Rosetta Stone vs. Pimsleur (help!)

I have not used Pimsleur but I did try Rosetta Stone (to learn Spanish) so I will give you my opinion of that. The advantages are that you can have the audio or written or both, and it is connected to a picture on the computer screen which reinforces the sentence in your mind. You can say the sentence back into a microphone to compare it to the instructor's production................. The disadvantages are that you are tied to the computer, and you get so that you can guess which choice is correct on the "test" just by the way it is presented so you can't really be sure you're learning it. But the biggest disadvantage is that the sentences are not really very useful, at least not in the beginning (I confess I stopped using it before I completed all the lessons). An example would be "the boy is on the table" with a picture of a boy standing on a picnic table. You learn how to say "the man is drinking water" but not "I'd like some water, please." Not so great for people who want to learn fast for traveling. For me, the disadvantages outweighed the advantages and so I couldn't recommend it. Others may have had different experiences with it, though.

Gwen, I've been using Pimsleur for several years, and have tried the "introductory lessons" from Rosetta Stone but haven't taken the full course. That will provide some idea of my perspective. ¶ I find that the Pimsleur method works well for me. Words learned in each lesson are reinforced in subsequent lessons, so the repetition helps. There are only four levels in the Pimsleur series, and I wish there were more. ¶ The Rosetta Stone learning method seems to rely more on computer learning & connecting pictures with words. This seems a bit too "simplistic" and didn't work as well. It was "like watching paint dry". The computer method also isn't as convenient for me, as I often complete lessons when I'm at the Gym or elsewhere away from home. The Pimsleur lessons are available on "Bookchips" (SD cards) which can be used in my Palm PDA, so I can listen anywhere and I don't have to haul around CD Players and other kit (I always have the PDA with me anyway). ¶ Some other observations - both Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone are on the "expensive" side, but I believe Rosetta Stone is MORE expensive (if your employer is paying, that's not something you'll be concerned with). Finally, I'm not sure one can become completely fluent with either method but should be able to manage quite well in the language at the end of the course. The MOST important thing with either of them is to work on them every day, as I've found that it's easy to forget if you don't use the language on a regular basis. In my case I'm trying to learn Italian, and I find it also helps to watch the Italian TV channel as often as possible, so that I can hear the way native speakers pronounce words. Some of the group here really like the Michel Thomas courses also, but I've never tried them so can't offer any comments. Which language will you be learning? Good luck!

Thanks for your replies! I'd like to do the Italian study, as well, Ken. I'm somewhat more advanced than a rank beginner, but not by much. I've heard that Rosetta Stone is kind of dry. If all it amounts to is hearing words and seeing pictures on the screen, I don't think it's worth the hundreds of dollars that it costs. I seem to remember hearing that Rosetta Stone doesn't even teach you to conjugate verbs, and excuse me, but that's kind of important. When I looked them both up online, the Pimsleur was actually slightly more expensive, but not by enough to really matter much to anyone.

I've not used RS because anything that ties me to a computer doesn't work for me. I like something I can use while on walks and in the car. Before you buy anything, check to see what's available from your local library. My city library has Pimsleur in a few languages. I like Pimsleur and have used it for French and Italian. Also, the Learn in Your Car series is good; your library might have that as well.

I have enjoyed using Pimsleur and purchased the Italian levels 1,2,3 courses. I also ripped the CD's to my Ipod to have complete portability. As far as Italian goes, you get a basic conversational level which will enable you to get directions, order food, discuss hotel reservations etc. It does it quite well. Down side is it is all Audio, and not written back up. Some words you really need to know how to spell ( signs , menus etc.). I would still do it again. For additional help and learning in Italian, the web site www.learnitalianpod.com CAN NOT BE BEAT! They have podcasts available on ITunes or from the web site. Supplemental material is available for about $15 per month and consists of online lessons, and downloadable PDF supplements to the podcast. They have 3 levels and the topics are right on target. I wished I had had the lesson about validating train tickets before boarding prior to a train trip. I failed to validate it and paid a 30 Euro fine ( on a 3 mile trip!!).

I have not used Pimsleur, but I did try Rosetta Stone to brush up on some German that I hadn't touched since the first year of college. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed by it. I found it way too repetitive - while repetition may help to drill words into your head, I think there was just too much of it and it started to feel like a chore. Plus, it became way too easy to "guess" the correct answer just to get it over with. Also, I don't know if it's a problem with my boyfriend's computer or not, but either the microphone had trouble discerning what I said or the program was faulty. I had to repeat the same phrases so many times, even through I was pronouncing them correctly. And as someone already mentioned, the phrases/vocabulary they teach aren't the most useful for a tourist.

I've never used Pimsleur, but we're using Rosetta to learn Gaelic and it's going well. I'm especially amazed at how much my 5 yr old daughter has learned! Can't wait to put what we've learned to the test next week. :)

Gwen, since you mention conjugating verbs, it sounds like you prefer a more logical and structured approach. So do I! I also like to have written materials to work from, giving a table of verbs in all conjugations. The only Pimsleur courses I know are all-audio. They are excellent for gaining speaking fluency, but move pretty slowly. We did very well by combining Pimsleur (used in the car to and from work) with a package I bought from Amazon that combined CD's with written materials. It was the Oxford "Take Off in italian" course and I see it is now quite a bit more $$ that I paid for it, but it's good for practice as it moves very quickly (and has verb tables in the book). maybe you could get the Pimsleur course from your employer's offer, and supplement with an inexpensive Italian course that has a book as well.

In our local newspaper, The St Petersburg Times "Florida's Best Newspaper", has been running a series about a columnist learning Chinese with the new Rosetta Stone series. Here's the link: http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2010/reports/rosetta-stone-chinese-mandarin/

If you have ever studied a language in school, you may get more out of Rosetta Stone. If not, Pimsleur may be your best bet. I studied German in college but never got beyond basic skills. I found the first course of Pimsleur to be so slow that I did not buy the extra units. I got more from Rosetta Stone but have stalled out. It wastes too much time on lessons about camping and trips to the beach and does not devote nearly enough attention to things a tourist is likely to encounter. I am not sure any language course can help as much as spending a few months in total immersion in the country.

I used Rosetta stone for french tried it for italian and am now trying Pimsler for German. There are at least 2 formats for Rosetta stone. What I believe is the older format made it a little easier to fine tune to your individial needs. (I wanted to speak a little and understand a little far less interested in reading or writing. I ran into this format with basic french. The second format in italian was more difficult to fine tune. Although all french or all italian has something to say for it. Some discussion in english on verb conjugations and the various ways to say "the", would make life a lot simpler. My biggest problem with RS, it was very squirrely on my computer. (Especially the italian version) I was pulling my hair out over the freezes. Pimsleur. I'm in the process of doing the the Quick and simple version of German. (I took german many years ago in college.) As it's a CD no freezes. Unlike some language programs, the audio is clearer and easier to understand. And being they will speak english. They're freer to break up and point out the differences in english (as the masc and fem versions of nouns.) It's still early for me. I'm not sure if the full version of Pimsler will teach as much as the full version of Rosetta stone.

This has been a very interesting and helpful discussion- I had no idea it would lead to such a response. I got my undergradute degree in French and later in life have studied Spanish in enough depth to be able to travel comfortably alone in Central America where little English is spoken. Now I'm taking on Italian and had one good university course in it (the kind where they teach you in Italian from the beginning). I do agree that learning all the different ways to say "the" in Italian can be a challenge at first! At this point I own a whole shelf full of Italian grammar books, dictionaries, idiom dictionaries, comprehensive dictionaries of verb conjugations. Yes I am a language freak and I probably own enough Italian materials to keep me busy for a couple of years. So I guess what I need is a way to listen to and learn the spoken language. I just don't want to buy something that is too simple-minded. I don't think a method is necessarily good just because it involves a computer and a headset contraption. In fact I hate being captive in front of a computer. I'll probably go more for some portable CDs. Again, thanks for all these helpful responses. :)

Gwen, as someone else mentioned, you might check your local Library to see if they have any courses available. That way you'd be able to try them before purchase, to decide which system works best for you. I really like the Pimsleur "Bookchips" as they're so easy to carry (always available). Cheers!

The best way to learn a language is to interact and practice it with other humans, either in a class or one on one with a native speaker. I know your question was specifically about the two programs, but following up your university course with another course or finding an Italian to speak with on a regular basis would help increase fluency. It's really hard to learn a language alone; interacting with others is so much better.

I tried Rosetta Stone for a short time; it moved too slowly for me. I've used Pimsleur, all 4 levels (checked them all out from my local library). It's very good for pronunciation and hearing Italian out loud. But because it's an oral-only system, it doesn't provide, for example, an organized explanation of grammar rules. That didn't bother me, as I already knew enough Italian to understand the new concepts, or I could look them up. So Pimsleur doesn't really teach you to conjugate verbs, either. But you can easily pick up that stuff with a book.

The ultimate for or against recommendation should consider the final result, I used the full Rosetta Stone course for Dutch, so I'll give you my assessment- good only for a very superficial introduction to the language. The company uses a "one size fits all" approach for almost every language program, so it does not highlight the idiosyncracies of each individual language. For example, in Dutch, there is no attempt to explain the distinct patterns of verb conjugation, or the rules of word order. Inferring them from sentence context is nearly impossible. With the amount of time you have to invest, at the end of the complete course, you have less than a basic tourist mastery of language. I also used the "Tell Me More" series for Dutch, and found it far superior. Unlike Rosetta Stone, which you can basically go through on autopilot after you've seen the pictures enough times, Tell Me More continuously changes the activity and requires your active attention. Although I wasn't fluent after finishing this program either, I had a much better understanding of the mechanics of the language and it layed a foundation upon which I could build.

I have used several French courses. I am a fan of the Pimsleur courses. For me, the best is the Michel Thomas course for beginners. You are basically listening to him deliver a course, pausing and answering. You learn a lot in a short time. I have tried Rosetta Stone and am not a fan. If you are looking for that type of course I would recommend Fluenz over RS. I have used Fluenz French 1,2,3 and it is an excellent course. It is worth looking into before purchasing Rosetta Stone.