| 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: $494.10
You Save: $54.90 (10%)
New (1) Used (1) from $469.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 169
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Mac Os X, Windows Vista, Windows 2000, Windows Xp
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 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Rosetta Stone helps you understand everyday language through proficiency-based listening and reading activities, proprietary speech recognition and analysis tools | | • | Contextual Formation makes sure you have the confidence and the cues you need to get the words out on the spot | | • | Milestone activities quickly give you confidence to engage in real-life conversations; Adaptive Recall reinforces language so it sticks with you | | • | Audio Companion allows you to take Rosetta Stone anywhere: in the car, the gym or on-the-go | | • | Build a foundation and navigate your surroundings: learn fundamental vocabulary and essential language structure, from greetings and introductions to simple questions and their answers |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Rosetta Stone Personal Edition contains everything you need to start learning a language. It's built around our award-winning Rosetta Stone curriculum, which has been adopted by organizations around the world including the U.S. Army, NASA, major corporations such as Deutsche Telecom, IKEA, Royal Dutch Shell, and over 10,000 schools worldwide--and is available in 31 languages spoken by over 90% of the world's population. | The comprehensive language-learning solution that fits your life. 
Learn Naturally
Learn your next language the same way you learned your first language. Dynamic Immersion empowers you to see, hear and comprehend without translating or memorizing. You already have this ability, Rosetta Stone simply unlocks it. Engage Interactively
Get feedback to move forward. You learn best by doing, and you'll apply what you've learned to get to the next step. Rosetta Stone adapts to your individual needs and skills, because you drive the program with your progress. Speak Confidently
Start speaking immediately. From the very first lesson, you'll speak. You'll begin with essential basics, which form the building blocks of the language. Soon you'll create new sentences on your own using words you've learned. Have Fun
Best of all, Rosetta Stone is addictive. With every entertaining activity, you'll feel success. You'll want to use Rosetta Stone to have that next moment, that next breakthrough. So you'll keep using it, and you'll learn more! | The Fastest, Easiest Way to Learn a New Language Proceed at Your Own Pace
Rosetta Stone is considerate of your time. Anytime, anywhere, you can learn a new language with Rosetta Stone. You learn comfortably without feeling pressured or overwhelmed. Rosetta Stone provides guidance to make your language learning effective, fast, and enjoyable with a process that is intuitive, interactive, and visually engaging. At the end of each lesson, you are given the opportunity to test your new skills. And, since Rosetta Stone automatically records your progress, you can easily pick up where you left off, when other priorities arise. Make Language Learning Intuitive with Dynamic Immersion
Rosetta Stone uses rich visual imagery to help you learn. You will be presented with sets of images to match correctly with a spoken or written phrase in the new language. You will advance to the next set of prompts once you've successfully matched words and images and pronounced the words correctly. With Dynamic Immersion, you learn by directly associating your new language with images--nothing is lost in translation. Fun, Easy, and Immediate Reinforcement
Interactive exercises create a learning environment that is engaging and game-like--it's fun! How It Works As children, we gradually learned our first language through a process of associating mental images with words or phrases, accompanied by complete immersion in our environment. This approach was simple because it was natural and allowed the brain to adapt to increasing complexity. Rosetta Stone recreated this natural way of learning by developing a method that uses a computer to mimic the environment in which we learned our first language. We call this Dynamic Immersion. A simple, intuitive interface and advanced technology confirms learning at every step of the process by prompting you to make connections between images you already understand and the new language. You receive immediate feedback, which helps you to reinforce learning. This systematic structure builds from simple nouns and verbs to more complex concepts and phrases very quickly, helping you achieve your language-learning goals faster than you ever thought possible. Level 1, 2 & 3--Connect With the World Connect with the world around you. Build a foundation of fundamental vocabulary and essential language structure. Quickly gain the confidence to enjoy social interactions such as greetings and introductions, travel, dining out, giving and getting directions, shopping and other recreational activities. Learn to share your ideas and opinions, express your feelings and talk about everyday life, your work, your interests, current events, and much more. Features & Benefits Faster and More Effective
Rosetta Stone will teach you as fast as you can learn! Leveraging your natural language-learning ability, Version 3 immerses you immediately in the new language, providing just the right context to prompt you to speak, pronounce, read and write in the very first lesson! Intuitive, sequential learning builds progressively and makes every lesson count. Our Dynamic Immersion method is so fast and so effective, it's used by the Fortune 500, the U.S. State Department, and over 10,000 schools. Convenient
You pick the time, the place and the pace! We are ready when you are because there are no class schedules or missed lessons to make up. From your desk or your dining room, your valuable time can be turned into productive language learning that fits your lifestyle. Enjoyable
When something is fun, it captures your attention...and holds it! The interactivity in Version 3 instantly engages you. Rich, vivid imagery, real-life context and voices of native speakers make Rosetta Stone different from any other product out there--never tedious or boring. Rosetta Stone provides a captivating, game-like experience. Milestones
Learn and apply! Our MILESTONE feature lets you try out your new language knowledge in real-life situations. Track Your Progress
New ADAPTIVE RECALL feature tracks your progress, reinforcing your strengths and revisiting your development areas. New Speech Recognition Technology
State-of-the-art new speech recognition technology helps you learn to speak your new language even faster. And our new Speech Analysis Tool compares your voice to that of native speakers, helping you perfect your pronunciation. Life-like Context
Our New CONTEXTUAL FORMATION feature uses real-life simulations and vivid imagery to give you exactly the context you need to produce new language--all on your own! Level 1, 2 & 3 Set Includes: The Basics
Nouns, verbs, adjectives, numbers, questions, colors, clothing. Friends and Family
Ages, family relations, household items, introductions, landmarks, states, descriptions. Work and School
Times of day, greetings, calendar terms, body parts, speaking, personal hygiene. Shopping
Buying, selling and shopping; entertainment and sports; merchandise, speed and weight, comparing and contrasting. Travel
Destinations, transportation, directions, locations, telling time, distance, cost, weather. Past and Future
Tenses, letter writing, school subjects, signs, workplace terms, polite requests. Friends and Social Life
Months of the year, arrivals and departures, social interaction, celebrations, meal courses, quality terms, apologies. Dining and Vacation
Future tense; terms for art, architecture and music; emotions, places of worship, travel and lodging. Home and Health
Terms for home, garden and backyard activities; household items and appliances; terms for strength and physical activity. Life and World
Emotions, continents, life milestones, oceans, botanical terms, terms for animals. Places and Events
Opinion and judgments, currency exchange and transactions; measurements, household repair tools, culinary terms. Talking About the World
Nationalities, governmental leaders, political terms, media terms, business terms, religious terms. Doing things!  Audio Companion allows you to take Rosetta Stone anywhere: in the car, the gym or on-the-go. | Audio Companion--Taking Rosetta Stone to the Next Level Introducing Audio Companion from Rosetta Stone, the newest enhancement to the world's #1 language-learning software! It's a great addition to the Rosetta Stone experience, allowing you to take Rosetta Stone anywhere: in the car, the gym or on-the-go! What is Audio Companion?
Audio Companion CD-ROMs enhance language learning anytime, anyplace. You can learn new skills on the computer, and then reinforce them with Audio Companion. Play the CDs on a stereo, or download them to a MP3 Player and go! Enhance the Rosetta Stone Learning Experience
Audio Companion activities correspond to Rosetta Stone CD-ROM software lessons. You can listen to Audio Companion and practice what you've been learning, turning travel time into productive language learning time. Extend Study Time
Now, you don't have to stop learning when you leave your computer. Audio Companion lets you access lessons whenever and wherever you want. It empowers you, and works within your busy lifestyle! Build Vocabulary and Pronounce Words and Phrases
Audio Companion features distinct words and shorter phrases to make them easier to hear and repeat. Build good enunciation habits by hearing native speakers pronounce them first. Speak and Converse
The speaking portion of Audio Companion lets you listen to questions and answers, repeating them to use later. To help them build your conversation skills, first you'll listen to a conversation and then repeat phrases individually.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...
 Save your money, and pass on Rosetta Stone. December 24, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
It sounds like a good idea, but it's not. I used this product over time, so this is not a snap judgment. Rosetta Stone does not deliver what is promises. I learned more of a foreign language in a semester of college than this poorly designed product delivered in 6 months of use. Massive waste of time and money. Now, several hundred dollars worth of software sits on my shelf collecting dust.
PROS:
- Rosetta Stone will consume hours of your time and lull you into believing that you are learning a language.
CONS:
- WAY, WAY over-priced.
- Designed to work only when the CD is in your computer (TIP: Plan on carrying the language disk around with your laptop if you want to use the software.)
- Voices become extremely grating over time.
- Moves you at a snail's pace; if you are learning a language for business or expect to move past kindergarten level in a few months, then forget this product.
If you want to learn a language then I'd recommend you take a course at your local college or buy one of the many texts available and a dictionary; sadly for me, either of these routes would have cost me a fraction of the price of this product and served me better in the long run. Save your money, and pass on Rosetta Stone.
 A truly interactive approach to learning German December 23, 2008
I've been using this Rosetta Stone program for about three months now. Overall, I am very pleased with it. The program's interface is well-designed, I've experienced no bugs or glitches, and I am making progress faster than I thought I would (or at least I think I am).
Rosetta Stone's method is based on a technique called "Dynamic Immersion." You're immediately thrown into the language you want to learn -- there's no English allowed. This sounds daunting, but the software starts you off at such a rudimentary level it isn't intimidating.
Thankfully, the app employs a good variety of interactive methods (matching pictures to sentences, writing caption for photos, hearing words and phrases pronounced correctly by native speakers, etc.) so the "by rote" factor stays low. Rosetta Stone says its techniques are modeled on how native speakers actually learn their own languages, usually while still kids, and I think that's a good description for what the software delivers. You start with words and then move on to phrases, and then with level two you get to conversations. Level three kicks the conversational up a couple of notches. It's a natural progression.
I think there are people who prefer a more standard "grammar-first" approach because they've found in the past that this is what works for them. I imagine there are also people who don't like looking at computer screens for lengthy periods. These are valid concerns. There are different pedagogical approaches for a reason -- not everyone learns in the same way. My guess is that Rosetta Stone would serve the majority of people very well, especially students who are comfortable with computer-based learning. Ideally, I think this program will work best for people who are studying a language using many "inputs" (text books, audio programs, computer apps, foreign-language media, foreign flicks, native speakers, etc.) All of these things will ultimately reinforce one another. The more immersion, the better.
I really like how the program keeps track of what areas I'm botching and pulls me back into those areas for more work. I also like the pronunciation practice via the included headset, although I can't verify it's always catching me when I'm mispronouncing things. To my ear I'm doing OK, but my ear isn't the best, hence my use of this program. If I'm pronouncing things badly and the program isn't always catching my errors, I'm not sure how I'd know, if you see what I mean. My hope is that I can nail the rudiments of German and get a good grip on simple conversations using Rosetta Stone before trying to find people to practice with/on, thus keeping my embarrassment factor low.
I'd give the app five stars but I cringe just a little bit at the price. I don't think it is overpriced for what you get, mind you, but the cost -- well, it is what it is. There is a demo on the Rosetta Stone Web site that I encourage you to try before buying. It'll give you a good idea how well this program will work for you. If you like the approach, the price for all three levels is well worth it.
Keep in mind that learning any foreign tongue will realistically take a while. Rosetta Stone shortens the learning period a good deal and makes sticking with the program easier, but it's only a foundation. Still, it's a pretty darn good one, and I can see why it's so popular with people traveling overseas for the first time as well as the international business community.
Very good way to learn a language December 19, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Rosetta Stone Version 3 is an excellent way to introduce someone to a new language.
SETUP
Reasonably easy, but I would strongly recommend an Internet connection during installation to get all the features unlocked. I did the installation on an airplane, and found out that I was missing a few things. This is easily remedied later.
COURSE CONTENT
Overall, the course content is very good, using only the German language--there is no use of English at all, except for menu options and such. This is not, therefore, a course that relies at all on "translation". Rather, the course uses images and audio to acquaint the user with key words and phrases, then re-enforces them by using them in different orders, combining them in different ways, etc. until the use becomes natural.
This is generally quite effective, but in some areas falls short. For example, the intricacies of German articles (is it "Der", "Das", "Die"?) can be a little tricky to pick up in this way--it would be nice to have at least some explanation of how these are used in a general sense, explaing how they are used with respect to gender and plurality.
An unfortunate feature is that the images appear to be very generic, as opposed to specifically related to the German culture. I assume that this allows Rosetta to recycle these images for other languages, but it diminishes the quality of the immersion program, and is my reason for giving this product only four stars. To truly learn a language, one must understand its culture as well, and having images that match that culture would greatly enhance the experience.
CONCLUSION
Other than the specific issues mentioned previously, this is an excellent product and I would recommend it over any other language training products I have encountered.
 Computer Instruction That Works December 18, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Let's face it: a lot of computer-assisted instruction is just plain lame or worse.
They can suffer from either being rote memorization schemes or over-glorified games or simply textbooks in electronic form.
Rare is a system that truly utilizes what computers can do best to solidly teach concepts.
Rosetta Stone delivers.
It teaches language using multiple sensory inputs (picture & voice) and multiple feedback mechanisms (your voice and hand-eye choices). It is able to adjust and compensate for your learning speed and strengths on the fly. It is engaging without being just a game. And it is able to effectively teach without English--- which is the closest you can get to a dedicated immersion course.
I had previously installed and used the Spanish & Italian Rosetta Stone, and found that it was easy to install the German Rosetta Stone as a 3rd language onto my base installation on my computer. It's easy to switch between languages and users & keep track of your progress with each.
Bottom line: I am very impressed. My ten year old loves it, actually WANTS to do the lessons. I'm having fun with it too, even though languages are definitely not my strong suit. If you want to learn a language on your own, this is the best way I know to do it.
A great way to learn German! December 17, 2008
Let's get one thing straight right off the bat: The Rosetta Stone method is much, much better than the Pimsleur method. I've done Pimsleur in Spanish and Italian and a little bit of German, but this is the first time I've tried Rosetta Stone. It beats the Pimsleur aural method hands down. Pimsleur comes at you on a one-way street. They repeat phrases over and over again and you try to repeat them back. You can't even see the words you're trying to say. You just listen and repeat. If you don't have a fantastic ear for language, you're going to have no idea whether you're even coming close to repeating the original.
That being said, this is much more expensive than one Pimsleur set. If you can afford it, then go with Rosetta Stone; if not, then try the Pimsleur. In fact, before you buy Pimsleur, see if it's available in your local library. Take it out and try it before you plunk down the money for it. Personally, the visual cues, variable targets and pacing, and voice recognition for speech perfection in Rosetta Stone make it worth the extra money for me.
I took one semester of German in college, 34 years ago. That gave me a little familiarity with the language structure. That was then reinforced by 15 years of working for or being associated with German-owned companies, and the 30 or more trips to Germany I've made over the years. I picked up some of the language, but it was a pidgin version of German, interspersed with a lot of English words and helped a lot by the very courteous way in which my German colleagues helped me get a little closer to saying things the right way.
So I had some background. But when I sat down with the Rosetta Stone/German package, it was the first time I felt immersed in or surrounded by verbal cues, visual cues, and instantaneous translation. This really worked for me. I don't learn that well by just listening.
I have to admit I also had a lot of fun with this. There was an interactivity and pacing that was much more engaging than either Pimsleur recordings or even classroom language learning. I also liked that it recorded my progress within my goal set. I highly recommend this product.
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