Why is Rosetta Stone the world's No. 1 language-learning software? Because it works. Escape the endless tedium of translation, memorization, and grammar drills. Get the language you want, the skills you need and the success you deserve by learning a new language naturally--the same way you learned your first language.
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 The complete immersion environment puts your native language-learning skills to work, eliminating your dependence on tedious translation and rote memorization. | | |
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 Images |  |  Intuition | ||
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In Rosetta Stone you learn the meaning of new language from clear, real-life images.
In this activity you learn colors. | | You advance using language you've learned and clues from new images. That's your intuition at work.
Now that you know colors, you can easily grasp the meaning of the new words... | ||
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 Interactivity | |  Instruction | ||
Throughout Rosetta Stone, you constantly interact with the program to confirm your intuition.
...and then check what you've learned. | | From beginning to end you build systematically toward your language-learning goals, for the most effective and enjoyable instruction anywhere.
And finally, you get the fun of trying your new language in a real-life simulation. Speech recognition shows you exactly how you're doing. | ||
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You learned your first language without translation.
You learned your first language easily and naturally by connecting words to objects and events around you. With Rosetta Stone, learn a new language the same way: using native speakers and thousands of real-life images to help you think in the new language from the very beginning. Studies show that learning exclusively in the new language, without translation as a crutch, is crucial.
The exclusive Dynamic Immersion method reinforces your natural language-learning skills with award-winning instructional technology. Identify your learning goals, then choose customized courses that take you there.
The timeless immersion method, along with research-based techniques and new technologies, make Rosetta Stone the clear solution to your language-learning needs.
What will you be able to do?
Understand everyday language.
Through Rosetta Stone's proficiency-based listening and reading activities, you'll learn quickly.
Pronounce words correctly.
After practicing with Rosetta Stone's speech recognition and analysis tools, pronunciation will come easily.
Speak without a script.
Contextual Formation makes sure you have the confidence and cues you need to get the words out on the spot.
Spell and write accurately.
You'll build gradually from letters to words and sentences.
Engage in real-life conversations.
With Milestone activities, gain confidence using speech alone in simulated situations.
Retain what you learn.
The unique Adaptive Recall reinforces language so it sticks with you in the real world.
Customer Review: great system
I am now on the 3rd and final level of Rosetta Stone's Spanish (Latin America). I have been very impressed with the series. I do also use Pimsleur Spanish CDs in my car to supplement my learning. I'd recommend both to anyone interested in learning any language.
Customer Review: Installation challenges
This version is sold as Vista compatible, however installation was not straight forward with Vista Ultimate as operating system. Once installed there is an error message as the file framedynos.dll is not found. We needed to copy it into the program directory. The activation program does not work with Vista, we needed to disconnect the PC from the internet and activate via phone. Neither of these two problems was listed in the manual. The good thing was that the phone service was available even late in the night. Once these two hurdles were overcome the program seems to be working well.
The judges ranking and their score for the OD are in parentheses.
1) Belbin/Agosto (2, 67.54) It is quite ironic that after spending all season complaining bout how much I dislike this program that I am ranking it first at worlds. But I feel they were the clear winners of the OD. They attacked this program and nailed everything. I got a good laugh at the British Eurosport's commentators trying to find something about this performance to criticize and coming up with 'Their arms weren't always in perfect unison,' because if that is the biggest problem with any program, it was obviously skated fabulously. The Charleston and quickstep were arguably the best of the night, and their foxtrot was almost up to the level it was four seasons ago. The choreography still is not very good, but their performance overcame that and made you forget about the it.
2) Navka/Kostomarov (1, 68.67) This is by no means a bad program, but it is also not a great program. Both the quickstep and foxtrot were done well, but not amazingly so. Still, the transitions are 1000% better than they were a season ago, making this actually looks somewhat like a dance program, instead of a pairs program with dance elements. And how can one not give them points for their extremely original musical selection of "Sing Sing Sing"? But as neither the difficulty level nor the interpretation was up to the level of Belbin/Agosto's, they deserved to place second.
3) Chait/Sakhnovski (5, 61.19) After placing 3rd at the GPF in the OD, I was crossing my fingers that their placement would be the same here. Unfortunately, the judges failed me. They, unlike the teams directly below them, had great interpretation of the rhythms and skated without any mistakes. And their energy level, as always, was ridiculously high. Plus, their skating skills, while not quite as good as the skating skills of the very best in the world, have improved so much that they should challenge those other teams.
4) Denkova/Staviski (4, 62.79) Awkward OD interpretation, but thy did skate all out. Their skating skills - and the fact that they too did not mess up, held them above the other teams here. Still, this OD is very forgettable.
5) Delobel/Schoenfelder (6, 60.25) Had Isabelle not made a small mistake on the sbs footwork sequence, they would have been challenging the top teams. Unfortunately, she did. Isabelle has nice interpretation, and even Olivier seems less lifeless than usual. Plus, the choreography is superb. The only other problem is that they are slightly off-beat for part of the foxtrot.
6) Grushina/Goncharov (3, 63.17) This program has many of they same weaknesses as B/A's does, which should not be a surprise, considering it is basically the same program. (Morozov's creativity or lack there of has sunk to a new low for "his" programs for G/G this season.) But unfortunately for them, they do not have B/A's technical strengths and charisma. Elena is lovely as always; Ruslan is dull as always. And I'm still waiting for them to finish their sbs footwork. Somebody needs to go out and push them during any footwork sequence.
7) Domnina/Shabalin (7, 58.86) These two probably had the best foxtrot interpretation of the season. It was graceful, musical, and truly brought the classical foxtrot to the ice. They even made their dance spin seem foxtrot-y. The sbs footwork didn't seem very powerful, and their twizzles, while miles better than many of the other team's, were a bit shaky. The quickstep was okay.
8) Dubreuil/Lauzon (8,58.30) Argh. The foxtrot and quickstep sections were extremely well-interpreted and the whole dance was extremely cohesive for a combination OD. But the sbs footwork was a complete and utter disaster. It got messed up about 1/3 of the way through, and they never quite got it back on track. There was a little to much of time spent not touching each other. And their Charleston was a bit awkward in places. Plus, why are they miming holding umbrellas? Isn't the whole point of "Singin' in the Rain" that one is singing in the rain, and not covered by umbrellas?
9) Faiella/Scali (9, 56.13) Their stroking has improved dramatically. Their twizzles still aren't very good. And they didn't really seem to truly get either rhythm, especially the quickstep. But technically, it was a strong program, and they had good energy as always,
10) Wing/Lowe (10, 52.52) They start off with a nice, although slightly dull, foxtrot. And then they transition into a nice, but slightly dull Charleston. I normally really like this team, but this performance seemed to lack energy. They don't have the technical content of the teams above them.
11) Fraser/Lukanin (13, 48.82) Their speed and polished has dramatically improved. Very nice foxtrot expression. They spend a little too much time apart. They had nice musicality too.
12) Kerr/Kerr (11, 50.71) There's still a fairly sizable gap between her skills and his, although he has improved. They have nice foxtrot expression. Theirs twizzles in the sbs footwork was very messy towards the end. Their quickstep was fine, but not quite as good as the foxtrot.
13) Gregory/Petukhov (12, 50.22) I got the advice to only watch him, not her, and I enjoyed them much more than usual. Interpret that as you want. Of course, then I missed the mistake she made on the twizzles during the sbs footwork, which also lacked flow. Decent Charleston expression. Too much stroking in foxtrot section.
14) Kulikova/Novikov (14, 48.72) She did best with the quickstep, while he shone in the foxtrot. Second quickstep had very little traditional quickstep character. They had a slightly messy quality overall.
I did not rank the rest of the teams.
Hoffman/Elek (17, 45.34) They start with a foxtrot, which was absolutely lovely and really captured the rhythm. The quickstep was very good too, but did not quite work as well as the foxtrot. And somebody needs to teach Atilla to twizzle, because I'm sick of him messing those up, as he did on the sbs footwork. And then he had trouble lifting Nora on the final lift, although a portion of that can probably be blamed on her 472346 pound dress. But overall, this was a very nice OD.
Gudina/Beletski (18, 42.85) They start off with an enthusiastic Charleston. But the foxtrot was dull, with little difficulty. And unfortunately they could not pick up the energy level with the final quickstep section, to Dancing Fool of all songs.
Watanabe/Kido (15, 46.57) A very good and in-character quickstep. Diagonal footwork could flow better. Their foxtrot was good, but not quite as in character as the quickstep. He has some trouble with the last lift.
Grebenkina/Azronjan (16, 46.02) Great energy, and their movements are very dance-y and fit the quickstep well. Their foxtrot is to extremely odd music - just a rhythm and no melody. But they end with another well-done quickstep section.
Beier/Beier (20, 41.66) Very cute and charming, with a good ballroom interpretation of the rhythms.
Kauc/Zych (22, 40.92) Fabulous foxtrot expression. Twizzles during sbs footwork were messy. Basic skating is very good. This program lacked the falls that their programs usually have, but it also lacked the energy and attack. Their quickstep expression is also very nice.
Pechalat/Bourzat (23, 40.71) They start with a very charming and well characterized Charleston. But she takes a bad fall during the sbs footwork. Their musicality in the foxtrot was good, but the choreography wasn't very ballroom. They fixed that during a great quickstep section.
Yang/Gao (19, 42.67) Decent foxtrot. She hits a lovely position during the lift. She's very charming. Charleston is nice too. He looks to have trouble rotating the final lift.
Golovina/Voika (21, 41.57) They start with movements that seem to exaggerated for the more subtle foxtrot rhythm. But they still have good musicality and energy. Decent quickstep, but again the movements don't fit the rhythm very well.
Munana/Munana (25, 36.31) As sick as I am of Chicago ODs, this one was great. Both rhythms, especially the Charleston, were interpreted fabulously. Both skaters sparkled. They clearly do not have the technical ability of the top teams, but if they can ad technical content in the future, they most definitely will be contenders.
Akimova/Shakalov (29, 31.35) Very polished, but little else going for them. He tripped on the sbs footwork. Diagonal footwork is . Their musicality is pretty good.
Aureli/Vaturi (24, 38.66) They start off with a lot of dancing in place. They have somewhat poor ice coverage on the sbs steps. But they have a good understanding of both the quickstep and foxtrot. Unfortunately, they really lack in technical content.
Haunstetter/Hoenlein (27. 33.00) Chicago. Again. But they have a very good Charleston, and his foot position during the lift was fabulous. Ugly and out-of-sync twizzles. The rest of the sbs wasn't much better. They looked like they were skating two different programs during the sbs steps. He is terrific.
Buck/Nelson-Bond (28, 32.85) Good Charleston expression. Pretty good speed through diagonal footwork. She hits great positions in their lifts. Their weakness seems to be basic skating. They also had unison trouble on the sbs footwork.
Keller/Keller (26, 33.23) Really weird Charleston music. Decent musicality. Their program is very empty. They also lacked energy. Their quickstep expression was the best of the three rhythms.
Galcheniuk/Krupen (30, 28.14) Most of their skating is decent. Their programs aren't empty, and their musical interpretation is okay. Plus, they have nice energy. Unfortunately, nothing about their skating is anything better than decent, especially their basic skating.
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Competition Reviews
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