Rosetta sure is pulling in the awards.

It’s been a big week for Rosetta Stone.

Earlier this week, the language-learning software company’s CEO, Tom Adams, was named Executive of the Year at the 7th Annual American Business Awards.

Adams has been with the company since 2003. The company went public in April, raising $112.5 million during its IPO.

In addition, the company has announced that its Classroom Version 3 won an American Educational Publisher’s Distinguished Achievement Award. It won the award for its English as a Second Language (ESL)/ English Language Learner (ELL) curriculum for high school students.

“It is a great privilege to be recognized for the excellence of our ESL instruction,” Adams said in a statement. “As the face of America changes and grows more multicultural, Rosetta Stone Classroom is proud to give teachers the tools to do what they do best and provide ESL students around the country with the opportunity to unlock their natural language ability.”

Comments

[Foreign Language Blogger]

I don't personally think their product is worth the money it costs with other products with similar features being much less expensive. At the same time I don't think it is a bad product just pricey.

However, they are excellent marketers and have a great business model.

[Steve Kaufmann]

Agreed.

[Igor]

Most of the language learning products on the market are based on grammar-translation (Assimil, Living Language etc) or audio-lingual method (FSI, Pimsleur), Rosetta Stone is one of the few if not the only program that is based on a version of Total Physical Response, or TPR.
I like TPR very much and it is an astoundingly successful beginning language teaching method, (http://www.languageimpact.com/articles/other/tprextr.htm). But, as I said it's a "beginning language teaching method", suitable for acquiring only the first 1000 most common words so I can't understand why are they selling 3 levels (up to 3000 words)? And the prize, around 500$!! Crazy.

[Colin]

I have not used their products, but from what I have seen they are largely picture-based flash cards. OK, great. I personally don't see how flash cards alone are going to really get you much. Perhaps they really do help with those first 1000 words, but I imagine most people can internalize 1000 words relatively quickly (if they spend the time and use high resonance materials) and for a lot less than Rosetta Stone charges.

[Maite]

I have tried Rosetta Stone's demo (the old ones on the internet which had several lessons) and the free DVD they send you now.

I thought it was extremely easy to use. I tried languages I know and a couple I don't know. The price is the problem. I'd like to try Korean or Vietnamese all the way through their series and review it.

It only goes to an intermediate level. For some, five hundred dollars is nothing, but it's a hefty investment for many people.

Spanish is their biggest seller and most English Speakers could probably learn Spanish with other methods for much less.

[Sean]

I'd rather spend that money for several hours of lessons online.

[Sebastian]

I have tried the Rosetta Stone Russian Course and have to say that this method doesn't work at all for me. Maybe I am a bit old-fashioned, but I don't like such Total Physical Response format. I don't have the feeling to learn much with it. Fortunately I didn't buy this course and I also think that you can invest your money better ways. Given russian as an example you can spend the 360 Euro for three less expensive courses (for example "Assimil", "New Penguin Russian course" and "LingQ") which will bring you much more knowledge about the language. You will even have enough money left to pay flights to Moscow and back. (You can get cheap flights from Berlin to Moscow for about 90 Euro here). But, if you can get the course for free at a library, it is maybe worth a try.

[Ana]

I tried out their Sweedish demo. It is kind of boring, but starting any language is boring, isn't it?
Maybe this can work for achieving an intermediate level without feeling desperate, which I found is the thing which LingQ lacks most.
Anyway, their price is simply crazy...

[Ramses]

@Ana
It's a misconception that language learning has to be boring in order to be effective. I learned Spanish without ever using a course (only native materials and an SRS), and for Turkish I'm currently going through Teach Yourself Turkish to get the basics down.

Of all language courses I find Assimil and Teach Yourself the most fun, but when I go for fluency I'm using native materials that interesting me and thus making language learning FUN.

[Igor]

@ Ramses,
Congratulations for your Spanish!
Few weeks ago I started reading Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs in Czech without any preparation, course or anything except that I learned the Czech alphabet and basic rules of pronunciation from a small online Czech phrasebook and I feel more excited than ever before.

[Shane]

I've used Rosetta Stone quite a bit, and I don't see how anyone could become fluent using their products.

The best methods I've ever used are systems like Lingq.com and chatting with native speakers :)

[Ramses]

@Igor
Do you use a parallel text? Do you also use audio?

[Igor]

Yes, the English original of the book, don't have audio but no problem for now as it is a very phonetic language.