Thought I'd pass this along. I know there are a lot of good deals today, but levels 1-5 are on sale at Rosetta Stone for $274 (regularly $499). I'm thinking of buying Spanish. I've heard mixed reviews though....we'll see.
Sounds a reasonable deal; what I also think is, it's not just a question of using one, foolproof method to learn a language; it's the regular and consistent application of developing skills.
We tried Rosetta Stone, and REALLY didn't like it. Rachael's friend had four year of Rosetta Stone French, and had a difficult time in French class because she had no idea how to conjugate regular verbs (!!!). Rosetta Stone teaches you VOCABULARY, but not the language.
I haven't used Rosetta Stone, and I'm certain I never will. But, if you buy it...buy it brand new from Rosetta Stone themselves, or from a trusted source (like Homeschool Buyers Co-op). Don't buy a used one, and don't buy a new one from another company or seller that you don't know. I posted about this awhile back at another homeschool site. The link still works to the initial report I posted about. Oh, and apparently you can not resell RS either, the buyer won't be able to get it to work because RS actually sells the license to use it, and it's sold only to the initial buyer...if you sell it the buyer can't use it (that's also why you should never try to buy a used one). http://www.today.com/id/46484347/ns...ebsites-business-counterfeiters/#.UpzY4iebSRM
Yes, well I guess this might be one of those things where the deal side of things might sometimes come across as better than the details side, on closer examination. Certainly for French, the grammar and conjugations are important; French inflects much more frequently than English so this aspect does need to be learned.
Rocket language programs have several free lessons available for you to try at no cost. The price is far less then RS.
I would think grammar and conjugating verbs would be essential in any language! I mean, can you imagine trying to speak English without knowing how to conjugate verbs properly? Not knowing when to use is, are, was and were, just for starters?
We love Rosetta Stone. My husband found a really good deal on a homeschool version with levels 1-5 earlier this year for $200.
