Rosetta Stone

[fsunole025]

I would like to learn French in an effort to be assigned there for work within the next 12 months. Has anyone used the product to learn a new language or know someone that did? How effective was it? I see various subscriptions from 3 to 24 months. I assume the duration largely depends on how much effort you put into learning.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

I would like to learn French in an effort to be assigned there for work within the next 12 months. Has anyone used the product to learn a new language or know someone that did? How effective was it? I see various subscriptions from 3 to 24 months. I assume the duration largely depends on how much effort you put into learning.

I haven’t used Rosetta Stone, but French is basically the easiest language to learn (I did French in HS and Japanese in college). Having said that the general rule is to carry on simple conversations you need to put in roughly 500 hours. So if you did 3 hours a night in French you would be ready in roughly 6 months.

 

[fsunole025]

I haven’t used Rosetta Stone, but French is basically the easiest language to learn (I did French in HS and Japanese in college). Having said that the general rule is to carry on simple conversations you need to put in roughly 500 hours. So if you did 3 hours a night in French you would be ready in roughly 6 months.

By that math I'm looking at an investment of 1.5 hours per night. That's a lot of studying.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Then you’ll get there to find them all speaking English because they don’t want to deal with your awful French!

 

[cmanole]

Duolingo app is your friend...

 

[fsunole025]

Then you’ll get there to find them all speaking English because they don’t want to deal with your awful French!

I question if they will think my English is any better. Unfortunately, speaking French is a requirement for reassignment. But it sounds like a good challenge and an opportunity to learn another languagewith my 2 year old daughter.

 

[fsunole025]

Duolingo app is your friend...

I'm going to look into this. Thanks cholly! We still need to meet up. Drive your golf cart over Sunday and eat some gyros if you are home.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

Another vote for Duolingo.

 

[Godzillaaa]

I haven’t used Rosetta Stone, but French is basically the easiest language to learn (I did French in HS and Japanese in college). Having said that the general rule is to carry on simple conversations you need to put in roughly 500 hours. So if you did 3 hours a night in French you would be ready in roughly 6 months.

I have taken French, Spanish, and Russian, all in college and I found French the hardest. It will be especially hard if you do not have any experience studying one of the romance-languages. DO NOT underestimate how hard it is to really learn ANY language. Especially as an adult. You have to really commit and totally dive in if you want to be able to say anything beyond “My name is >> and I am from America.”

I have had many personal classes and online classes, but not Rosetta stone. I spent years studying Russian in college and it was still difficult to speak. One thing you'll learn is that comprehension will come first. After lots of studying, you'll be vaguely able to understand a few words someone is speaking to you, and remember that natives speak FAST, not slow like they do on most apps and classes.

I recommend whatever system, app, etc you go with, you use a combination of things to REALLY learn. Watch and repeatedly listen to any French tv shows, radio programs, or newscasts, so you will hear real speakers, speaking actual-speed French. Doesn’t matter if you don’t understand what they are saying, your brain is soaking it in to some degree. At the same time, start drilling vocabulary such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. Rinse and repeat. It is quite the commitment and most people get discouraged after just a few hours of studying. Believe me. Really speaking a language takes years of practice, but is well-worth it IMO and a very rewarding experience. I always laugh when people say they speak 4 languages, but only speak about 10 words of each. Just practice, practice, practice, then practice some more. Good luck!!!

 

[MagNoleA]

Rosetta Stone? Does Sharon have a sister?

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Rosetta Stone? Does Sharon have a sister?

Yes, but she had a shorter movie career for some reason so you may not remember her.

 

[Bill From Tampa]

Have it for Spanish. First let me say we got sidetracked with work and other aspects and have not used it in some time.But in the months we used it it was generally OK (probably a little better than OK) and at the very least I was able to identify and use a number of words. Just not enough of them. Plus if you have a question like why is this used here but not there I found no way in the software to answer that question.