Rosetta Stone V3: French, Level 1

I have just completed Unit 1. I have major issues with this product. First and foremost is the teaching methodology. There was no instruction or theory. You simply begin by clicking buttons and interacting; it seems as though the software was engineered for a child. I am not suggesting that interaction should not play a role in language learning software, but rather that to ignore theory from the beginning (as Rosetta Stone has) is inexcusable from my personal viewpoint. Secondly, its far too expensive; you pay monopolistic pricing for a product that could be much better and much cheaper. If I had it to do over, I probably would not buy it; I certainly wish there had been a more critical and sober review of this product.

Better that I ever expected. All of my kids want to learn French now because of it.

I'll keep this short and sweet. I've been reviewing this version of rosetta stone on their home website and basically everything on version 3 is on version 2. Now I do not own version 3 but from all the reviews that I've read on amazon as well as yahoo answers, these versions are about the same. I've had the french version 2 and am completely satisfied with it. I can not begin to tell you how much I've learned already. Of course it takes much dedication and immersion inside the french culture but you'll be speaking fluent french in no time.

Rosetta Stone products are expensive, far more expensive than most of the language learning tools you'll find on Amazon or in a bookstore. But Rosetta Stone is well worth the price.

Without a true immersion experience (visiting a foreign nation or cloistering yourself at a very expensive university program like Middlebury's where you must pledge to speak only the language you're trying to learn) it can be quite difficult to build speaking skills. Reading skills develop, but speaking, and listening, tend to lag pretty far behind.

Rosetta Stone's French isn't as useful as a summer in Paris, but it's the next best thing. The lessons are exceptionally well-designed for a software immersion program and it's possible to begin to build real fluency if you stick with it and practice frequently.

Some folks may find the program more useful if they supplement the lessons with a good textbook to garner an understanding of the grammatical concepts introduced by the software. This is particularly true if you find you are more a "book learner" than a "visual learner."

If you need a two week cram session before visiting France for a week, go with Pimsleur's beginning CD course. It's more geared to travel survival French (and it's far cheaper). If you are more serious about learning French, and you want to invest some pretty serious time, Rosetta's products are well worth the cost.

I didn't know what to expect when I ordered Rosetta Stone French Level 1.. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of installation, the precise instructions, and the provided USB Microphone Headset that is needed to "talk back" at the lessons. I am still working my way through the lessons, reading, learning, and speaking. Beware.. if you don't say the phrase correctly, Rosetta Stone knows! A great way to learn any foreign language. Learn, hear, speak..