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| Rosetta Stone Version 3: German Level 1, 2 & 3 Set with Audio Companion | 
 enlarge | From: Rosetta Stone
Category: Software
List Price: $549.00
Buy New: $465.00
You Save: $84.00 (15%)
New (2) from $465.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 309
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows 2000, Windows Xp, Mac Os X
Media: CD-ROM
Edition: Level 1, 2 & 3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 6.5 x 3
Model: 20585
UPC: 794678205859
EAN: 0794678205859
ASIN: B001AFFRM0
Release Date: June 16, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Good for some November 1, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This product will allow you to communicate on a basic level in German. After completing the three levels you will still be at a beginner level. Do not buy this product expecting to become fluent in German.
 Simply a Great System - Highly Recommended October 31, 2008
Rosetta Stone - German
I have never used any of Rosetta Stones' products before, but I am familiar with the challenges of learning a new language (having taken Japanese for several years) and I was looking forward to giving this a try.
Rosettas Advantage:
Rosetta uses immersion as it's main method, which basically means that you learn a language in that language, rather than presenting a concept or phrase in English and then providing the foreign language equivalent. I think Rosetta's approach is the right one as it provides a word or phrase with conceptual identifiers (within pictures) that seem (at least to me) to work much better than any other method I have tried.
Rossetta's approach is to start you off immediately in the language you are learning, in this case German, and you immediately start to associate the new words and phrases with their meaning. Rosetta does this in a pretty effective way, using pictures of people in situations where the words are used, allowing you to associate the words and items in your mind.
Where Other systems Fail:
The reason the "presenting a phrase in English / then in another language" approach other systems and college courses use doesn't work well (in my opinion) is that there are many cases where there is no direct foreign equivalent. This is especially true with cultural-centric phrases like greetings and farewells that have developed and contracted over time in such a way that the meaning is much more than the translation. The other problem with teaching a foreign language in English is that you tend to rely on the translation in your head rather than "thinking" in the language you are speaking.
The Challenge:
It is said that Rosetta is addictive, and I couldn't agree more. If you like a challenge (most language learners do), then you will have lots of fun with this. I found that I really didn't want to quit and challenged myself to do better with each lesson. Yes, eventually, your mind gets pretty tired and you will take a break, but I have to say it is really fun and you really feel like you've had a mental workout after (in a good way).
The system comes with audio CD's, which I think is really helpful, but I find I only used them to check them out, not necessarily in the car or at home. I think a great replacement or add-on to this feature would be some kind of iTunes subscription that let's you easily put these on an iPod or MP3 player. I would likely listen to the audio more while working or maybe if I want something in the background to occupy my mind a bit when doing tedious work. I would often do this with a Japanese radio station and found it helped me with picking out words from native speakers and using the language within the correct context.
I installed Rosetta Stone on a Mac with OSX Leopard and I had no problems at all. The only suggestion that I would make is that you be sure to restart after installation, just for safe measure. Since it interacts with hardware (via the included USB headset and mic), and requires activation of the software, it's a practice I have come to trust, regardless of the installation instructions and so far has treated me well.
The system comes with good instructions on installation and use, a headset, the installation CD's and the audio CD's. In fact, the documentation is above par in most respects. Kudos to Rosetta for that. The only issue I had is that the box everything comes in is small, which is great for those of us with environmental concerns, but this means the headset included can get a bit squished. In my case, one of the ear pieces was broken off in the box and didn't work. I found it uncomfortable to hear in only one ear although the mic seemed to work well. Lucky for me I had another around and used is (Creative Fatality Headset (Black) - http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Fatal1ty-Gaming-Headset-Black/dp/B001BDI9SU/ref=pd_bbs_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1225474432&sr=8-4 ) and this one worked very well.
Bottom Line: Having taken a few languages, this was, by far, one of the most fun experiences I have had. I find it stimulating and challenging with just the right mix of everything in it to keep everyone happy. For me, it sparked a whole new interest in German from my whole family. We all had fun with it together
Everyone learns differently, and I have spent quite a lot of time learning this in business as well. Methods that work for some, may not work well for others. I think Rosetta has found a "sweet spot" here and would recommend it to anyone except those that like a structured approach based in English.
All of this aside, Rosetta Stone shouldn't be your only tool in learning a language, and it's not intended to be. The culture is a great part of the language, and you should experience the culture at every opportunity to really start to understand how to speak fluently. You will never be "finished" learning a language. You are never done. As my Japanese teacher would say, "This is the beginning of a lifetime of learning". How true.
Armed with Rosetta, I think you'll be pretty well prepared for the lifetime learning a new language will bring. It is a perfect place to start.
Go, Rosetta, Go! October 30, 2008
I have already tried two other Rosetta products and they worked so well, that I also got this German language program although I already know this language at a certain level. As of this time I do not know any other language program that could successfully compete with this one. Except, of course, for learning language abroad. I fully recommend Rosetta's language series for everyone. For more detailed information please refer to my reviews of Rosetta's French and Italian.
Excellent Product, in Need of Better Headset October 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Let's keep this short and effective. This is an awesome, albeit very expensive product. If you are a person who wants the best (like me) then this is the product you want to get to help you learn another language. There are a few cons though and they are...
Cons:
Headset needs to be a much better quality for a $500 product. One of our earpieces broke right away.
The voice recognition was superb at first. Now it's quirky. This could be those headphones again.
Price - yikes isn't there a way to sell this for less?
Pros:
Automatic feedback is what makes this such a superb product. It comes in the form of the visuals and voice recognition.
Great visuals are extremely helpful. As an educator, I understand the power behind what is being called non-linguistic representation nowadays. Basically - pictures, video, movement and pantomiming, graphic organizers, etc...to boost understanding and retention.
Very easy to use - my 3 kids = 7, 9, and 15 are each using the product and navigate through it easily. It's a great way for my son in German 2 to stay fresh and practice in a fun format.
Finally, I appreciate how it mimics authentic natural learning of how a child learns a language - by inferring a lot. Yes, there is explicit instruction, just as adults do for children, but there is also a lot of opportunity for the same process children must do to learn a language - infer.
Love the product, just PLEASE include a better headset or two!
A technique that works well for me October 16, 2008
I have this software in three different languages and I find that I am picking up the vocabulary pretty quickly through the Rosetta method. I also do not have a lot of time to dedicate and like it that they include audio lessons that I can load on my ipod, I find that this helps me to not forget too much between computer lessons.
I don't have anything else besides class room lessons to compare this too, and that wouldn't be a fair comparison. So I can't say that the Rosetta Stone software is better than anyone else's, but I like it very much and would highly recommend it.
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