Recommendations to others considering Rosetta Stone:
Consider the cost of actual language classes in an accredited school to the cost of Rosetta Stone. In my opinion (after 4 years of high school Spanish and 3 semesters of college Spanish before one year studying Spanish in Mexico) you can learn just as much through Rosetta Stone, in less time, at your own pace, and for less cost, than you can in a classroom.
If you doubt your ability to learn a language either recreationally or seriously, know that the software and course lessons seem to have been engineered very responsibly because you not only go through each lesson, but review recently-passed lessons to enhance retention prior to starting new lessons. By the time you get to the third of the 5 Levels, you will definitely see evidence of your learning. You should discipline yourself to spend 30 minutes per day learning (more if you have the time and inclination).
If you put in the time regularly, you will learn. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
What problems is Rosetta Stone solving and how is that benefiting you?
In my case, my purchases were purely based on an interest in learning languages and being able to understand and communicate with non-English speakers. Based on my experience in learning Spanish (on my own in Mexico during college) vs Italian using Rosetta Stone, my feeling/conclusion was that I wished there had been such software for me during my high school and college years because it gave me a working knowledge and comfort level with the language that I wished I had during my first semester studying in Mexico. Speaking for my Italian studies with Rosetta Stone, even 4 years after completing the courses, I can still properly pronounce Italian words, read and compose basic to intermediate phrases and sentences and can figure out new words and concepts that I didn't see in the lessons. In short: not only the words and phrases but an enhanced awareness. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
