Rosetta Stone Spanish (Latin America) Level 1,2,3,4 & 5 Set with Audio Companion |  | From: Rosetta Stone
Category: Software
List Price: $699.00
Buy New: $629.10
as of 9/10/2010 09:24 EDT details
You Save: $69.90 (10%)
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  43 reviews
Sales Rank: 75
Format: CD-ROM
Platforms: Windows Vista, Mac OS X Intel, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Windows 2000, Windows XP
Genre: Childrens Foreign Language Software
Media: CD-ROM
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.6
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 6.5 x 3.9
MPN: 24002
Model: 24002
ISBN: 1608292592
UPC: 794678240027
EAN: 9781608292592
ASIN: B00282UXC8
Release Date: May 27, 2009
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Rosetta Stone teaches you a new language naturally, by getting you to think, live and breathe the language. | | • | Innovative solutions get you speaking new words, right from the start. | | • | Rosetta Stone moves forward only when you're ready. You drive the pace. You set the schedule. | | • | With Rosetta Stone, you'll discover a foundation of key vocabulary that you'll use to build into a whole new language. | | • | Audio Companion lets you take the Rosetta Stone experience anywhere: in the car, at the gym, or on-the-go! |
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Product Description
Rosetta Stone Version 3: Spanish (Latin America), from the simple to the complex, gain the confidence to share your ideas and opinions in Spanish. Develop the conversational skills to plan adventures, care for your health and move abroad. Talk about government, work, movies, family, and more. Be able to fully express your ideas and opinions in Spanish. Includes everything you need to learn Spanish at home and on the go. Negotiate complex situations with confidence and accuracy Sample topics include - The basics, such as age and family relations Questions, greetings, introductions Telling time, calendar terms, the weather Directions, locations, dining out Emotions, opinions, ideas Political, media, business terms Arranging home repairs Planning to move abroad Discussing the arts and tourism Careers and conducting interviews Problem-solving and commercial transactions
Amazon.com Product Description
Rosetta Stone Personal Edition contains everything you need to give the voice inside of you a new language. The method used recreates the natural way you learned your first language, revealing skills that you already have. This approach has won numerous awards, and has been adopted by countless organizations, schools and millions of users around the world. Join the language revolution today. Only with Rosetta Stone. The comprehensive language-learning solution that fits your life. Learn Naturally
Learn your next language the same way you learned your first language. Dynamic Immersion empowers you to see, hear and comprehend without translating or memorizing. You already have this ability. Rosetta Stone simply unlocks it. Engage Interactively
Get feedback to move forward. You learn best by doing, and you'll apply what you've learned to get to the next step. Rosetta Stone adapts to your individual needs and skills, because you drive the program with your progress. Speak Confidently
Start speaking immediately. From the very first lesson, you'll speak. You'll begin with essential basics, which form the building blocks of the language. Soon you'll create new sentences on your own, using words you've learned. Have Fun
Best of all, Rosetta Stone is addictive. With every entertaining activity, you'll feel success. You'll want to use Rosetta Stone to have that next moment, that next breakthrough. So you'll keep using it, and you'll learn more! That's language-learning success.
That's Rosetta Stone. No translation or memorization required. The most effective way to learn a new language is to be surrounded by it. When you were an infant, your parents taught you this way, by intuitively associating words with images. That's the ultimate language lab, but most language-learning programs completely ignore this. Think about all of the ways you've tried to learn a language: classes at school, tapes and cassettes, even software that uses your native language as a base for your next one. What do they all have in common? Translation and memorization. 
Instead of taking a "direct flight" from your brain to your new language, translation and memorization connects you to your old language. You always have to "fly" from your brain, to your native tongue ... and then translate what you've memorized to communicate. That might work for a few words, but what happens when you get to a sentence or phrase? When you have to change tenses? You're going to make a lot of "connecting flights." That's why those other methods are so frustrating ... and why they fail. Enter Dynamic Immersion.
This method encourages you to think like a baby. You'll pair words with vivid, real-life images and make connections between things you know and the new language. Soon, you'll be thinking in a new language, stringing words together into phrases that you create. Innovative technology.
Rosetta Stone places this Dynamic Immersion method at the core of a suite of software that works with you to develop your skills. The simple, intuitive interface helps to keep you engaged in the solution, while advanced speech recognition technology makes certain that you're speaking correctly and accurately. Best of all, Rosetta Stone never leaves you behind. You'll only move forward when you're ready, when you've become comfortable and confident. Levels 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Develop command of the language as you master conversational language skills across five levels. Gain the confidence to share your ideas and opinions. Develop conversational skills to plan adventures, care for your health and move abroad. Talk about government, work, movies and citizenship. Discuss family and traditions. And celebrate success. Audio Companion
With Audio Companion, you'll enhance the Rosetta Stone experience wherever you go. You'll learn new skills on the computer, and then reinforce what you've learned with Audio Companion. Simply play the CDs on a stereo or download them to a MP3 Player. Each Audio Companion activity corresponds to a lesson in the Rosetta Stone software, so you can turn your travel time into productive language-learning time. Inside the box, you'll find: - Version 3 Personal Edition CD-ROM software for Level 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (Windows/Mac)
- Headset microphone
- User's guide
- Audio Companion, a multiple-CD set to play or download to your MP3 player
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 43
 Amazing August 23, 2009
Jerold (Washington State University)
269 out of 276 found this review helpful
* Important Note at Bottom *
I own the Latin America Spanish version of this software (Levels 1 - 3) and have used it extensively for the last 6 months. I used it while studying abroad in Costa Rica concurrently as I took an intensive language track consisting of 2 years of college level spanish (4 semesters) condensed to 1 semester.
What I found amazing right off the bat is that the levels of this software match exactly to that of each year of college spanish. For example level 1 covers the exact same material you will learn in 2 semester of university level language. This is great for students as they will know which level to start off on depending on their previous language experience.
Having used Rosetta Stone helped me tremendously in my classes and I could see the dramatic difference as I progressed much faster than the other students in my class. My wife, who was also taking the same language classes, was struggling at first but picked up quickly after using the software. The same went for the other students who soon began 'fighting' over using my laptop before and after class.
The software is extremely easy to use and the approach it takes is so intuitive. It replicates the experience of immersion so well but in such a friendly and un-intimidating fashion. The most wonderful feature of this software is the confidence it gives you in speaking and understanding which helps break the ice in initiating actual conversations, which is hands-down the BEST way to improve your language skills (especially at a bar because your shyness is also inhibited after one or two). After three or four days of using this I went from nervously giving directions to taxi drivers and store clerks to having full-on conversations.
Rosetta Stone basically works by starting you off in a completely immersed environment with zero translation. This sounds intimidating but because it starts with such basic concepts it really is not at all. For example, the first thing you will see is two pictures; one with a person approaching you and another with a person in a car leaving and waving. The native speaker will say to you either 'hola' (hello) or 'adios' (goodbye). You then choose the appropriate picture. If you get it wrong, no problem, it will pop up for you again after a few other basic words and you will remember.
The great part about RS is that it slowly gets more and more advanced and does so in such a simple and logical fashion that you soon are flying through entire sentences with no problem. The voice recognition is amazing (most of the time) and does a FANTASTIC job of helping you with proper pronunciation. Again this starts off very forgiving but as you progress gets more and more demanding. Once in a while the voice recognition gets a little weird but re-running the mic setup wizard (very quick and easy) fixes it in a jiff.
RS breaks down the language learning into mini-modules that focus on specific task (speaking, listening, reading, writing, vocabulary, etc) and uses repetition with slight modification to teach new concepts; such as learning different language tenses (such as past, present and future, etc). For example, once you have learned the word for swimming (by seeing a person swimming in a pool), the next go round it will change the picture to a wet person drying off in front of a pool and change the word to the past tense for swimming (english - swam). It helps you (at first) to be successful by showing the other pictures with a man, for example, and then saying SHE 'swam'. You can guess the right one by eliminating the men pictures (because it already taught you man and woman). It uses variations of this concept to teach you new ones.
- Ok I just realized how long this review is getting so I'll sum it up (sorry) -
Bottom line THIS SOFTWARE WORKS. In addition to Spanish, I have used German, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. I tried these to basically compare the effectiveness in learning a language I was not already familiar with. I was so surprised when within an hour or two or was WRITING simple sentences in Arabic and Mandarin, two languages I had zero previous experience with, and have been told are quite difficult. Though my wife looked at me a little funny when I was saying into the mic "The women are drinking coffee" in Arabic after an hour, I was grinning ear-to-ear.
If you are afraid of the price - don't be. The cost is so low in comparison to taking college classes and is quite honestly so much more effective. Unless the choice was between taking an intensive language course in a foreign country and this I would choose Rosetta Stone in ANY other situation. Compared to taking a standard university class (boring, ineffective and WAY too slow) RS is a miracle. You can learn a semester of foreign language in as little as a week or two and have a much better grasp on the language. Even while studying abroad, I was having such a difficult time learning and remembering the advanced tenses of spanish (subjunctive, etc) and it just didn't make sense until I went through them in Rosetta Stone.
I apologize for writing such a LOOOOONG review, but I truly love this software that much. It is absolutely unbelievable and amazing. Before using this I would have never ever consider spending this much money on a piece of software. I'm a college student (read poor) and would sacrifice every luxury for the semester again in a heart beat to make sure I have this software.
* Important Note * While I'm writing this review the price listed for Spanish Levels 1 - 5 is at $599. Even though this is worth every penny at this price - I have noticed that a couple of times this year (for example last fathers day) they have had this on sale for $399. If you can afford to (or can't afford at this price for that matter) maybe wait and see if this sale hits again.
Seriously - if you have ever dreamed of speaking a foreign language and can't afford to live in that country for 6 months to a year while taking language classes... GET ROSETTA STONE!
PS: No I don't work for Rosetta Stone or know anybody who does. Buen suerte!
learn some spanish, impress your friends! September 17, 2009
S. D. Paul (WI)
35 out of 39 found this review helpful
I rated this program five stars, and that rating is based solely on the quality of the product. Rosetta Stone is really fun, and it's wayyyyyyy more useful than most of the Spanish classes you'll come across. As far as helping you remember words and pronounce them correctly, Rosetta Stone is awesome. I am currently taking a Spanish class at my college, because I figured if I doubled up I'd have the best chance at learning how to speak (and write, ug ug ug) Spanish. The class is a good time, and my professor is a riot, but I must admit that the computer program is more effective. My feeble brain doesn't want to deal with verb tenses and formal and informal usage of words, and all that stuff that makes my attention wander away until I'm gazing out the window and not paying attention at all and writing really long run on sentences that end in ellipses... You see my point. The Stone is also cool because it makes me think of Sesame Street, which makes me feel sort of nostalgic and happy. Clicking on the brightly colored pictures takes me back to simpler times, sigh. And yeah, it is an expensive product, but pay for a college course and a Spanish book and guess what- you end up spending even more money, and maybe you'll get stuck with an unattractive professor who rants, and waves his arms around, and throws pieces of chalk at your head when you are gazing out of the window, and not paying attention. There are cheaper computer programs for learning Spanish, and you guessed it, they totally blow. I ought to know because I wasted upwards of forty-five dollars on such junky products. I would like to know how Rosetta compares to that other popular language program... Pilsner or Plodner or Pimsleur or whatever.
Rosetta Stone is also known for having crappy customer service, and apparently if you try to resell one of their programs they will hunt you down like a dog and there will be a public stoning. Sometimes greed is so shameful that it becomes hilarious. This is the case with Rosetta Stone, and I guess that's too bad, but it gives people a chance to one-up the greedy buggers! Share the product with as many people as possible and then it will be as cheap as free! After all, it seems that many folks are just in a tiff because they can't get any money for a used product. For shame, you are being just as greedy. Give your copy of Rosetta Stone to some poor, sick kid who has always wanted to learn a bit of Spanish but never had the means.
Rosetta Stone Spanish Level 1-5 June 20, 2010
B. I. Tropea
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
Rosetta Stone Spanish Review Level 1-5
I have gone through all 5 levels of Spanish. I am an adult who had no knowledge at the beginning. Overall, it is a great product and worth the price. It has a high upfront expense and requires a lot of your personal time to learn. It is not actually expensive if you spend the amount of time on it as you should as it costs $2-3 per hour of study when you buy multiple levels at once. I have spent 15 months of study about 4-5 hours per week with Rosetta Stone plus additional time for other studies. Many others reviewers have discussed how it works etc. As you probably know, there is no English and it is all immersion with pictures. It is fun and entertaining which is key to keep learning and probably the most important aspect of the program. The program forces you to do something with each picture and sound and this interactivity is what maintains your interest. You have to choose the correct word in a sentence, repeat what was said with and without text as a prompt, speak out a sentence based on the prior sentences, write, read, read out loud into the microphone, listen to sentences without text and match appropriate pictures as well as grammar work.
I do not believe you can become fluent even after the 5 levels but you can hold conversations at some length when the speaker slows down and speaks clearly and you will know about 1200 -1500 words from Rosetta Stone and hopefully many more from other studies. You can only get better if you speak it with other people and keep conversing. As I use Spanish with my patients, it was quite encouraging to see that my understanding and conversational skills improved with each level and the patients had noticed it also.
Key points:
You need to do each level 2 or 3 times. The score does not matter. Make sure you repeat each sentence and understand every word and not just quickly get the right answer. Learning the language is the only correct answer. I clicked the audio button numerous times to re-listen to the sentences and carefully examine the words. The lesson might be teaching a simple grammatical point but to me understanding the entire sentence is what really mattered. You can click the answer button or the pause button to prevent the program from moving to the next exercise so that you can further study all of the answers. I have read that it should take 24 hours per level. I do not believe a novice can really learn each level that quickly because you are either not repeating them or racing through the exercises. The repeated review lessons are of marginal benefit. The accompanying audio lessons for the car or mp3 player are helpful after you have mastered the lessons.
You must use other resources to help you with regard to verb conjugation. You need to learn to conjugate the verbs and you need to know which are AR, ER, IR verbs (the infinitive forms) and the program does not explain it formally. Knowing the original stem or infinitive greatly helps when past and subjunctive tenses are introduced. All of these resources are free and plentiful on the internet. There are numerous books on this also. Study these while you are on level 1. Tutors and computer programs should spend their time with phrases, sentences and conversation. You can easily learn the grammar on your own and I believe that teaching the grammar would make the program boring. Actually, the program does teach the grammar, once you understand some of it, you will pick up why something is used a certain way.
Some people do not like immersion as they feel that may not understand exactly what is being said. You will understand over 95% without difficulty. There are PDF files of the Spanish and almost exact corresponding version in English on the Rosetta Stone website so you can easily get all the translations of every single sentence. Remember after you have looked up the phrase, the next 15-20 times you use it (write, speak, listen, match, use grammar with it) you will understand it. There are excellent online dictionaries and translators to help you.
Level 1 is basic and only teaches the present tense with emphasis on pronunciation of syllables. Skip it if you already had 2 years of high school Spanish. Level 2 gives you past tenses (both) and the future with direct and indirect objects. Level 3 is the best of the 5 levels and gives much longer sentences and introduces the subjunctive and other tenses but only briefly. Passive voice is introduced here also. Level 4 and Level 5 pretty much go over the advanced tenses in greater detail and continue with more complex sentence structure. However, each full lesson is a little shorter and there are some other minor issues with these newer levels but it is the additional time spent with Spanish that matters. By the fifth level, sometimes you will have to repeat 15-word sentences without the text which is quite challenging but what you soon realize is that you actually understand much of it but repeating it will require you to re-listen to the sentence many times.
I strongly advise that you supplement Rosetta Stone with any of the following: Watch TV or listen to the radio in Spanish, go to Meetup groups, take a college course, hire a tutor or simply find people and talk to them. Do not worry; even though you will sound like a gringo and you will make tons of mistakes, almost everybody is appreciative that you are trying. Go on online internet chat sites and you can communicate with Spanish speakers.
Key to success December 30, 2009
PS (United States)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Skeptical of software language programs, I was pleasantly surprised to see such an effective approach to learning.
They truly are inventive and the technique works well. After each lesson, you find yourself amazed at what you remember, sometimes even awed, blowing away you expectations or fears of failure.
I have tried 'Living Language' and it can't even compare to RosettaStone.
Definitely worth the price!
Useful program, sound issues aside... February 18, 2010
D. Baptista (Brooklyn, NY USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I've been hearing people rave about Rosetta Stone for years, so I decided to give it a try. I took 3.5 semesters of Spanish in college, but it has gone rusty, and I encounter Spanish speakers often in my line of work. Because I learned a lot about grammar and not much about conversation, I decided to give Rosetta Stone a try. I bought all 5 levels because I did not know where I stood.
I like the intuitiveness of it - it starts out very simply, "girl," "boy," etc. I found a couple of lessons on Level 1 were too easy, so I went up to Level 2, where I am being challenged a bit, without it being too overwhelming.
My only pet peeve is with the voice recognition software. I Tweeted about it to Rosetta Stone, and they suggested I dumb down the "speech recognition level." But sometimes, I still have problems with it recognizing what I'm saying, though I'm pretty sure I'm mimicking the voices in the program, even with their overemphasized "rr" sounds and the "da" that turns into a "tha." Part of it may have to do with the numerous variations in Latin American Spanish (it's hard to fit the accents of so many countries into one voice). Other than that, I can see it's a useful tool for people who want to supplement their Spanish courses, or want to refresh their knowledge.
Edited 7/9/10: I finally found out the issue with the sound recognition. It has nothing to do with Rosetta Stone, as I was also having problems with Skype. It has to do with my Mac Mini having a line-level input. A $2 USB-based audio adapter solved my microphone issues. Because the issue was no fault of the program, I have to upgrade my review to 5 stars.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 43
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