Rosetta Stone is one of the giants in the language learning tool world. What caught my attention at first though is not its reputation, but rather the price it comes with. It is free for you to download from App Store or Google Play, however there is only six features that is unlocked for you: Core Lesson, Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Grammar, Reading and Writing which is sadly not supported by iPad. That is the content of lesson one. The other contents are locked and you can purchase all levels with… well $200. Now I did some homework on Rosetta Stone and know that despite its fame, the app is also criticized by many people due to the outrageously expensive price.
So is the app that worthy for you to spend such a large sum of money out? This is the commonly asked question within learner communities, because be it $200 or more, not everyone can afford it without a blink of an eye. I proceed to try the demo version out with the first free lesson. However, because this lesson is at beginner level, I can’t say that I will be able to make most of the app.
Unlike other apps, Rosetta Stone begins with a few nouns like “a boy” and “a girl” with pictures. You hear the word, see the written form and the picture all at the same time. As soon as you can recognize the words, you will have to match it with the correct picture in about three seconds. Then you will be given another similar task. At this stage you will also get to familiarize with some simple verbs and phrases and do the same task as before. Things will slowly get more complex the previous task but it should not be too hard to guess and figure out the correct answer.
Interestingly, Rosetta Stone does not use your native language. I saw some apps, including Speaking Pal that has the translation feature where the sentence is translated into my mother tongue. Everything is presented in English and there is no definition or whatsoever…. Wait right, if you are at the beginner level you would not be able to understand definition written in English anyway… From this you can see usually it is essential to have a translation option so people can understand. Rosetta however uses pictures to illustrate the word’s meaning. If you are imaging a baby looking at the karaoke effect on the word happens simultaneously with the audio, and then pointing at picture that they are attracted to or that they think is right then congratulation! That is pretty much what this activity Rosetta offers is.
And… that is all? After trying out the Core lesson, I found the rest (Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Grammar and Reading) is repetitive. Of course it’s not a bad thing to revise what you have learned through the Core Lesson, but there is no other activity than the one I mentioned. I got curious and tried out Japanese but ugh really, because Rosetta does not use my (or anyone) native language so seeing hiragana at the beginning of the lesson is not something I like. For me, in unit one lesson one, which means the very basic lesson of the language, especially one with non-roman characters like Chinese or Japanese,…, should be how to understand, recognize and familiarize with each character. Rosetta caught me off guard using hiragana right from the first slide without any explanation or instruction. Yes you can listen to the audio and make a guess, but you will have to put 120% effort and time into learning it from the character to the meaning. To me, this backfires. Good luck trying to figure out what each phrase means, how to read and how to write it.
And… that is all? After trying out the Core lesson, I found the rest (Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Grammar and Reading) is repetitive. Of course it’s not a bad thing to revise what you have learned through the Core Lesson, but there is no other activity than the one I mentioned. I got curious and tried out Japanese but ugh really, because Rosetta does not use my (or anyone) native language so seeing hiragana at the beginning of the lesson is not something I like. For me, in unit one lesson one, which means the very basic lesson of the language, especially one with non-roman characters like Chinese or Japanese,…, should be how to understand, recognize and familiarize with each character. Rosetta caught me off guard using hiragana right from the first slide without any explanation or instruction. Yes you can listen to the audio and make a guess, but you will have to put 120% effort and time into learning it from the character to the meaning. To me, this backfires. Good luck trying to figure out what each phrase means, how to read and how to write it.
One factor that adds great values to this product is the advanced speech recognition technology. When you speak, the speech recognition analyzes your voice and either approves it or asks you to try again based on how you did. You can also open the wave analyzer where you can see the difference between the native’s speech and your own. Slowly, especially in the reading exercises, the pronunciation you try to get right in this will be useful.
Something that although I feel kind of bored with, but is still a good feature in Rosetta Stone app is the pictures. It’s not your typical googled picture. They are carefully planned and chosen to illustrate the best, clearest scenario so you can guess the correct word from looking at pictures. For visual learner and in general, our brains are more likely to process the information faster especially with pictures, and stays longer in our memory. However with the amount of picture for one word, your understanding of this word is very limited. Once you get a word that has different meanings for different situations, it might be confusing.
Even with these pros, with just one lesson learnt, I would not spend $200 on this for a full version. First of all, as a language learner, you are required to study the language in any possible form and as much interaction with the real life you get, the better you get at that language. Studying English or any other languages does not stop at sitting at one place and matching up pictures with words or phrases. I do admit that I have not explored everything Rosetta has to offer me yet, but after the demo version, I find no enthusiasm or curiosity in the other contents or activities. To say bluntly, Rosetta Stones disappointed me with its weird learning philosophy. Yes they spent a lot of money on researching great methods for non-native speakers to study foreign language, but that reason is not convincing enough for me to be motivated and use the app. In fact, I will not use it again.
Even with these pros, with just one lesson learnt, I would not spend $200 on this for a full version. First of all, as a language learner, you are required to study the language in any possible form and as much interaction with the real life you get, the better you get at that language. Studying English or any other languages does not stop at sitting at one place and matching up pictures with words or phrases. I do admit that I have not explored everything Rosetta has to offer me yet, but after the demo version, I find no enthusiasm or curiosity in the other contents or activities. To say bluntly, Rosetta Stones disappointed me with its weird learning philosophy. Yes they spent a lot of money on researching great methods for non-native speakers to study foreign language, but that reason is not convincing enough for me to be motivated and use the app. In fact, I will not use it again.
The app is, probably, suitable for children know nothing about a language (well aside from Japanese and other non-roman character language). At least in English and in the vocabulary sections where you can see pictures and guess what is going on. Otherwise I would not recommend spending hundreds of dollars on this. If you choose the wrong word, you get to choose the other one right after that. And there are not too many options at one time so chances are, you will get the answer right after a few tries but will you fully understand the language you are learning? I doubt that it is a yes. As I am not used to this learning style, I skipped many question by guessing answers without thinking.
To conclude this all, I feel bad when I have to say that I dislike Rosetta Stone app. The app has no grammar point explanation or vocabulary explanation. The pronunciation is studied mostly on listening skill – you listen and repeat after the native’s speech - so you will be busy trying to imitate the native’s and do not have the chance to have your own voice. I know many of the problem I mentioned might be treated lightly by other users but for someone who prefer traditional learning style, Rosetta Stone is not an app you can use alone to achieve fluency. It is good to use along side with some other apps, or a textbook, or better yet, an instructor. Know your studying style and make the right decision or else you will waste a big sum of money for a program you cannot learn much from without any complement materials.
To conclude this all, I feel bad when I have to say that I dislike Rosetta Stone app. The app has no grammar point explanation or vocabulary explanation. The pronunciation is studied mostly on listening skill – you listen and repeat after the native’s speech - so you will be busy trying to imitate the native’s and do not have the chance to have your own voice. I know many of the problem I mentioned might be treated lightly by other users but for someone who prefer traditional learning style, Rosetta Stone is not an app you can use alone to achieve fluency. It is good to use along side with some other apps, or a textbook, or better yet, an instructor. Know your studying style and make the right decision or else you will waste a big sum of money for a program you cannot learn much from without any complement materials.