Rosetta Stone Korean Review

Rosetta Stone has always led the way when it comes to language software, they are the name that everyone trusts and they have been teaching an increasing range of languages to millions of users across the world for 20 years.

Over this impressive period the courses have adapted to suit the needs of their students and now users can benefit from a new, online Korean course which is set to make learning more fun, convenient and stress-free.

This review will explore the benefits and disadvantages of trusting this company with your studies and try and try and determine whether this new venture will pay off but first let’s look at what you receive with a Rosetta stone purchase and the company’s objectives.

What is it about?

Put simply, the Korean course from Rosetta stone is about giving language student the chance to learn a new subject in a way that is engages them, immerses them in their chosen language and provides a style of learning that is easy and accessible.

In order to do this the software must provide a range of features and cater for all kind of learning styles and this Korean course does exactly that by letting students practice reading, writing and speaking through a diverse range of contents and 50 hours’ worth of lessons per level.

These levels determine the skill level and complexity of the work covered. There are three levels to work through, each level offering a progressive knowledge of conversation and social interactions. The online program offers each level in one 12 month product whereas the CD Rom can be purchased in different packages depending on how many levels you would like to buy.

Main Advantages

The new, online option is definitely an appealing prospect for many new students and it definitely has the potential to make Korean a lot more accessible to users but is this system advantageous compared to the CD Rom?

On first impressions the two courses are very similar and they both work towards the company’s main objectives quite effectively but there are two key features of “TOTALe Online” that show the true potential of Rosetta Stone and how well they have progressed.

Firstly, this version is a great example of how language software can be modernized and made appealing to wider range of students. Rather than waiting for your discs to arrive you can have an entire course downloaded onto your computer in minutes and it is not just refined to your home computer, the program is compatible with tablets and smartphones and you can sync your progress between devices. As well as making the experience more accessible and up-to-date, this approach also means that it takes advantage of interactive and multimedia elements for that all-important immersion in the language – there is even an interactive demo on the sales page. As well as the expected reading and writing elements this online course gives students access to games and brilliant speech recognition software for help with pronunciation.

This accessibility and choice leads to another important advantage that this course has over others and another way that it fulfills its aim – it makes the whole process stress-free and enjoyable.

In addition to the software feature there is the opportunity to cat online with other speakers and native tutors, which offers a greater level of support and feedback. This means there is always somebody to lean on when you need them but the course does not provide too much structure or pressure.

Rosetta Stone’s Korean language program is designed so that users can learn in their own time and at their own pace. This is another benefit of the online version being so portable, rather than worrying about fitting in a session at the computer after work you can take it with you and have a lesson at any time you want

Drawbacks

Rosetta Stone Korean is definitely more tailored towards the basics than helping novice speakers expand their skills on vocabulary. This means that the concept of immersing students in numerous elements of the language should be a winner; however there are definite differences and features lacking between the online and CD Rom options.

It would be easy to go directly for the online option because it is so modern, advanced and convenient but it is worth noting that it does not provide the Audio MP3s or 60 day money back guarantee of the CD Rom.

At first the CD Rom looks like the more comprehensive package and there is the additional benefit of five user profiles but many of the interactive elements are subject to a three month trial and there is a user restriction on anybody under 13 so it may not be as accessible as you would imagine.

Final Verdict and Recommendation

As you can see, this new concept from Rosetta Stone has plenty of advantages for users that the previous approaches could not offer. This downloadable, smartphone-compatible course provides great access to learning tools in a way that can really help students with their studies and lives up to the initial aims of the company. It is a visual and aural experience that only the Rocket Korean program can match up, but it offers a way of learning Korean that provides more freedom of learning than users would expect.

When it comes to recommending the product there is a clear market for each option and some consumers that should possibly look elsewhere. Purchasing “TOTALe Online” is recommended for any young student on the go that wants the ability to learn anywhere at any time and enjoy a plethora of interactive, online features. If you are looking for something a little more straightforward or are more of a technophobe then it may be worth sticking to the CD Rom.

The only reason that neither course option would be beneficial is if you are looking for something that has more of a regimented structure or are looking for something more advanced, this really is a course for beginners only but it one that almost any novice speaker can learn from effectively.

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