5 comments about Instant Immersion Italian (4 CD-ROM).

1. This is the worst product I have wasted money on yet. Most of the program had errors. You had better know a little about computers WHEN you want to remove it. The format is sub-par. The extra disks are fairly worthless. DO NOT WASTE your money. GO with the Pimsleur or living language courses. This one is not only a joke, but it will put you off from learning Litaliano. I dont write reviews, but this product angered me so much I had too. Too bad there is not a 0 star.



2. This product is ideal for someone that wants to potentially go to Italy and not cause an internation incident by offending the entire country or, more likely, impress a date at a local restaurant. The interactive format helps you retain a lot of words and phrases in a short period of time. I would recommend it to anyone that thinks Italian is a beautiful language but doesn't have the time to learn it. It can be done!



3. Ok I'll make it short and clear: DO NOT BUY IT.
   It's a waste of time and money.
   it doesn't have a continuos course, and they don't teach you usefull sentenses.
   I'm still looking for a good software, but this I know, this one sucks very much
   Oh and the dictionary is terrible too, 'cause when u wanna know how u pronounce a word in italian, it says that this feature is only available in english. But I already know how to pronounce in english, it's the italian I'm learnin.
   And it doesn't even help you build phrases.



4. It is advertised that the method of learning a language through this program is the way you learned as a child. I don't like I learned English from watching game shows. The first is fine but the second is, uhh, I don't know what to call it. It didn't teach a thing. I had to do some studying on the side to use it. I still didn't learn a thing. The second disk repeats the first disk's information in a more complicated fashion! I recommend purchasing one the old Berlitz books for learning Italian or any other language for that matter.



5. How horrible!!! All I can do is go to Italy for a week and say words like yellow corn and ask where the bank is "Dove' la banca?" If I was asked a question or wanted to converse about flowers I couldn't because well the disks don't even teach you how to say flower. No sentence building, no basics even to learn when to use il, lo or la. Don't even ask about the other disks because it just gets worse. Only two teach the very simple words and they speak so fast you don't learn correct pronounciation. Save your money and go buy an Italian text book and do the homework. I realy wished I would have researched before buying this product.

No comments about Rosetta Stone Italian Level 3 with Audio Companion.

5 comments about KidSpeak 6-in-1 World Pack: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Hebrew.

1. The idea and format aren't bad. I would have liked it if there had been a few more words to learn. Also, instead of learning animal names, which aren't very useful if you don't live on a farm, they should have included some simple sentences. A little more material or a little lower price would have increased my rating to 4 stars.



2. We were moving to Japan and I was looking for computer software to get my kids (age 11 and 8) started with basic words. This got high marks and included other languages so I bought it. We were very disappointed and the kids gave up on it. The problem is that it is difficult to understand the pronounciation of the words. The audio is just not clear.
   
   I later ordered Power Japanese, an adult software program, and we were much happier.



3. My review makes reference to the French language section ( I have not used the other ones)
   
   I have a 7 year old, who enjoys this software a lot. I love that the sound quality is very good, and the pronuncioation is perfect. There is plenty of vocabulary to practice. I think this is a really good complement to any language program.
   
   I believe that both,beginners and more advanced students 6-10 would enjoy and benefit from it.
   
   Featured vocabulary: numbers, colors, animals, days, months, weather, means of transportations, clothing, and more.
   
   Easy to use.



4. I would rate it zero stars if I could. This is a horrible program. The graphics stink, and the audio is terrible! STAY AWAY!!!!



5. I was very disappointed in this software. The voices of the animated characters are squeeky and they're annoying to watch. The image on our screen is too small. Some of the activities are too difficult for an adult (the pick a door to find the correct animal is pointless). My kids were bored quickly as was I and we learned very little. Now hunting for better software.

5 comments about Fluenz Version F2: Italian 1 (Win/Mac) with software DVD, audio CD, and Navigator. Learn Italian with the latest upgrade..

1. Started using Fluenz about two months ago. Am ready for my next trip to Rome! It's easy, effective...and comes in a very stylish box.



2. I thought I would add a comparison of both products as I'm sure people may be confused as to which might fit them better. I have been using Rosetta Stone for quite a while and went through the Fluenz sample session. Fluenz is very much modern academic learning where you are guided through everything with a visual teacher and you are taught as if you had to go to Italy tomorrow and be able to "get around" and function so to speak. Sentences and phrases are broken down and so on. If you want to know what to say "now" and want to be able to know the most common phrases while leaving everything else until later then Fluenz will probably be great for you. And if you like having to see a visual teacher over and over again guiding you in more of a controlled manner the whole way then you will like this. Rosetta Stone is built on the foundation of being thrown in the deep end in some ways, meaning you are forced to figure things out on your own by spoken words and phrases entirely in Italian which are to be matched to pictures. Obviously it starts off at a very basic level and in some ways you are being taught in the same method that a child learns when introduced to the world. And at first things don't seem quite relevant to being able to jump on a plane and head off to Italy. However this method, because of its emphasis on self-sufficiency, really implants a core knowledge of Italian structure inside your head. In other words things are quicker to recall because your memorization is from your own survival learning and not by learning through a teacher. Rosetta Stone teaches you the basics of how, where, when, why, above, behind, with, without and so forth. It also teaches past, present and future tenses. So with that said, Rosetta Stone is more about building a foundational knowledge of which you can add "street smarts" and man on the street conversation to that later on when you're actually in Italy. That has its advantages and disadvantages. With Fluenz you'll know what questions to ask in more of a savvy way, whereas with Rosetta you'll have to conjugate things from your formulated memory. One good thing about Rosetta Stone though is that because everything is learned visually you'll have a much easier time picking up on other people's conversations and not being entirely thrown off because you've learned the same way Italians and everyone else learned when they were children. If you're patient you'll like Rosetta Stone but if you've always learned better by having someone else do the research for you first and show you what they've learned then you'll like Fluenz.



3. First I will comment on the service I received from Amazon in conjunction with this company. I live in an area where the post office is notorious for simply not delivering packages. Regular mail is fine, but instead of attempting delivery they just CLAIM to attempt delivery, often not even bothering to leave a slip stating the supposed delivery attempt. A problem that has led most people in my building to rely on more expensive but more reliable delivery services like UPS & Fed Ex.
   Well, I didn't realize when I ordered this that it was going to be sent USPS...So I waited and waited and never recieved it. Scheduled a redelivery with the post office & stayed home all day again and they showed up without the package and instead with the slip stating that I missed delivery! I had been through this before with this post office & I knew I would be lucky if I ever got it at all so I contacted Amazon & told them my situation. I expected them to send me a new one AFTER I had gone through hoops to get the post office to return the package to them, but they sent me a new one right away even with the original delivery sitting somewhere in a post office limbo. This time they sent it UPS & I got it fast & w/ no problems. I was very happy with this service. The Fluenz program is packaged so beautifully that it would make a lovely gift. I was excited and very pleased with the program from the very first lesson. There are writing excersises as well as brief lectures, lovely sensual and relaxing music, and you get to hear a few italian speakers instead of just one so you can hear the differences in different people speaking the language. There is also a mic excersise where you record yourself speaking italian and then get to play it back to hear yourself and compare what you hear with the native speakers on the program. The program does not come with a computer microphone so if you don't already have one then you have to buy one. I got a headset mic from RadioShack for $15. Though installation was easy and only took a few minutes on my computer, I had trouble getting the recording part of the lesson to work. I tried figuring out the problem myself, but finally acquiesed to contacting Fluenz. Their customer service is a 10 out of 10! You can contact them by phone, email or via chat through their website. I chose to contact through Chat and immediately was picked up by Chris who patiently guided me through different scenerios as to what might be causing my problem. I also contacted them via email to ask them when the higher levels of Italian were going to be released. They immediately responded with a detailed and personal response that was obviously written by a real person and not computer generated stating honestly that 2010 is mostly devoted to bringing higher levels of French out and that levels 3 & up of italian probably won't come out until 2011. Though I was hoping for sooner I liked their not beating around the bush. Their customer service is wonderful because so many other companies stick you with a rep that appears to know nothing about the product or how to respond to your issue. I always got someone who understood me right away and answered quickly. The best part is that the product actually works! Both the DVD and the Audio CD. The only con I can think of with their program is that the font they use makes both Capilal I's and lower case L's look exactly the same. This is a bit annoying in the writing excersises, but it's a very small con in a sea of pros. I've tried other language programs and they always either seemed painfully boring, or completely illogical in their approach. After taking another italian Language program I was able to say "The ball is yellow." - But if you go up to anyone in the street and say the ball is yellow they'll look at you like you're crazy. Fluenz understands this & instead teaches you more useful phrases right from lesson 1. The first things you learn to say are include: Thank you, Good Morning, I would like this dish on the menu please. I would like a glass of water and he would like a glass of wine etc- all things that you would actually use on your first day in italy. Not "The ball is yellow". They have created a loyal customer and I will always recommend Fluenz for anyone's language needs. I can't wait for them to come out with more of the italian series.



4. What a great program. I only got the level 1 version and I wish I got both level one and two. There are 30 lessons in all of Level one and within the first couple of lessons you are already learning to say full sentances in italian. Sentances of value that you would actually use! The idea is to do one lesson per day. Sometimes I would come across a lesson that seemed to have so much new stuff I didn't feel like I'd ever remember it, but I was wrong! I was always surprised by how much I was able to remember the next day when going on to the next lesson. Once I even had a language question and I contacted Fluenz not sure if they'd be able to help me. When I contacted them they had one of the italian speakers contact me a few hours later to answer my question! I'm sure it's not something they do often, but I was impressed with how far they were willing to go to give great service. After I learn Italian I'm going to move on to their French series. There's just no better software to buy for your language needs.



5. Half the price of other known programs...The women who created it are smart and great teachers..You will learn with little pain and time....I have the Spanish and Italian versions...

2 comments about Instant Immersion Italian Deluxe v3.0.

1. I've been working with this program for three weeks now, and I have yet to learn anything.
   
   There are no instructions about how to proceed with the lessons, and I was for a long time under the impression that the instruction would be on the CD-ROMs, with practice on the "bonus" audio CDs, and learning in context on the "interactive" DVD and the game. In fact, this is all wrong. There is no instruction on the CD-ROMs, merely short quizzes, word searches, etc.
   
   The heart of this program is the 5 audio CDs. But the CDs don't take up the topics in the same order as the CD-ROM exercises. For a couple of weeks, I struggled with the audio CDs, which I found difficult without a written transcript. But then I found that the company had posted a complete transcript, which helped a great deal. But the transcript is more than complete: it is for 8 CDs, and there are only 5 in the set. I really miss the material that is on discs 6, 7, & 8.
   
   Furthermore, the scoring on the evaluations is odd -- sometimes it is based on 4 exercises, but there are only two provided. So the best score you can get is 50%, even if all of your answers are correct.
   
   I had no technical trouble at all with the program CD-ROMs. The "hidden keys" are odd, but no problem (why hide them?). But my computer (a new Dell Inspiron 1720 with Vista) has had many problems with the "interactive" DVD and the game. The game freezes up at the same point every time I play it, and the arrow keys seem to go dead on the video. Amazon says this program is for Vista, but on the help instructions for the game (the only place I can find a list), Windows 2000 and XP are listed, but not Vista. I can't get the game past the police interview, and I have found the "interactive" video almost impossible to use.
   
   There are many little glitches not worth mentioning (e.g. "Stai calma" on transcript page 17 cannot mean "I remain calm"; it has to be "You (informal) are calm" or maybe "Stay calm"). But I won't go through all of them. I cannot believe that millions of people have learned Italian with this program, which seems to me a disorganized mess. I learned far more from the Danesi paperback. I wanted something with more interaction and context, but this isn't it.



2. I really thought that this would be a good program. I read a review from somewhere on the internet that compared this software very favorably to Rosetta Stone. At only a tenth the cost how bad could it be?
   
   Well, let me tell you. First of all, there are no instructions for this program or how to use it. It is very difficult to navigate from one lesson to the next. And the most annoying thing for me was how the program is not fully loaded on your computer. Every time you answer a question or want to go to the next page, it has to load up off of the cd. This is a real pain when you are just going over some vocabulary and you want to go from screen to screen quickly.
   
   Another thing I thought was odd, the total immersion portion of the vocabulary only included 96 words. Uh, I think I may need to know more words than that. The audio cds were very substandard and slow. I agree with the other poster when he talks about all the lip smacking and mouth noises. Get these people a glass of water or something. Also the game included does not work properly.
   
   I am now learning Italian from these sources, the free "Before You Know It" flashcard program you can download off of the internet (did I mention its free), the "Italian Now" workbook, and some Pimsleur cds I checked out from the Library. If there was a class that would fit my schedule I would take one of those, but nothing beats learning lots of vocabulary and hearing some native speakers.
   
   I honestly do not know how anyone can use this software without going crazy. I hope this is helpful to anyone.

2 comments about Rosetta Stone Italian Level 2 with Audio Companion.

1. I began this program with some knowledge of Italian from a previous program. I am finding this a fun way to review, practice and learn more. I look forward to the daily time I spend with this program..



2. My Mother, Aunt, and I are Italian and they both speak it well. My Aunt is fluent where my Mother just speaks it conversationally. This program has helped me to speak to both of them in Italian and I love it. When you are using it you WANT to continue. Each level contains 4 units each of a different difficulty. You can go back if there is something you want to re-do or just to review. You learn sentences the first time you use it. I finished level 1 a few days ago and I'm ready for level 2. The commercial is right. It is the fastest way to learn a new language.

5 comments about Fluenz Version F2: Italian 1+2 (Win/Mac) with software DVDs, audio CDs, and Navigator. Learn Italian with the latest upgrade..

1. Tried the online demo of Italian, and it seems like a really good program. However. the discs would not run on my DVD ROM drive. The support team at Fluenz is very good and very friendly. They worked with me and even sent a second set of discs to try but no luck. The program would just not run on my machine (Dell PC laptop under Windows XP). They said that they would be using a new company to produce their discs soon but I have had no notice to date that a newer version is out. It's a shame, because the program (from the demo) seems really good.



2. Check the on-line demo for Fluenz Italian and compare it to the on-line demo for Rosetta Stone. In my mind, there is no comparison at all. Fluenz is far, far better.
   
   I bought Fluenz Italian 1 six months before going to Venice for a one week vacation. I finished the 30 lessons on the dvd in about 2 months, and was so pleased with my progress that I ordered Fluenz Italian 2. I knew absolutely no Italian before I started. When I finally arrived in Venice, I walked into a store to buy a bottle of a water, and the conversation I had with the cashier went exactly like in the lessons:
   
   ME: Vorrei una bottiglia d' acqua naturale per favore. (I would like a bottle of uncarbonated water.)
   CASHIER: Piccola o grande. (Small or large.)
   ME: Piccola. (Small.)
   CASHIER: `E li, a destra. (It's there, to the right.)
   ME: Grazie. (Thank you.)
   
   This was my very first exchange in Italian with a live person, so I was nervous, but I was absolutely thrilled with how smoothly it went. From that point on, I felt completely confident walking into shops to buy things, ordering in restaurants, buying tickets in museums, using public transit, and asking for directions. I would classify my level of proficiency as "tourist Italian", and my vocabulary was around 200 words, along with knowledge of conjugation of about 6 crucial verbs. I estimate I spent 75-80 hours studying, which included making flash cards based on the lessons and drilling myself for about ten minutes before I went to sleep at night.
   
   Now, I sometimes had trouble understanding all of what people said back to me, but I can only assume that was because I spoke well enough, and with a decent enough accent, that they assumed I knew a lot more than I did. I could usually get the gist of what they were saying. I didn't expect to become fluent in six months, especially since I was entirely self-taught using only this dvd, but I feel that if I want to continue learning Italian, I have a solid foundation, including grammar and spelling.
   
   Fantasic course. Oh, and SONYA IS MOLTO COOL!!!



3. I highly recommend Fluenz to anyone wanting to learn a new language. When I purchased Italian 1 & 2, there were only four languages to choose from -- French, Italian, Mandarin, and Spanish -- but I believe they are working on adding more. This program is very user-friendly and fun to use! I was surprised recently when I received notice that they had an upgrade available (I paid just $7 for shipping and handling); I couldn't imagine how they could make it better than it already was. But, they had received comments and feedback from users, and did indeed make the program even better. I am currently working through Italian 1 and every day I look forward to my nightly lessons. They're a lot of fun, and I feel like I'm really catching on. Each session starts off with a brief introduction by the tutor. Then you listen to a short conversation (you have 3 different options for subtitles -- no subtitles, the language plus English subtitles, and language-only subtitles), then the tutor comes back to explain the words and sentence structure (I love this part because it really helps the material sink in when you understand why things are a certain way). After this 8-10 minute lesson, you move on to the workouts, which you can test on the Fluenz website for any available language. The workouts are fun and you can go at your own pace. I looked at Rosetta Stone and briefly tried out Pimsleur, but when it came time to make the commitment and buy a program, Fluenz was the obvious choice to me. I was looking for a program that not only taught me how to speak the language, but also how to read and write it. Fluenz fits that bill. Give it a try; I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Arrivederci!



4. I liked Rosetta Stone better because it is all Italian. The Fluenz program is mostly given in English. Short little pieces are given in Italian, but lots of talking in English - giving pep talks, detailed (superfluous) instructions, repetition of general concepts, etc. Although the speaker is engaging and charismatic, it truly does not help me to hear mostly English.
   
   It does have a nice feature that you can choose to use subtitles or not. The recordings are also pretty clear.
   
   One thing I thought was great about Rosetta Stone was that it has voice recognition and correction. You speak into a microphone and the software is able to tell if you said it right. Furthermore, you can set the degree of strictness for the voice recognition so that as you get better with your accent you can have it be more exact. There is no voice recognition or correction in the Fluenz programs. Also, Rosetta Stone remembers where you were when you last left the program, even for multiple user accounts.
   
   Pimsleur is another language program that is mostly in the target language, and as you go along the instructions change to be in the target language, too. I have also had great luck with those programs. I studied Italian, Spanish, French and Korean using the other programs and was able to get around the countries with only about six months of effort, several hours in the evenings.



5. I am fluent in a couple of languages and have studied several. Fluenz Italian is by far the most effective, and enjoyable, language learning experience I have ever had. The combination of tutorial, spoken and written dialogues and exercises, plus recorded feedback, all work so very well--you "suddenly" realize that you have actually LEARNED a new chunk of the language. Also, the exercises are all very effectively interwoven so that they remain interesting and not boring, even though material is being repeated. The companion CD not only provides very good opportunities to practice what you have covered in the lessons, but does some teaching along the way as well.
   
   By minimizing, rather than closing, the program when I need to stop, I have not yet had to reinsert the DVD.
   
   Well worth the money!
   
   Benton Melbourne

5 comments about Rosetta Stone Italian Level 1 & 2 Set with Audio Companion.

1. I've tried other computer programs for learning Italian with no success. The Rosetta Stone offers a unique and logical approach. I am actually learning the language with much better retention then ever before. It isn't a substitute for the classroom but more of an alternative for those, like me, who simply can't fit the rigid timetable of classroom learning into their day. If I have anything bad to say about it it would be concerning the Rosetta Stone's policy of only allowing the program to be activated in 2 computers. I would be able to use it more often if that wasn't a rule.
   
   Ciao!



2. In preparation for our first trip to Italy this fall, my wife and I decided to invest $350 in the Rosetta Stone program. Its been five months now, and I have quit using it. My wife kept going, its like the bad movie that you keep watching...waiting for it to get better. The program basically shows you a picture, then you hear a word spoken in Italian and you repeat it. You're not exactly sure what you are saying as there is no translation shown, so you either assume or make lucky guesses. Not too bad when you are trying to learn words, but pretty frustrating when you move on to sentences. For all the hype, we were very dissapointed in the program so we thought we would take them up on their satisfaction guarantee and ask for a refund. That's when we learned the most valuable lesson of all...the guarantee only applies if you buy directly from Rosatta Stone. Had we known, we would have foregone the $40 savings from Amazon and wouldn't be writing this review right now. Even if the method worked, it is designed for someone who plans on living or working in Italy. Nothing in the vocabulary is designed for the tourist. You won't learn how to order food, ask where the restroom is, ask for directions, etc. You WILL be able to identify a running horse, a man in a car, or a child on a bicycle.
   
   So, if you are seriously thinking about spending $350 of your valuable dollars I would suggest that you either find someone who has the software and try it first, or make sure you buy it directly from Rosetta Stone so you can excercise their guarantee if you desire. My suggestion would be to rent the first season of the Sopranos and spend your savings on wine in Italy. You'll learn more Italian and have a lot more fun.



3. I'm only through the first two lessons, but I like the "immersion" that the software provides. At 64, I find that I'm inclined to repeat the pronunciations for each item several times to build up my confidence. I'm also trying to arrange a practice and review session with others in the family who are working on the same lesson. And I find myself trying to use what I'm learning when I'm driving or doing something around the house.
   
   I think the lessons provide a good starting point and well-devised reiterative experience with speaking, listening, reading, and writing. For me, though, the best way to advance with language learning is to practice the lessons as much as I can with other speakers.



4. My husband and I are going to Italy this year and thought it would be nice to be able to speak (somewhat) the language. We are enjoying the Rosetta Stone but have a few issues. The articles and pronouns are very confusing and so far we have learned nothing about them. Just when I think I have one or two figured out they seem to change. We are only on Level 1 lesson 4 but it is moving at a good pace and it also goes back to review what you have learned.



5. This is my second time purchase Rosetta Stone. The last time was several years ago, and I liked the product then, but with my recent purchase (for a different language) I was impressed by how much the software had improved. If you are used to learning a language like you did years ago in high school or college, this will be very different. It is pure immersion without any English translations or rules to remember. I must admit, a little old fashioned list of verb conjugations or noun-verb rules wouldn't hurt, but I understand Rosetta's method and just need to get used to learning a different way. Like all languages, it takes time, but the benefit of Rosetta Stone is the ability to work at your own pace and repeat, if necessary, sections you believe need repeating.
   
   I do not know if it was an issue with my laptop, if the microphone was a bit quirky or if the software had a bit of a glitch, but sometimes I would repeat the phrase perfectly (in my opinion) and the software would tell me I got it wrong. I'd repeat something 10 times, but to no avail, and then move on. Again, this could be my system or a problem with the microphone.
   
   All in all a good product. It is an enjoyable experience.

5 comments about Rosetta Stone Italian Level 1, 2 & 3 Set with Audio Companion.

1. I tried this software out in several languages, and found the learning process to be very easy and intuitive. I'd recommend it for learning a language, although it will never compare to living in a foreign country and speaking only that language.
   
   Pros:
   Rosetta stone's process is a lot better than traditional "current language word = foreign language word" learning processes, which rely on memorization and lead to internal translation from the foreign language to one's native language while speaking. Rosetta stone converts foreign words straight to pictures and ideas, eliminating internal translation to one's native language. There is plenty of repetition of previous words, but at no point does the process seem like rote recitation.
   
   The software is divided into "lessons" which introduce new words, and have several exercises including matching, pronouncing each part of the word, verbally filling in blanks with your new words, etc. There is plenty to keep you interested and ensure that you learn new words and phrases.
   
   The voice recognition was decent, a simple training has the program hearing you correctly ~90% of the time, and an adjustable slider can reduce the pickiness the software has if you're having issues, although that also controls how strictly you want to be held to pronunciation.
   
   Cons of Rosetta Stone:
   -It's expensive
   -The approach in rosetta stone does not use conjugations or grammar rules, you just learn words and phrases. Some maybe bothered by this.
   -Many other reviews note technical problems, I had no issues on my PC running windows XP.



2. Alright so you probably will not wirting in Italian like a pro; however, you will be able speak and understand Italian. No you will no the grammar rules but many people do not even know the grammr rules of their native language.
   
   If you do not have at least 4 to 5 hours a week to commit to the Rosseta learning process, then I do not recommend you purchasing it because the cost is high to justify the lack of commitment. In addition, you need to isolate yourself from distractions. Besides your kids will laugh at you as you try to repeat the words at the computer.
   
   You are presented with images and audio. The software also has you try to say the word and does not move on until you same it somewhat close. You start out with words, then move on phrases and finally to sentences. You can move on to the next lesson at your pace and each builds upon the previous lesson.
   
   Yes I would recommend the software. Ideally I believe you would be better off taking a class at a local college so you can work with others also trying to learn the language.



3. Although I am just getting started with the product, it loaded easily onto my MacBook, and is easy to use. After reading some reviews, I was concerned about computer compatibility, but I have found none of the problems that others had loading. The product is easy to use, just point and click, talk, or enter letters on the keyboard. The only glitch I have found is that the shift key on my Mac does not function to shift the case of the letters. You have to use the mouse to click on the shift key on the screen. Other than that bit of annoyance, it works great. As someone who has learned a language the old fashioned way, word translation, I am sometimes left up in the air about the meaning of an article or pronoun. Was that a he, she, them, they, it, this, or that. I'm sure as I delve more into the program, this will become less of a concern. In any event, so far, I am happy with the product and the progress one makes learning a new language.



4. Lets face it, not all of us are scholars, readers, students. Some of us are visually oriented. We prefer color and vivid images to rote and other mundane methods of learning. This method is something easy to understand, multi-choice responses, which immerse you in the language, some of the learning is intuitive, and some of the interactive steps actually measure and encourage you with every screen. The framework is well communicated in each screen. And although the aspects of vocabulary, pronunciation, comprehension, reading and writing are all areas which teach the language. One feels the progress and the process goes smoothly from one lesson to the next. You decide whether you want to repeat a lesson, or move to the next. Rosetta Stone is the best way to learn a language. Governments train staff using this program as well. But for me, I just find it fun and easy to learn with this method. In my case, I am going to Italy in six months or so, I really plan to be able to read and write and best of all speak Italian when we are there. Years ago, Berlitz was the standard, today, its Rosetta Stone. Next year, France is our goal, I've alredy purchased Levels 1,2,3 in French to prepare for that adventure. You do not need to be a scholar, simply follow the lessons, and you'll be speaking and reading and writing in the language of your choice. I highly recommend this method above others.



5. I was given this product by someone who bought it and couldn't stand it because they just weren't learning much so they gave it away. Unfortunately I also found it limiting so I decided to give it to my young cousin who's only 6 years old.
   
   First off, the science behind Rosetta Stone is flawed. They work on the assumption that the reason why young children pick up on languages and retain them so much better than adult do is because they are taught differently than adults. Adults go to classes and learn grammer first etc...While children simply use the visual and audio ques around them and naturally absorb everything. However this is FALSE & it's been proven to be false yet the company still feeds this nonsense to it's customers.
   
   Even children born blind who do not have the ability for visual ques such as the movement of the lips or seeing objects and facial expressions pick up & retain language at a far superior level than adults with all 5 senses do. The reason is that the Brain of a young child works differently than that of an adult. For the sake of not making this review too long, I'll merely state the facts simply & in laymen terms. When children learn 1, 2, 3, 4, or even 5 different languages growing up, the activity in the brain happens in one location- which is basically the main portion dedicated to language. However past a certain age (anywhere between the ages 11-19 depending on the harmonal development of the individual) that portion of the brain "freezes" or rather it stops being maleable. Kind of like the way a baby's skull is soft and eventually as it grows, hardens. So basically when a child of say 5 years old begins learning a new language the still maleable portion of the brain receptive to that grows in strength & activity- It's much like a muscle..when it's worked it grows stronger & becomes more useful. However when an ADULT learns a new language that part of the brain is done making changes, so the adult brain compensates for this by strengthening ANOTHER portion of the brain related to the main language portion to compensate. THis is great- except this extra part of the brain is not as efficient at language as the first main portion which developed during our early years. One of the major drawbacks of this new language section is that unlike the first one it atrophies very quickly. Like a muscle, if you don't use it constantly- you'll lose it. The first/main language section of the adult is more like bone- it's set for life so you don't have to worry about losing it if you don't work it daily. That's why a bilingual Spanish & English person who learned these languages while little can live in India for 20 years and then go back to Spain or England and suddenly start speaking those languages again. Unlike someone who learns a language as an adult- if they stop speaking or using the new language for as little as 2 or 3 years, they have to relearn almost everything again because they forget a great deal of what was learned.- Basically the extra muscle (language portion neurons) they developed atrophied. Children learning language use One part of the brain- Adults using language use TWO.- one set like bone and one like muscle that grows & shrinks depending on usage. So you see that the entire case behind Rosetta Stone is faulty. An adult can absolutely learn languages, but they CANNOT learn using the same method as children. Adults must be taught differently then children as our brains work very differently. You can't just show a bunch of pictures to an adult and have them pick up on nuances & context. Someone who's learned as an adult also must continue practicing- Even if it's only for a 10 minutes every 2 or 3 days so that they don't forget how to speak it. One program I recommend that realizes this is FLUENZ which is not only cheaper than Rosetta, but has a much higher satisfactory rate and it's the one I'm using now. Unfortunately their language choices are limited as I believe they only have 4 to choose from. I did give this program to my young cousin to see if their method would work better on her. It has! However she'll only do this program if her mother makes her. She says it's "boring". However there's no doubt that she learned more with this program in a few days than I did in 3 weeks. It's still up in the air whether I'd recommend this for kids, but for adults?- absolutely not.

5 comments about Rosetta Stone Italian Level 1 with Audio Companion.

1. I have found this product easy to install and use. Installation and set up were straightforward. For me, RosettaStone's language learning technique, immersion, is effective. I am trying to gain a basic understanding of Italian and the ability to listen and speak simply. If you take all the instruction seriously, don't guess without some attempt to understand, and speak most of what is said (even when not asked to), I think you can learn a lot using the RosettaStone method and software.



2. I thought Rosetta Stone was all hype. After trying Berlitz (huge disappointment), I decided to give it a try. It is remarkably intuitive, progresses very logically and, most important, is a lot of fun. I normally hate getting on the computer when i get home (after being on one all day), but I look forward to doing 30 minutes of Rosetta Stone.



3. It's too elementary. I was expecting more help with speaking Italian for traveling purposes. Too expensive for what I'm getting out of it.



4. I purchased Rosetta Stone in advance of a trip to Italy I was planning. I'm the stereotypical American in the sense that I sometimes think the world starts and ends with US English, but at the same time I worried about traveling places where finding English-speakers might be difficult. While I have a great mind for math, science and so on, languages have always been difficult for me.
   
   I'm happy to say that I found the software easy to install and run on my modest Dell laptop. Ten minutes after opening the box, I was up and running with no surprises. The product is fairly lean and ran well without cluttering my disk with tens of gigabytes of data the way some other applications do.
   
   The approach is "immersion" style - you start learning words and phrases immediately. Although I'm no wizard at languages, I picked up the first few lessons quickly, and then built up steam as my confidence grew. Within about 30 days, I felt like I could hold my own with some very basic vocabulary. The Italian comments in The Godfather even started to make sense. I don't know whether there are better solutions out there, but I know that if I had used a more traditional approach, I probably would have never done it. Now, mostly in my spare time over the course of several weeks, I've managed to pick up the beginnings of a new language. In my book, that's worth four stars.
   
   Only negatives I might cite are that the user experience feels a little dated to me - hasn't kept up with the look and feel of today's systems. That, and for the type of software you'll probably just use once, the price seems a bit high. I also think it might be the sort of thing you run in your Web browser "software as a service" style, rather than traditional software you install and run on your PC. If Intuit can do this with Turbo Tax, no doubt Rosetta Stone can, too.
   
   To the comments of another reviewer complaining about not being able to resell the software on eBay, realize that a lot of software companies aren't really selling you the software per se - they're selling you a specific and limited license to use their software, and only under certain conditions. Many of these licenses prohibit transferring the software, which means you can't resell it on eBay or anywhere else. I haven't read the terms and conditions of the Rosetta license in detail, however if you agreed to these terms (typically using the software implies consent), then there's nothing wrong with Rosetta Stone enforcing the agreement. Microsoft and many other vendors do similar things, registering software to a specific user and/or computer. Moral of the story is to read the license. Of course, that's not easy to do before purchasing the software, so perhaps Amazon should consider posting software license terms and conditions online so customers can make an informed decision prior to purchasing.
   
   Otherwise, I think Rosetta Stone is uniquely valuable if you need to learn a language quickly. Highly recommended.



5. After toiling through over a hundred lessons (I have levels one and two) it gradually dawned on me that we were NEVER going to get to shopping or sightseeing sentences...at least, not in a specific way. That's a disappointment, because I have a lot more use for "Does this come in other colors?" or "Where is a store that sells hairbrushes?" than I do for such memorable statements as "The little girl is putting on her skates" or "One tree is pink and the other is green; it is spring."
   I think if I were moving to Italy to live, discussing whether the swimmer is getting out of the pool and such topics might have a little more relevance, but I'm a tourist. I need tourist language. Sadly, this ain't it.