Rosetta Stone V3 French Level 1-3 Set with Audio Companion OLD VERSION

I hate this software for two reasons. Nonetheless, I'm positive it will work wonders for certain individuals. At this price range you simply must know if you're one of those types or not. Otherwise you'll be wasting a lot of hard earned money. Rosetta's licensing makes it so that you cannot resell the software and their "money back guarantee" does NOT cover Amazon purchases. I know because I asked and researched. You only get the six month guarantee if you buy directly from Rosetta - at an even higher price I might add. There are basically two schools of thought when it comes to language instruction. Total immersion or non-total immersion. The former is like dropping you in the middle of a foreign country without a guidebook or translator. The latter is like having someone with you who can speak both languages and can answer questions in your native tongue. Rosetta is total immersion. I didn't know that when I received the product. In the past I've used Pimsleur (Brazilian Portuguese) and found it to be effective both in teaching the language and in motivating me to continue. The motivation part is why I prefer Pimsleur. There's also a new company on the market with a similar approach called Fluenz that offers a bit more hand holding than Pimsleur which many users, according to reviews here, seem to like. For many people there's a very basic psychological principle in play when learning a new language. It's similar to those folks who resolve to exercise and lose weight after New Years. They start with the best intentions, but many if not most fail to keep their resolutions. One of the reasons is a lack of positive reinforcement. If you start out too fast, for example, and get hurt you've just created a negative influence on your motivation. Some people, however, are quite successful right out the gate and keep going on their own. No need for a trainer, no need for hand holding or compliments. They just do it. Are you the type of person who will feel stressed (demotivation) by not having the rules of grammar explained to you while you learn a new language? If yes you won't like Rosetta. Try Pimsleur or Fluenz. Or are you the type of person who welcomes the challenge (motivation) of figuring out the rules of grammar on your own by using your own observations? Then you'll like Rosetta. I am not one of those people who can stay motivated to do an extremely difficult task if I feel stressed out right at the beginning. I have visited multiple countries and what I experienced only affirms my dislike of the Rosetta approach. While in South Korea, Thailand, China or Iraq, I found that people assumed I did not know the local language so they either spoke slower or tried to mix English in with their native tongue. Much less stressful albeit slower way to learn. In Brazil there is no single ethnic group. People assumed I spoke Portuguese. It was the most difficult time I ever had in another country. I'm not saying I shouldn't learn the local language - no way. Just that when you're learning, at least for some people, they need things to go a little slower and with a bit more assistance in order to be motivated to keep learning the language. Rosetta's license is most restrictive that I have ever encountered. And they enforce their license. Some users claim that other companies have the same license rules. That might be true, but they don't enforce those rules like Rosetta. If you buy Rosetta on Amazon you are subject to Amazon's refund policies, not Rosetta's. Amazon doesn't give full refunds on opened software. And after 30 days you're probably out of luck for any kind of refund. You cannot get Rosetta's 6 month money back guarantee here. You only get it if you buy it direct from them at a higher price. The software can be used on only one computer. No, you cannot use it on a laptop while you're away from your desktop. The software license requires that you register online in order to access all the exercises. Once you do this the software is then tied specifically to that computer. It cannot be registered on another computer. This means you cannot resell it _anywhere_. Rosetta customer service told me that they would consider the needs of customers on a case-by-case basis should someone upgrade their system and get rid of their old machine. In other words, there's a tiny sliver of flexibility here. But it ain't much. You simply must know what style of language learning you prefer before purchasing this very expensive piece of software. Some people, like me, are going to hate it. Others who like total immersion love it. Know what kind of user you are. Read more

While it should be a standard to wait a long while before reviewing there are aspects that become more quickly apparent both for comparison and understanding. My previous French language experience came from two years of high school classes about sixteen years ago. I've had a few other language classes since then, establishing me if not as a thorough polyglot at least as a someone well versed in language training from a variety of different teaching styles, approaches, and contexts. I've tried to keep up with a number of these languages I've studied, with various success, and with various software help. Mostly the inexpensive kind. I've picked up the Instant Immersion disks (a great, inexpensive, entirely un-thorough approach), the Learn to Speak series (about the same, though with a lot more content). Recently, to learn German for my studies I looked at more thorough programs and two stood out. The Rosetta Stone series and the Tell Me More. I noticed Tell Me More was getting great reviews and was less than half the price. Being a little financially strapped I skipped the trend and bought Tell Me More. And I'm very glad I did. It's an effective program that has pushed me quite along in learning the language. Still, there was a tickle in my brain. Is Rosetta Stone really better? So, when it came time for me to start with French, also for my studies, I decided to make a contrast. And yes, Rosetta Stone is the better program. In some ways. Really, I'd have to say these are quite different programs, rather than one being substantially better. Tell Me More is a like a class in a box. There is a mix of exercises that help to build vocabulary, sentence structure, writing, pronunciation, and other aspects. Each section has a large mix of short lessons that reinforce the learning without becoming dull or tedious. Save yourself taking language classes by using Tell Me More. Rosetta Stone is a lot less like taking a class. It's more like finding yourself on an island with a group of people who all only speak another shared language. And if you want to learn how to thrive on this island, then you follow their patient, but focused, teaching. This approach sticks, and it is effective. My only quibble is I'm not sure it's quite worth the amount of money they are asking. Indeed, if money isn't an issue then by all means go with Rosetta Stone. There are qualities that do set it apart, and it helps a person feel much more involved in the language and less like taking a class. But, if money is an issue Tell Me More is comparable in quality, without being nearly as expensive. That's not a slam against the product quality of Rosetta Stone at all. It really is an extraordinary software, and revolutionizes language learning. Read more

Purchased Rosetta Stone for my daughter in college. She liked the program but switched from French to Japanese after one year. I called the company about trading in the $500 product for a discount on another language - no such option. You have six months to return it and then it is yours forever. If you try to sell this on ebay or similar sites, you can't, your auction will be cancelled by the auction site. So while the program is satisfactory, be aware that you can't get any money back after 6 months. Read more