I’ve been watching a show about an investigative team using old FBI files to try to find proof of the possibility that Adolf Hitler didn’t die after World War II, but instead escaped to South America. They’ve searched all over and found lots of evidence that the Nazis had very organized and complex operations into the 1950s and 1960s. This evidence is compelling and kind of scary.
What does this have to do with learning German? Well, here and there in the show there are experts speaking German, and I am finally able to understand it! For example, they talked about a Nazi network that was called “Die Spinne”. As soon as I heard them say “Die Spinne”, I said “The Spider”. I knew what they were talking about! Hooray!
I’m not that good yet at understanding every word of German. But, I’m getting better and understanding more. Now that it’s summer and I’m on vacation, maybe I can dedicate some more time to my language studies.
Rosetta Stone Review
I am continuing to try to learn as much as I can for free. So far, I’ve tested out Duolingo and Babbel. That leads me to my review of today’s language app, Rosetta Stone. The traditional version of this language program is renowned. It’s provided learners with digital language lessons since 1992. I remember having one of the old computer disc versions “back in the day,” but the cellphone app is much more convenient.
Pros
Rosetta Stone makes learning a language very easy by matching photos to words and phrases. The app lessons introduce words and related pronouns in sequence, so you learn a word in all possible basic combinations right away. Just like Babbel, Rosetta Stone uses a multimedia format that allows you to learn words by reading and matching, listening, speaking, and writing. The photos associated with the words give you instant hints without revealing the correct answer, making it easier to remember what a word says. Rosetta Stone digs into basic grammar right away and is very good at teaching gender pronouns, which I mix up all the time.
I also like how the app is organized. Before starting a lesson, the sections tell you if you’ll be working on a core skill or review and practice. As well as if you’re listening, speaking, reading, and so on. And, one of my favorite parts, the app lists how long each section is going to take.
Cons
I don’t know if I missed the tutorial or if there wasn’t one, but I had a hard time figuring out how to use this app. When the lesson wanted me to start speaking, it didn’t give any kind of prompt or clue to speak the lesson. All it did was present a box with some green static lines. I couldn’t go back to find directions or a help section. Instead, I just guessed until I figured out what I was supposed to do.
Rosetta Stone does offer a bit more for free than Babbel. But again, I couldn’t go too far without a subscription. The app has two different price lists, depending on if you’re accessing language lessons through a mobile app or through their website on a computer. Here are the subscriptions available:
- 3 Months – $15/month app ($44.99), $11.99/month website ($35.97)
- 12 Months – $9.17/month app ($109.99), $7.99/month website ($95.88)
- Lifetime, one time payment – $199.99 app, $179 website
This is definitely pricier than the other language apps I have tried out so far. When you’re the industry standard, you can charge a little more I guess. That said, I don’t know that this would be my first choice if I do decide to purchase an app. I’ll keep looking.
Bleib dran…
Photo Credit:
Rosetta Stone photo by Janet Meydam, The British Museum, London, June 2017.
Header image by cocoparisienne from Pixabay.
