very expensive but I really want to learn Spanish. I took one Spanish class in college but don't remember any of it. The local community college offers Spanish Communication every other semester, but I work nights so its hard to schedule a class; hence the question about Rosseta Stone.

Specializes in OB, NICU, Nursing Education (academic).

I've also heard good things about Rosetta Stone. They do have a competitor on the market, known as Transparent Language. It is MUCH more reasonable in price, and uses a similar type of teaching, it seems. I bought the complete Japanese program for my son for Christmas. I wish I could let you know about his success with it!

Send for the free demo disk and try out their method. I did for Japanese and was not impressed.

They use pictures of activities that go along with a phrase or sentence. However, I could not find anywhere in the software that you actually get the translation.

For instance, you see a horse jumping over a fence and they say "blah blah blah" . . . so what does it mean . . . the white horse jumped over the fence? The stallion vaulted the fence? The old grey mare hopped the fence?

I guess some people like it, though

For instance, you see a horse jumping over a fence and they say "blah blah blah" . . . so what does it mean . . . the white horse jumped over the fence? The stallion vaulted the fence? The old grey mare hopped the fence?

Your review helped me to decide to pass on this product! Hope that old grey mare made it over the fence without injury! :D

As I mentioned, I'd send for their free demo disk. . . try it for yourself . . . you may find it just great and it may be different for the Spanish language.

Send for the free demo disk and try out their method. I did for Japanese and was not impressed.

They use pictures of activities that go along with a phrase or sentence. However, I could not find anywhere in the software that you actually get the translation.

For instance, you see a horse jumping over a fence and they say "blah blah blah" . . . so what does it mean . . . the white horse jumped over the fence? The stallion vaulted the fence? The old grey mare hopped the fence?

I guess some people like it, though

Yeah - they don't give you a translation at all. They promote it saying it helps you "learn like children" - when you were born/toddlerhood you learned things almost via osmosis, lol - you picked up what things were based on what people said.

I used the software to learn basic mandarin for my previous job. I think it was great and very helpful. You do need to put time into it and keep in mind the software targets more the business market. If you are planning to use it in the nursing field you might have a hard time translating some medical jargon using the software. I liked it but I didn't pay for the software, my job did. Would I pay for it myself? Probably not.

Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Education, Informatics.

Very few people actually learn a language by memorizing translations. In order to really learn a language you have to use it. When I was trying to learn german from my german wife, we didn't translate using things like the white horse, we just used lines like that horse if pretty, etc. As time and use grew, then I started to pick up other more specific things.

Keeping that in mind, Rosseta Stone can be usefull. But only as a start. It's one biggest draw back is it doesn't address reading at all. I've not used it, but I know that I'm lazy and probably would never use it more than once or twice. I do know some people who have used it in preparation for foreign service that quckly got to the point were they could get directions and such.

It WONT make you a spanish medical translator though.

They use pictures of activities that go along with a phrase or sentence. However, I could not find anywhere in the software that you actually get the translation.

That was exactly the impression I got from the commercials...it just doesn't seem like it makes sense to me. Part of learning a language, 2/3 actually!, is reading and writing. Quite frankly, I found that Spanish (learned from a native English speaker) is an incredibly easy language once you get rolling. I took 1 semester in high school as we just got Spanish classes in our school the year I was graduating. Then I went to South America for 3 months and had a very easy time having all my needs met- I knew how to construct sentences in present tense and had a fair bit of vocab under my belt, enough to get around (and I traveled by myself, backpacking, so it was very functional) and hold small conversations with people who spoke no english. Then by the time I got home a couple of months later I had almost doubled my knowledge!

Everyone learns differently but going by my experience I would reeeeally have to recommend taking a course. Honestly, learning myself from books and cd's would be impossible, but once you get the basics down from a beginner course, learning on your own is substantially easier. After that you'd probably have very little problems learning more from books, cd's, software and the internet. But really, having a teacher there to help you on your way and correct you and guide you is irreplacable. And $500 for the Rosetta Stone is half a grande and I hear very mixed things about it...I don't know, here in Vancouver you can take 4 months of 3-hours-a-week classes at the university for that amount of cash!!

Anyway I know it may not be possible or probable right now for you to take the classes, but I really think it's the best bang for your buck and you have a FAR better chance of actually learning and retaining information!

Oh, and one other thing about Rosetta Stone software. I found the pronunciation coaching portion of the software also lacking. The native speaker will say a phrase or sentence and then you try to repeat it and the software rates your pronunciation. An actual live teacher can critique your pronunciation with specific correction . . . the software just gives you a "thumbs up or thumbs down".

But, it doesn't hurt to try out their demo disk . . . your mileage may vary!

Specializes in ED, CTSurg, IVTeam, Oncology.

Skyscape, the medical PDA software people, actually has a English - Spanish translation program designed for health care worker usage. It is immensely helpful at the bedside because regular language courses don't talk about things like gall stones. It also gives you the right phrases in both languages, displayed simultaneously, so that you don't even need to pronounce it, just show it to the patient; if he can read, then it saves you even more time. :specs:

*** Sidebar *** The above is also a demonstration why PDA's at the bedside have become so vital. :up:

But, in the final analysis though, if you really really want to learn a foreign language? LOL... IMHO, it's easy, move there and marry a local. You'll pick it up in no time flat. :cool:

Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

Honestly, I would check out some of the free podcasts on itunes if you have an ipod. They have several for spanish and medical spanish on there, they are free :)

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