Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish Language Learning (Page 3 of 4)

Since the program uses the “discovery” method of language learning for the learner, there is no initial input to teach the learner vocabulary or other language aspects in context. This presumes quite a lot on the part of the learner who must then know or find a way to record and practice grammar and vocabulary of the language. Written and listening examples in native Spanish speaker male and female voices, written and oral drills, and exercises are very well done but even at level 3 the program still lacks clear instructions on completing exercises for the Spanish language learner.

The lower level Spanish program materials may be the same for both Latin American Spanish and Spanish (Castellano) from Spain as some vocabulary and usage drills seem to indicate. Ultimately, this will be less of a problem, but if the Spanish language learner doesn’t have any strict reinforcement of Latin American Spanish, there could be some problems with their listening comprehension since different expressions and vocabulary are used in the program which are NOT typical of Latin American Spanish but are much more likely to be heard or spoken in Spain or Europe.

In reference to time, the Latin American Spanish program uses the expressions “retaso a horario” and “menos quince a la hora”, which aren’t typically heard in much of Latin America. More commonly used are "faltan quince para las tres" or "faltan cinco para la una" (or whatever the hour will be). Spoken examples and drills are clear and understandable, but they are also spoken a bit more slowly than in a normal conversational speed. Ultimately, this can cause listening comprehension problems for learners who develop a “practiced ear” for the slower conversational speed used in the program. Frequently used, alternative words are not illustrated in the program. For example, the word “derecho” is always used to mean straight ahead or forward and is quite commonly used, but the word “recto” is also frequently used in some Latin American regions, like in Panama and parts of Colombia.

In learning Latin American Spanish, a person should take some time to go through and write down the vocabulary presented in each lesson along with the meaning of the word or phrase as they understand it. This allows the learner to practice the vocabulary away from the program and computer. Doing so would allow the learner to extend practice sessions across their entire day no matter what their daily routine might be. Extended Spanish language input and practice could be well-extended and not just limited to practice using the program or while in front of the computer. The writing segments of the Rosetta Stone program are done via keyboard and I found more problems with keyboard input of written elements than the actual language itself. Some learners may also not have a Spanish keyboard which would not allow for letters like “ñ” and “ll” which are integral to Spanish but are not used in English.

Initially, a learner might not be able to complete an entire lesson during a lunch hour. Completing a pronunciation or reading practice section of a lesson is more likely. This could be especially true for language learners who may be experiencing some difficulty with the language. Lesson segments are “timed” to take from ten minutes for some up to thirty minutes for longer, more extensive lesson units. Learners are quite likely to need three or so repetitions of lesson units in order to obtain a better grasp of the grammar and material in context. Practice of a lesson unit or segment could then be easily done during the course of a one-hour lunch break provided the learner plans to repeat the lesson for reinforcement at a later language study opportunity. The individual sections can later easily be done in ten minutes or so once the learner is familiar with the exercise types and how to respond to questions and interactive activities. On some days and sessions, the software was very slow or sluggish, but normally functioned well even on “slow” days.