| ![Spanish (Latin America) Level 1 Win/Mac Personal Edition [Old Version]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NTMJA0NVL.jpg) | From: Fairfield Language Technologies
List Price: $209.00
Buy Used: $78.95
as of 3/19/2010 05:04 CDT details
You Save: $130.05 (62%)
Used (7) from $78.95
Seller: kpahwa
Rating:  36 reviews
Sales Rank: 2098
Format: CD-ROM
Platforms: Windows NT, Mac, Linux, Unix, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP, Mac OS X, Windows 95
Media: CD-ROM
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Linux
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.8 x 8.2 x 2
MPN: 116-00
Model: 116-00
UPC: 794678006203
EAN: 0794678006203
ASIN: B00004YUGL
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Like new. Used only a couple times.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 21-25 of 36
 It may be effective for some, but it is not the program for me September 3, 2005
Classic TV Fan (Florida)
27 out of 31 found this review helpful
Rosetta Stone was the first Spanish language program that I had tried. (I have previously studied French, Latin, and ancient Greek.) I ordered it from the company directly but returned it after about a month. It has some interesting unique features but it was not for me.
Here are the positives:
1. The pictures are colorful and memorable and will help you learn many words quickly.
2. There is an interesting effective feature which allows you to listen to a word or phrase in Spanish, record your voice, and playback. Then a scale tells you how close your voice came to that of a native speaker. But I would not spend extensive time repeating the same word or phrase because it is very difficult to meet their standard for "native speaker."
These are the negatives:
1. There is a great emphasis on sentences that are not practical for an adult tourist, business person, or employee wanting to speak Spanish with native speakers. In addition, most of the sentences have verbs in the present progressive tense; there is not enough practice in all the Spanish verb tenses. There are many sentences in Spanish about boys under the table, girls walking, women waving, and men falling.
2. Because I work at a computer all day at work, I am not motiviated to sit at a computer for long during my spare time.
Because I am eager to learn useful Spanish quickly, Pimsleur is more effective for me. I can listen to the CDs in my car or at home. In addition, I have learned more sentences that I may want to use such as how to find a bathroom, restaurant, or pharmacy; or how to order food.
Rosetta Stone may be a good program for a child who likes to use the computer or an individual who has never studied Romance languages before.
 rosetta stone spanish July 29, 2005
leigh (costa rica)
3 out of 14 found this review helpful
this program is wonderfull for anyone that want to learn any spanish.I seen many other programs but by far this is the best.it cost more but in the long run u get what u pay for.i love it.
 You'll remember the lessons but won't be able to use them July 18, 2005
splash999 (New York, NY)
26 out of 28 found this review helpful
The program is a very effective teaching tool. The combination of visual and audio cues make the lessons easy to remember. But I am puzzled by their choice of the things they teach first. If you're thinking of actually using some of the stuff you learn in the first several units on a trip to Mexico, forget it. Most of it is really impractical, unlike the Pimsleur CDs which I really like. For example, Rosetta will teach you early on "The boy is running. The horse is eating a carrot" while Pimsleur prefers things like "I want to drink a beer. How much is it?" for early lessons. As you can see, the practicality of the latter far exceeds that of the former. Proably because Pimsleur focuses on statements involving "I" and "You" instead of the 3rd person. You learn vocabulary faster with Rosetta. But ignoring the possibility that you will be called upon to describe horses eating carrots, if you want to use what you learn any time soon, try Pimsleur.
 The best product in the worst category February 28, 2005
heartburn
23 out of 25 found this review helpful
If you have your heart set on learning a language while sitting at the computer, then this is the best computer based language learning program there is. The competition in this genre is terrible. Rosetta Stone software is stable and usable. And it is the only program I've seen with a user interface that doesn't look like a children's book.
Having said that, I wouldn't recommend that anyone who is serious about learning a language use a computer program as a primary tool. Sure, you need a computer to load up your mp3 player and write to your foreign language speaking pen pal. But it takes some really serious determination to sit in front of a computer, night after night for hours learning Spanish. Don't set yourself up for failure.
Unless you are a very exceptional learner, you're going to have to practice for at least a half-hour every day. For me, that means fitting it into my lifestyle. I study while I'm driving, washing dishes, waiting in line, whenever. And I've been doing it for years. If I had to sit in front of a computer, it wouldn't have lasted a week.
If you still really want computer based language training, this is the best I've seen. I believe they've added a third level to the Spanish program which should make it more complete. The boxed edition is very pricey, but Rosetta Stone has an online version for which you can pay monthly. They also have sample lessons on the website.
I would recommend starting with an mp3 player and a good comprehensive audio course (Pimsleur or Platiquemos). Forget the computer programs, or use them as a supplement.
All the work is in a little-used tense. What good is that? December 13, 2004
J. Alfred Prufrock
51 out of 52 found this review helpful
Unfortunately this course uses the present progressive tense throughout, where as in real life, the present indicative is usually the tense most commonly used. The present progressive tense indicates that the action is in progress right now, e.g. I am eating (now), He is jumping (now). In Spanish the present progressive tense is quite restricted and is usually limited to what a person is doing RIGHT NOW. The present progressive is formed by conjuagting the appropriate ending of one verb,the verb estar, and adding the gerund of the appropritate verb. Some examples from the course might be: Los muchachos están saltando (The boys are jumping (right now); El niño está corriendo, (The boy is running) etc. It's kind of like the old Dick and Jane stuff. The point is, you get a lot of work with the verb "estar" and a lot of work with the gerund (the "ing" form )of other verbs, but little else. This is a cop out and it is not the way people speak.
The present indicative is much more versatile tense and is the most commonly used tense in the spanish language (The present progressive, on the other hand, is little used). The present indicative can be used just like the present progressive, it can be used to express the future (e.g. Voy mañana, I'm leaving tomorrow), it can be used to express a polite command (e.g. Me trae un cafe, por favor--bring me a coffee, please. In most instances this simple command form is considered much more polite than using the imperative mood (Me trae...is all you'll ever need in a restaurant). The present indicative tense refers to the specific now (as does the present progressive), but it also refers to the general now (these days, this time period, e.g., I live in the U.S.; I'm going to the store, I'm studying Spanish (This is a good example that shows clearly what I'm talking about--I'm studying Spanish now, yesterday and tomorrow--an ongoing "studying" of Spanish--Estudio español (present indicative) as opposed to estoy estudiando español--I've got the book open in front of me and that's what I'm doing at this very moment.
With this program you learn the endings to the verb estar, learn the gerund of a couple hundred verbs and bingo, you're talking spanish. It's easy--no learning all those separate endings for all those verbs, no learning irregular verbs, etc. The problem is, it ain't the way people talk. This is such an egregious error, it's so impractical, that I'm surprised they continue to sell the program without correcting the problem. Technically, I think the program is well done (except this is a windows based program without a minimize button--what's that about?) -- anyway, two stars for technical aspects --sound quality, pictures, etc.
Showing reviews 21-25 of 36
|
|
|
