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rosetta stone is basically a very expensive flash card program. there are tons of free things on the web that are basically the same. there are way quicker, more complete ways to learn a foreign language. RS has advertised alot, put their name out there and got celebrity endorsements so it's known but amongst serious language learners, many of them polyglots, RS has a very poor reputation.
try assimil, pimsleur, michael thomas, or perhaps fluenz. Live mocha is out there and there are other sites like that. Any google search will help you. Also skype can be used to talk to others.
Rosetta Stone is visual, but it's not overly practical. It's also expensive and doesn't use English, preferring immersion.
What is your time frame and how much time a day do you have to devote to learning? What is your budget? Do you want to have the program use English or not?
It's a series of videos that teaches through immersion. It is older, but I'm using the French version and find it helpful as you get to see people speak at a normal pace and in every day situations.
Fleunz is a good software program from the demo I tried, but it uses English for translation.
You might also want to try Language Learning with Livemocha | Learn a Language Online - Free! as it has similar principles as Rosetta Stone, but is free. I heard there were some errors in it, but you do get to record yourself speaking the language and get feedback from native speakers.
You could also try one of the cheap programs in stores like Staples or Office Max. You won't learn much of the language, but you might be marginally functional.
Even though you don't feel you need to learn grammar or writing, I've found it's easier to synthesize things when you have an idea of what things mean and how to communicate to others in a written form.
Thanks for the recommendations!
I am moving after Christmas, I still have some time.
I can set aside 1 hr or so a day to learn. Rosetta Stone is above my budget.
I have heard good reviews about Pimsleur.
I just registered with Livemocha.
Thanks again!
Oh another question:
I browsed Amazon for Assimil, and it states that it is in Castillian pronunciation. How different is it from the Spanish spoken in Central America?
It's not that different as far as I know. Castilian Spanish pronounces "z" and "c" as "th" instead of as a "s". You might want to google it to get more information.
rosetta stone is basically a very expensive flash card program. there are tons of free things on the web that are basically the same. there are way quicker, more complete ways to learn a foreign language. RS has advertised alot, put their name out there and got celebrity endorsements so it's known but amongst serious language learners, many of them polyglots, RS has a very poor reputation.
try assimil, pimsleur, michael thomas, or perhaps fluenz. Live mocha is out there and there are other sites like that. Any google search will help you. Also skype can be used to talk to others.
Sorry for bringing back this old thread but I want to make a meaningful contribution to this thread.
What you're suggesting here, are they websites or software? I am asking because I don't recognize any of those that you listed. Thanks.
Thanks for the recommendations!
I am moving after Christmas, I still have some time.
I can set aside 1 hr or so a day to learn. Rosetta Stone is above my budget.
I have heard good reviews about Pimsleur.
I just registered with Livemocha.
Thanks again!
Oh another question:
I browsed Amazon for Assimil, and it states that it is in Castillian pronunciation. How different is it from the Spanish spoken in Central America?
Quote:
Originally Posted by altlover85
It's not that different as far as I know. Castilian Spanish pronounces "z" and "c" as "th" instead of as a "s". You might want to google it to get more information.
There is a huge difference between Castillian pronunciation and latin american pronunciation. Think of it as the difference between English from England and American English. It is much more formal. Latin Americans don't use "vosotros", and they pronounce many words differently, as well as have different meanings for words. You are much better off learning Latin American spanish, as it is spoken by more people.
There is a huge difference between Castillian pronunciation and latin american pronunciation. Think of it as the difference between English from England and American English. It is much more formal. Latin Americans don't use "vosotros", and they pronounce many words differently, as well as have different meanings for words. You are much better off learning Latin American spanish, as it is spoken by more people.
Vosotros wouldn't be included in pronunciation. People from Spain tend to sound like they have lisps when they speak, and most Spanish speakers I know have a very hard time understanding those from Spain.
RS is over priced. Maybe a bit better than flashcards but not by much. They market the heck out of it. It's billed as something it's really not. And really the software/methodology of the lessons is extremely dated at this point. Check the amazon.com reviews. You will learn a lot.
My DH got a bootleg copy from Iraq and sent it back to me to try out. I only started the first lesson because I just wanted to see if it even worked. To me it wasn't any better than the free language learning apps I downloaded to my iphone. I think it would be better to just take a class at a local college if you really want to learn how to speak a different language.
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