Rosetta Stone: Is It As Good As a Language Class?

One of the reasons that Rosetta Stone is such a popular way to learn a new language is that a lot of people don't have the time to take a language class. This does raise the question of whether or not the program is as good as a language class.

Whether or not you find Rosetta Stone to be a good as a language class is going to depend on your goals. In reality there are very different purposes to the two ways of learning so which on is better is going to depend in large part on what you need to learn. The main advantage that a language class offers is that it allows you to study your new language in far more depth than you could with just language software. This makes it ideal for learning the rules of grammar.

Rosetta Stone on the other hand has the goal of getting you to the point where you can actually use the new language in as short a time as possible. Things like grammar tend to get glossed over. When you are done with Rosetta Stone you will be able to carry on a conversation but you will by no means be fluent. However once you do have the basics down you will be able to work on things like grammar simply by talking to people and listening to the way that they speak.

Really a language class and Rosetta Stone are two different ways of doing the same thing. Some people prefer to learn in one way while others prefer the other way. Therefore you are going to have to think about how you like to learn. If you find that you learn best having somebody there to help you than you are probably better off with a language class. On the other hand if you like to learn on your own you will almost certainly find Rosetta Stone to be a better option.

If you really want to get good at a new language one other option that may be worth considering is to use both at the same time. A lot of people do just this and find that it works very well. They take a part time class where they can learn the formal rules of the language and where they have access to an instructor if they need help. In between classes they can use Rosetta Stone as a way to make sure that they get good at the basics and to build up their grammar.