PRELIMINARY
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So you do not lay down unrealistic expectations, I would like to make a few general remarks:
1. No software, no matter how well they may be, can replace direct contact with native speakers, and no language course, the everyday situation in which people quickly, speak indistinctly and with slang and dialect, fully simulate. If a course given me such a jump start that I can move in a foreign country from the outset with no English or German, a very important success has been achieved in my eyes already. The rest always depends on oneself.
2. Russian is one of the hardest languages in the world. This is especially true when one has so far not set particularly with grammatical structures apart (eg in German or Latin), and of course the unusual font is a learning hurdle.
So please do not expect you could do to learn Russian in two weeks or less in passing.
Learning 3. Languages ALWAYS connected to bother whatever the advertising may dish up for them balderdash - just as there is little effortless diet or the effortless fitness program (which we all know want to turn numerous gurus).
The question is not whether a language course is easy, but if it's fun, the necessary time and effort to invest, whether learning levels are dosed properly, you can apply what they have learned, etc.
Having clarified, I go now elaborate on the RosettaStone software.
TARGET GROUP
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Before making such a large financial investment, you should always be clear for what purpose you want to learn Russian. Because you have to say quite clearly that RosettaStone language courses are not suitable for any purpose but are quite consistently geared to specific needs.
RosettaStone is suitable for you if you want to soon travel abroad and communicate there practically from day one in the foreign language or need. Therefore, the programs are particularly well suited for embassy staff, doctors, soldiers and businessmen (all these people should probably also little trouble with the high cost have).
But students who embark on an exchange semester in a foreign country, can shorten the settling time considerably with RosettaStone.
But even those people who just love to learn languages as a hobby and for which it does not depend on the last percent perfectionism can have fun with this software. The last group I would personally most likely count.
For the following target groups RosettaStone is less suitable in my eyes:
1. People who need Russian in all correspondence (eg a company) - to write Russian is practiced only marginally. There are no exercises for cursive.
Want to read 2 people who also challenging texts (eg research). For the latest prices just go not far enough. However, I am also only with two-thirds of the package through, so it can not fully assess.
3. People who want to learn about the country and its people, history, art and so on. The software is then explicitly not. RosettaStone courses are structured broadly in any language equal, whether now I learn Pashto or Danish. The program is really so purely functional language acquisition and does not go to the Russian cuisine, the life of Lenin, or attractions near St.Petersburg one. But it's there so guide.
4. People who are part of the learning meticulous type. This means that whoever looks up any word in every sentence only in the lexicon or gets nervous at the slightest grammatical ambiguity, will definitely have a problem with the RosettaStone-learning principle. As I said, the software is precisely aligned consistently on the fast applicable learning. This must be so clearly say who complained that in the RS exercises suddenly popping up unfamiliar words or sentence structures that are nowhere explained, did not understand the meaning - such small "nasties" are in fact interspersed with intent. Anyone who wants to learn a foreign language must mainly learn to grasp the meaning of a sentence, without being always understood every word. Anyone with locals looking up every unknown word in the dictionary in every conversation, is frankly a strenuous interlocutor and is hardly ever put out a reasonable rate. This is of course not for people who have to deal for professional reasons with the exact wording of a text, zBJuristen or historians. For the software but as I said in any case not the right one.
5. People who have little time. The learning principle requires that you regularly and intensively deals with the matter. Approximate estimate: Who really engaged all day with the language, comes in about 3 days by a lesson (there are three learning levels à four lessons) without the thing to rush unnecessarily. Who does it after work, should sit twice a week at least. I personally have been used on average about two weeks for a lesson and am quite satisfied.
ONLINE subscription or CDs?
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The online subscription has the advantage that it is especially effective (about 150 euros). In addition, you do not have trouble with updates, because you always use the latest version and can log on each computer. The disadvantage is of course in the fact that in any case you need a working Internet (eg may be a problem in notebook use). Who owns the CDs, can also even later repeat individual exercises, what you would have to renew the subscription every expensive. Whether this is an argument that depends on the individual learning objectives from (who in any case required, for example, the language only for a three-month stay abroad and then no longer used, the is this restriction probably not itch).
TEACHING STRUCTURE
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Each RosettaStone software consists of three learning levels (which can be purchased separately as well). Each level in turn contains four lessons, and each lesson consists of individual exercises. First comes the main lesson, then repeating individual exercises "speaking", "listening", "words", "grammar" and "Write" (mixed order). In Russian, the letters also be presented in the allersersten exercises. In addition, recourse can be at a distance of a few weeks repeatedly interspersed in earlier lessons: if you eg by three, four weeks could not work with the software, you can assume that a program then to restart only once a few repetitions pushes the eye. That's not so bad.
Many exercises are structured according to the multiple-choice principle. That is one example, has an image and must assign him one of three texts (or vice versa a text to multiple images). Or one speaks by words or phrases, which you can read here sometimes the text to be spoken, and in other cases, must rely purely on his hearing.
The learning level is quite leisurely at the beginning; the records are kept simple (eg "This is a man", "The dog runs" etc.), and are obtained quickly the first successes that motivate a. Later, the claim will be quite crisp. Personally, I had in the first stage the greatest difficulties with the writing exercises (which it, however, only two per lesson there). Meanwhile, I got used to it quite well, to hear the spelling out of the sound of words. He is replaced in the second step to counting, which is not quite so straightforward in Russian. In addition, the phrases that you want to repeat, ever longer and more complex. Because sometimes you have pretty focused. But must also be so, because at some point you want, after all, sometimes come to the interesting things.
Well, I think the way also that difficult, lighter exercises repeatedly alternated (eg, longer and shorter sentences for repetition).
Along with the software itself can be the way to acquire language CDs. I think this is very useful, because it provides the opportunity to practice listening skills. Personally, I can use the very good, because I have to drive longer distances more frequently by car. And this is an ideal opportunity to insert the CDs. But one does not necessarily need.
TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT
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Total RosettaStone is very stable in my experience. You have to say that the technical requirements are also not particularly high. Three things to note:
1. The entire application runs Flash-based. This means that it can not be played in the online subscription to Apple mobile devices, while iPhone and iPad Adobe Flash boycott. CD-based application on a mobile device is not running already, because already alone lacks the drive.
2. The online version runs smoothly on my 2000-DSL connection and loads quickly clean. With slower connections I would inquire only, especially with ISDN or even old modems.
3. For the speech recognition a USB microphone is recommended. On Windows I have multiple headsets had no problems, presented under MacOS speech recognition but the other day from one day to the service on (I suspect a conflict with other software). To date, I've got things under MacOS not running again, and the Technical Hotline was not much help: who I first sent my request an automated response that had nothing whatsoever to do with my question (a nerve something like that!), as the second one has recommended to buy a new headphone (pointless as it worked with my old that beforehand) and the third one has asked me to put me on the phone with the hotline. It was a number in the US, and since I did not know if the call is free, I left it alone. I use RosettaStone simply Parallels in Win7 that solves the problem.
The voice recognition works equally not perfect, but does ultimately their service in the context of what you can expect. The software can go through a so some cheating, for example, would you instead of "Buistra" also "Guistra", "Luistra", "Uitra" or "Muigra" accept. I would, however, the software does not hold against, because a truly professional speech recognition would be much more expensive and would require a longer training period. You just have to bring a bit of self-discipline and repeat the sentences on their own when they have been poorly pronounced. There is the opportunity to establish his own language and to be then audition - a good self-control.
Assessment of learning outcomes
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Overall I am very pleased with Russian RosettaStone after eight months and'm already, what language I want to learn my next. Whether the principle equally well suited for every language, I can not judge. I would imagine that one languages as Dutch or Swedish, which are quite similar to the Germans, or languages such as Spanish or French, which are perhaps from school yet know and where you only want to deepen knowledge, learn rapidly with this system can - and indeed almost effortless, if this is at all possible to learn a language.
In strange languages, it might be able ausschauen somewhat different. In China, for example, it is extremely on the correct emphasis on the syllables, and I am a little skeptical about whether the speech recognition it is precise enough.
But in this case it's all about Russian. Even if I could not make in Russia prior to the test at far my learning level, yet I have the feeling that I have done in the time to make good progress (which you have as I said always make the difficulty of the language into account). I do believe that I have good conditions at the end of the course, could move without having to resort to English in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Without a doubt, I have a lot, learned a lot more than I would ever have associated with conventional self-learning methods into existence. And that puts a little the cost argument. Sure, 400 euros for a software is quite a lot of gravel. But more expensive is a textbook or a vocabulary box for 15 Euro, which I never use. After all, it's the end for what happens.
Especially me brings learning with RosettaStone really great fun (the various levels to deal with probably stimulates the computer player in me * g *). But you really have the necessary care to bring, and in my opinion you should repeat each exercise several times until no more errors are really in it. Thus, it is quite tough mamchmal ahead, but without permanent repetition It's not. Repetitio est mater studiorum, as the Latins say.
The biggest advantage is my view that the exercises are (in this case in Russian) held completely in the respective language. This entseht the direct linking of image and word without the unnecessary detour through the translation. Even this is one of the most important learning steps in a foreign language: that you get a subconscious feeling for whether some formulation is correct, without having previously translated for each time - running something like juggling or ice, which the body also learn should make of themselves, without the brain is always. :-)
Some have criticized that RosettaStone grammar abhandle overall quite unsystematic. Personally, I see the whole not so, because it takes quite arranging grammar instead. However, the concept of learning requires the learner that he himself thinks himself opens and the grammatical rules of its own.
But especially the Russian, I can understand even if some people in some places would want more explanations and that the software is still something more einginge on the respective grammatical peculiarities of a language. For example, there are two kinds of possessive pronouns in Russian, which can not be distinguished in German (eg "He told me his name (thus his own)" and "He has a brother. He told me his name (ie the name of the brother ) "). It seemed to me a long time a complete mystery, when to use which pronoun. For such cases, but I did just gained a little grammar, in the individual declinations are then combined times. It prohibits a yes no to use next RosettaStone other supplementary learning materials.
So, that's it. I hope I do not with my verbiage too slain, and maybe it has indeed helped you even in your purchasing decision.
With or without RosettaStone: Have fun learning Russian!
