The Spanish language is part of our culture here in Houston, Texas. As such I have always wanted to learn it. I would also like to impress family and friends one day by ordering a meal in Spanish, as we Texans have the best Tex/Mex food around. Rosetta Stone's Spanish Level 1 has me well on my way.
Introduction
I'll begin my review of Rosetta Stone Spanish Level 1 with the good. First, I liked the subconscious sophistication built into this learning software. What I mean by that is during the lessons, even though the individual modules seemed easy and repetitive, each module prepared you for the next and it left me sitting there wondering how I had already understood a certain word or sentence as if I had known the language my whole life. I really liked that feeling. For example, the modules started off with simple recognition lessons such as “this is a horse” or “this is a boy,” which evolved into “this is a boy riding a horse then falling.” By the end of the lesson I really understood the verbs and nouns perfectly.
I then moved quickly into the voice recording and playback, which was fun because I had my two daughters participate and we had a few laughs when we messed up, but then we were competitive when trying to reach the “green” level on the recognition meter that compares what you say to the speaker. I also liked the flow of the lessons, which brings me back to the psychological subconscious effort in the software: you start with the basics, then move into more complex areas, but come back to the easy stuff during the process to make you feel like you are still accomplishing (learning) something. To me, this is probably the easiest way to learn a language and I have tried a few other language learning software programs before only to become extremely bored and frustrated.
Now, time to discuss what I didn’t like. To start, the installation process was awkward. There are two CDs that you must install. The first is the Rosetta Stone application, which is the framework or shell of Rosetta Stone Spanish Level 1. Then you load the second CD and install or run the language programs you want to use. This is a nice feature in terms of saving storage space, but I think one installation package would be sufficient, instead of forcing the user to install both.
After I installed the software, I inserted the first language CD program to start my lessons. The initial screen was very unintuitive. The lessons were listed in the language I was trying to learn so I had no clue what I was selecting until I read the paper manual. There should be a way to select the language in which you are more comfortable in to view the menu of lessons and modules. I also had a problem with the way Rosetta Stone forces you to use the manual to understand what you are doing throughout the lessons. To figure out how the courses were structured, for example, I had to look at the manual, as the listings are not intuitive otherwise. I would think that such a popular product would include better help tutorials and a better menu-driven interface for the user. The only other feature I did not like is how the screen maximizes to cover the entire desktop. I could see this being a handy feature for those who do not want any distractions, but I just do not care for that kind of blatant blanketing of my desktop.
| Product Features | Rating  |
What's Hot:
This software is by far the best language learning software on the market. I can now successfully communicate that the man on the horse is jumping! I hope that soon I will be able to communicate in Spanish at my favorite restaurant.
| Price to Value | Rating |
What's Hot:
In another review I wrote on Rosetta Stone French Level 1, I said that its price was not hot. My reasoning was that I did not have an immediate need to learn French. I have a more vested interest, living in Texas, to learn Spanish, so even if the company charged $1,000 USD for the software, I would likely pay for it. That said, I still think the entry price for level 1 software should be lowered to, say around $100.
| Installation & Setup | Rating  |
What's Not:
As I mentioned earlier in this review, the setup for this software is poorly designed. A simple solution for Rosetta Stone: place all the software on one CD or DVD.
| User Interface | Rating |
What's Not:
Why would you put the actual menus in the language the student is trying to learn? If the lessons were not in a particular order, I would just be clicking on random lessons. The software should provide students with an option to choose the language in which the menus are presented.
Images
Suggested Features
The developers should look at Microsoft software and learn how to apply the same kind of help-driven user interfaces to assist the student in learning another language. Along with these changes, the setup/installation process must be modified to make the install run smoother on one CD only. All in all, this is a good product, but if the software manufacturer does not make these simple changes, something better will come along and steal its thunder.
Conclusion
I am impressed with Rosetta Stone Spanish Level 1, and I will continue to use it. My kids both agree with me that the software was a lot of fun to use while providing a good education on the Spanish language. I hope to be speaking in a foreign tongue here in the next couple of months. Until then, adios!