Rosetta Stone Japanese Reviews
Level 1, 2 & 3 Set (148 Reviews)
The Complete japanese set will enable you to fully express your ideas and opinions in japanese and master the conversational skills required to plan adventures, care for your health, and move abroad.
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Japanese Level 1, 2 & 3
148
148
Best language learning software
Wow ... this is the only word that comes to mind when asked about Rosetta Stone. I am a natural linguist, other languages i have learned such as Spanish and French I could pronounce with such accuracy that the high school teachers say its like I'm born speaking it. The difficult thing about learning another language is i lost interest in them. This year I was hooked on Japanese. after a number of website lessons, and wasting money on books, and lesser Language learning software I decided to try Rosetta Stone. This was the best decision I have made so far in my life. Not only does Rosetta Stone teach you in a way that is both unique and easy to grasp, it solves the problem of keeping you interested in learning the language. After 5 months of doing Rosetta Stone I can speak to my Japanese roommate in semi-complex sentences and understand what his replies are. That is why i wrote this to say that Rosetta Stone is the best language learning software out there and though the prices are high it is money well spent
December 7, 2009
Wonderful Product!
For about a year, I've been obsessed with Japan. It was my no. 1 wish to be able to speak it! For my birthday, my parents gave me Rosetta Stone. It was so awesome when I started! It's fun to know how to speak a exotic language, and to impress your friends with lots of foreign babbling. I'm not very far into it, but I'm loving the course so far!
March 9, 2013
Easiest way to learn a language!
It has been so easy to learn Japanese using the Rosetta Stone product. I have tried learning on my own without much success and taking classes doesn't appeal to my learning style so this method was the perfect solution. I recommend Rosetta Stone to anyone serious about learning additional languages.
December 2, 2012
Enjoyable Learning Experience
I've been using Rosetta Stone to learn Japanese since late August 2012 and I'm about halfway through the three levels, now (it's November 30). Learning a new language is not easy, especially for an adult learner (I'm 50), but Rosetta Stone is giving me a good start and I have been enjoying the learning experience so far. I expect to continue learning through more traditional means after I finish Rosetta Stone. My goal is to become reasonably conversant on simple day-to-day matters within a couple of years. (I have no illusions about how quickly or easily one can learn! I am semi-fluent in French but that took three years of high school, one year of college, and a lot of time on my own!) Rosetta Stone requires the learner to be self-motivated and to have an analytical mind. We all have this ability as children (obviously) but sometimes as adults we tend to be less analytical. Having this ability is necessary because Rosetta Stone doesn't directly provide rules of language usage but, rather, relies on the learner to observe patterns in order to discern meaning and rules of usage. This is attainable through repetition and practice, which the Rosetta Stone provides quite nicely.
November 29, 2012
Japanese master
I love this program. Easy and sole to learn. I can't wait to use my skills when I go back to Japan. Best idea I have ever had
November 28, 2012
Japanese master
Love this program. I can't wait to use what I'm learning when I go back to Japan. So easy to learn. I enjoy the program and can't stop learning
November 28, 2012
Best Option for Learning a Foreign Language
Most natural way to learn a foreign language! The headset is great because you can hear the spoken words as pronounced by a native. Also, the headset with microphone allows you to pronounce the word back and the system will correct you if your pronunciation isn't close. The pictures that come up help reinforce vocabulary words and keep them fresh in your head because you associate the word with a photo- a very natural and great way to learn! Wish I would have started sooner! I had been taking classes from a university and it's so easy to forget vocabulary when you are just memorizing from a book. Rosetta Stone has a great method to learning any foreign language!
November 28, 2012
Customized Learning
The product is very engaging in the process of learning a foreign language. Nevertheless, buying the product is obviously not an automatic guarantee for attaining fluency. It requires a lot of self-motivation. Overall, the product is very interactive and its really helpful that you can re-visit past lessons--so the learning is very dictated by your own pace.
November 28, 2012
Excellent
Great learning product. Makes things fun as you learn. I only wish it came with a drill sergeant that forced me to practice everyday.
November 28, 2012
Japanese RS rocks!
I have lived in Japan and studied Japanese in the past and am now relearning with my spouse who had no prior exposure. We are both enjoying the learning experience. The way they have structured Japanese RS is awesome because you can select which type of characters you want to learn with so instead of only 3 levels it is more like you have 9! You can choose from using the roman alphabet (easy), hiragana/katakana (syllabic Japanese characters) or kanji (pictogram words, more difficult). And, of course, you get the same great progressive and intuitive immersion that makes Rosetta Stone the best software available. The program itself is worth the price - better than if you took a class or paid for months "in country" but the online access to other learners and teachers is an enhancement you just can't be without! We are planning a trip to Japan next year and I'm sure my former homestay family will be surprised at how well we can both communicate with them in Japanese. Thanks Rosetta Stone!!!
November 28, 2012
Very fun to learn!i have recommended it to many friends!
November 28, 2012
bleh
I do not like the product. I hate guessing. Is it a dog or is it playing or is it the yard it is in. If I hadn't been studying Japanese off and on for years I wouldn't have finished the first lesson.
The good thing about the program is you can choose kanji, kanji w/ tiny furigana, katakana/hiragana, or romaji. So I keep a dictionary close to hand.
I also do not like that you have to speak fast or it only catches the first part and you have to try again and again and again.
I use the program because it was a gift and feel guilty about wasting it. But I prefer a different program I have that cost half as much.
November 26, 2012
Wholehearted recommendation.
Greetings,
I am a trained language teacher, doing my masters in applied linguistics, and I've taught overseas in Japan for 2 years. In my experience in immersion and studying language learning theory, I can tell you that Rosetta Stones' pedagogical approach is rock solid, rooted in practical practices, and extremely effective.
I wish I had this software when I was in Japan; it would have made learning the language a lot more successful.
To speak specifically, this program uses dynamic, interactive lessons and units to lead you through the content. It encourages you to make the associations between things, actions, and the language rather than just give you the answers - which reinforces and deepens your learning.
As if that wasn't enough, the online live language lesson component is the perfect icing on the cake. No more do you just interact with the software; now you get real native speakers when you want to help keep you motivated and give you a real, immediate use for the language.
I took 2 university courses before I went to Japan, paying around 400 per class. I got a LOT more out of Japanese levels 1-3, so it's a steal at twice the price!
What are you waiting for? Buy the software already!
July 4, 2012
Best way to learn!
I've had been studying Japanese for just over a year and the only thing I had to show for it was memorized Katakana/Hiragana and a few words (no complete sentences). I had been reading reviews on RosettaStone Japanese for a while, most of which were negative, but most of those people had products of their own to sale. Many of the complaints were "there is no English explanation" or "how can they teach complex sentence structure with just pictures".
On the other hand I have a friend whose son has been studying French with the system and has had amazing results. So after taking all that I had read with a grain of salt, I purchased the Japanese TOTALe.
It has been amazing! I am a complete visual learner and all language learning has always been a huge mountain for me, but with RosettaStone I am able to memorize words and structures without even trying. I've found that not having English in the way doubles my learning and comprehension speed (I don't have to translate anything, I know what the words mean from their base elements). Sentence structures are easily understood after a few passes and retention is way better than "book-worming" it.
I would totally recommend RosettaStone Japanese to anyone who is stuck on the Mount Fuji of languages. If you want to truly “know” Japanese and not Japanese through an English filter, buy this software, it is worth the price of admission! I would also suggest that you have some Hiragana/Katakana under your belt but it's not completely necessary. I guarantee you will learn more in an hour than you will in two weeks of traditional learning.
April 4, 2012
Best decision
Rosetta Stone Japanese is great! I'm a big anime fan and the reason I want to learn the language is to understand the dialogues without relying much on English subtitles.
I couldn't believe I can start speaking steady Japanese and write the hiragana characters correctly. I can now write complete Japanese sentences only in Hiragana and Katakana, since Kanji is pretty hard to read and write.
I just applied for a youth program to visit Japan and hopefully I'll be able to apply everything that I've learned from Rosetta Stone so I won't be out of place. I just find the Japanese culture amazing, and I can't wait to get to Japan and speak Japanese the Rosetta Stone way.
I'm still in in Level 2, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to finish all the levels before I hopefully leave for Japan early next year.
Arigatogozaimashita, Rosetta Stone!
December 18, 2011
Program really needs work
I don't like this program very much for Japanese. I can pick up on basic words, but none of the sentences.
Plus, it was hard at times to know what the picture was talking about. Like on one of them, it showed a boy next to another boy, then the other three pictures were basically the same but had completely different sentences to go with it. I couldn't tell if the boy standing next to him was his brother, cousin, friend, or someone else.
Another thing, they do not tell you the importance of the sentence markers (wa, ga, ka, mo) which are REALLY important to learning Japanese as they are used all the time. When I saw the sentence that meant "What are you doing?" it confused me. I wanted to know, what did Nani mean and what did the ka at the end mean. I only saw ka a few times and wondered how it fit in with the sentence. If you don't know, ka is the verbal question mark, but I never learned that though this program!
Lastly, this program is teaching formal Japanese. In Japan, you will most likely hear casual Japanese over formal Japanese. If you learn formal first, then casual it's like working backwards.
Over all, I would not recommend this to any of my friends. Resently, I have found a program that is AMAZING in teaching Japanese because it actually has a translation, uses funny little things to help you remember words, teaches you grammar, and so much more. There are other ways to learn a language, I suggest you seek them.
December 9, 2011
it wasn't bad
Over all the product was good, but the fact that there problems with something this expensive is a little disturbing. Some of the phrases they said didn't match the wording on the screen. Also some of the pictures didn't give enough detail to make the words on screen fully understandable. Granted I did learn a lot from this product, but it did require me to purchase other outlets to help me with this language as well
August 9, 2011
Amazing!!
I just love the Japanese language and always wanted to learn it so I eventually got Rosetta Stone. I love listening to Japanese music and after using Rosetta stone for about 2 months I was able to understand parts of the songs. It's truly amazing.
July 26, 2011
College Japanese
It has been very difficult for me to take Japanese at the college level with no prior experience. I even had to re-take the first semester because it was that hard but after my dad bought me Rosetta Stone I was able to practice on my own an frequently. At first I didn't know how study but now I don't need to. Thanks Rosetta Stone!
May 4, 2011
Great Product
I have been using this program for about a month now and it was great. I never knew that I learn a lot during the past month. I can think of japanese words in my head and talk japanese without translation. The studio coahes and japanese natives were very helpful in aiding me in japanese. I learn alot more in an immersive environment than it is in a classroom setting. Rosetta Stone is the best way to learn a language(even a difficult one). The best part: I never regretted buying this. Plus I have fun learning japanese. It is expensive but it's worth it.
April 23, 2011
Amazing!
This Product is amazing! Its easy and fun to use and the things you learn stay with you. Great product!
April 20, 2011
Easiest way to learn a language
I took two years of Japanese in high school but have since forgotten almost all of it. I picked up Rosetta Stone and I find myself picking up the language much more easily now. It's very intuitive and fun to use. The lessons stick with you much better since you're simply immersed in the language - there is no translating. You're learning the language based on pictures of what things are, just as you do with your first language, rather than trying to equate everything to a meaning in your native language. It's the most fun I've ever had learning a new language!
April 17, 2011
A shame I didn't buy it sooner!
I am a "otaku" if you will and fell in love with all things japanese. It was hard to read subs & watch at the same time and decided it was time to learn it. 2 yrs of trying to teach myself with self help books was getting me nowhere. I was amazed the first time I turned it on. I assumed we would start with greetings...absolutely not! The coaching sessions, adaptive recalls & games really make you work but I have retained so much because of it. In the last 2 months my vocab has grown to an incredible size I can speak w/ others, don't need to read subtitles as much and can finally finally understand all the music I listen to! Its an amazing product, if you pass up on it....your a fool, sorry!
April 15, 2011
Easy to use and easy to learn. I took a couple of years of Japanese in college about 15 years ago, but I came out knowing more of the writing than anything. I really didn't have the speaking ingrained in me. I'm about finished with the first lesson and the ease of remembering the language is amazing. When out, I'll actually see things and think the japanese word without even trying.
It's well worth the money. The cost was the only thing that kept me from buying this a while ago. But, it's definitely worth the price. And, I'd even buy another language if I had the money.
April 12, 2011
Grateful mom.
My daughter is an auditory learner with a learning disability. This product takes the learning out of the books with sights and sounds that make sense. She is learning a whole new language which is amazing for her. Surprising results in weeks of study instead of years of failure. Thank you.
April 12, 2011
great product
I was a bit reluctant to purchase the full three levels because of the price. Also, I had tried an older version, that my friend had, a couple of years ago and was not super impressed. I must say that V. 4 is much better. I don't use the extras features that much (games, mobile phone app, speaking with natural speakers online, etc), but these options are a great addition.
I like the non-translation style of Rosetta Stone, which some people may not. I am also currently living in Japan while using this product and also studied a bit of the language in school a few years ago. I am still in the first unit of level, I know much of it already, but I have learned many things as well already.
I think some people get the idea that this is a do-it-all product; however, when you study a language, there is no such thing. It is fantastic at what it does, but you should have additional ways of studying.
The only problem that I have is with the headset that comes with. My normal headset broke, so I hooked this one up. It was seeing sound during a speaking exercise (and failing me) when there was absolutely no sound in the room (I was holding my breath and moved the mic away from my face).
Aside from this, A+. Personally, very worth it.
April 11, 2011
Rosetta Stone is the Best!
I have been using Rosetta Stone for a good while now. It is amazing! It's works soo well! Just after the first couple lessons I was able to remember what I learned very easily. It teaches you the language as if it is you are learning your first language so you dont have to remember what english word is what word in the language you are learning. It gives you a visual of what the word is, so you can remember what the word means. Rosetta Stone works better than any formal language learning class in my opinion. With Rosetta Stone you can learn at your own pace. In formal classes you can only learn at the pace of the curriculum. If you want to study more than you can. You can also work around your schedule much unlike formal classes because you study when you want to. If you really want to learn another language you definately get your money's worth, if not more! Banzai!!! \(^o^)/
April 9, 2011
Worth the cost
When I first went to look for language learning software I was surprised by the price; there was no way that software could really cost 500 dollars. But my father says that you pay for what you get, and I had paid over a hundred dollars on headphones so I saw no problem with paying five hundred for software. When I started using the software, I quickly discovered that it was well worth the cost. When you buy the entire set you save a bit of money, and you end up with 12+ cds of extras that you can play on your mp3 player, as well as the chance to talk with native speakers on the totale program. Rosetta Stone is, hands down, the best way to learn a language.
April 8, 2011
Great product
This is a really great product. It's interesting and easy to understand. The only suggestion I would make is that you have a simple grammar guide available to you, because some of the rules are hard to understand without it. Still, loving it so far, and can't wait to learn more.
April 7, 2011
makes you want to go learn more
As stated elsewhere, this product does not have any English translations or explanations of grammar. The pictures and order of presentation are sufficient that a beginner can understand what is being said, thus learning the vocabulary and some grammar. But an even more important thing is that the program inspires a curiosity to go out and learn more. After a couple of lessons you want to buy the dictionary, grammar guide, and hiragana/katakana charts from the bookstore, and when you open those books you'll know what information you want from them. That curiosity to learn more, to find out why the sentence structures are in such a way or to understand exactly what the words mean, is a great part of the value of this course.
About pronunciation: I recommend NOT using the romanji character depictions, at least not to start. The pronunciation is not like in English, and seeing Roman characters can be misleading. For example, the word for woman, "onna no hito" actually sounds like "on--nanoshto", holding the N sound longer and saying SH instead of HI. The letter R is also pronounced differently than in English. Follow the native speakers, not your eyes. Using the Japanese characters focuses your ears and avoids the misleading visual cues. The Rosetta Studio teachers are very good at understanding the poor pronunciations of their students, but they don't have time to make those corrections and are not allowed to use spoken English during the lessons.
April 7, 2011
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