Learn Latin: Rosetta Stone Latin - Level 1-3 Set

3.1 3.1 out of 5 stars | 17 ratings

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Last update: 07-23-2024


About this item

Learn to read, write, and speak in Latin with Rosetta Stone
Build upon a foundation of key Latin vocabulary, words, and phrases
Rosetta Stone moves forward when you are ready. You drive the pace. You set the schedule
From the simple to the complex, gain the confidence to share your ideas and opinions in Latin. Develop the Latin language skills to enjoy social interaction and learn to share your ideas and opinions. Learn Latin today with Rosetta Stone

Top reviews from the United States

Harrius
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Program, a Must for Anyone Wanting to Really Learn Latin
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2011
I studied Latin in high school and since college have used various courses, including the Cambridge series, to try to really learn the language. The experience has been like reading a book on Astrophysics - you understand it as long as you are studying it, and then...it fades pretty quickly.

Two things have made all the difference. Picking up the Latin versions of Harry Potter (you will be amazed!) and Rosetta Stone. Rosetta Stone made Latin come alive and it began to stick, once and for all. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, all are introduced naturally. Whenever I review in my mind, I see the pictures associated with the word or expression. Best of all, Latin is presented as a living language, and not some relic used to decipher Roman propaganda about military exploits. Latin is not dead just because there are no native speakers, anymore than an orphan is dead because he has lost his parents. Anybody wishing to adopt Latin as a second language and give it new life in the 21st century needs to invest in Rosetta Stone.

As for the Harry Potter books, sure you will need to develop a good background to start, and initially you will need to puzzle things out. But I was amazed how much Rosetta Stone and the books began to reinforce one another.
Rachel Peterson
1.0 out of 5 stars Scam
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2017
Cd's don't work. What a waste of money!
Unmutual Student
2.0 out of 5 stars Probably Not Worth the Price
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2012
I bought this to help me with a Latin course I was taking. It did help me to get a bit of a feel for the language, but most of the vocabulary was useless (sandwich, telephone, etc.). When I was done with the course, I had intended to list the software on ebay to get some of my money back as I had no further use for it. The representatives of the software company sent a complaint and had my listing removed. If I had known I could n't re-sell it, I would'nt have paid for it in the first place. So be aware that you are not allowed to resell after you've finished with the course. With that in mind, it was not worth the cost in my opinion.
David
3.0 out of 5 stars Supplement: Yes! Main Course: No.
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2011
A friend of mine recently gave me a lovely present: Rosetta Stone: Latin 1, 2 & 3. While it is never proper to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially such an expensive one, I would like to put forward a review of this software.

Before I begin my evaluation, let me qualify what I say here. I am not a beginning student of Latin. In fact, I am a life-long student of this language, and I currently teach it at university level. The reason my friend got me this software was because it is hard to get Latin materials where I live, especially of the multimedia sort, and he thought it might be helpful to me. (If you happen to be reading this, I am really grateful!)

Over the past week, I've worked my way through Level 1. This was my first time using Rosetta Stone software, and I must say that I am quite impressed by the approach. I can imagine Rosetta Stone would do the job of teaching a modern colloquial language quite well, but it is my opinion that Rosetta Stone leaves quite a lot to be desired in its attempt to teach a classical language like Latin.

The direct method used by Rosetta Stone is to be commended. Linking images directly to Latin words without the interference of a "third wheel," meaning the student's native language, is refreshing. However, the content of Rosetta Stone's Latin course fails to take into consideration a beginning Latin student's long-term needs.

Generally speaking, a student who takes up Latin will be unlike the student who takes up a modern language in that he/she will often have an uncommonly well defined set of goals in mind. I mean it would be rare for, let's say, one to take up German only because one wants to read Goethe's Faust. More often than not, one will take up German because one wants to visit Germany--to order a bit of bratwurst in Bavaria. Latin students, however, very often have as a long-term goal the ability to read the Vulgate, for example, or Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War. So, in evaluating Rosetta Stone's Latin course, one must ask: how far is Rosetta Stone able to get the student toward this kind of goal? The answer is, well, not very far.

It is apparent that Rosetta Stone was designed for teaching modern languages, and it seems that what they have done is to develop a Latin course based upon the vocabulary and grammar that one would need to use in learning a modern language. This is not necessarily bad, but it doesn't really prepare the beginning student for what the vast majority eventually want to do with their Latin. For those few who, as a hobby, wish to learn some modern colloquial Latin, it is very nice, but Rosetta Stone doesn't make any of this clear. In fact, Rosetta Stone doesn't even appear to be aware that there is a difference between the two.

To give a reverse example, imagine a student in some non-English speaking country picking up--at very high cost--a software package that promises to teach English. Now, imagine that the software in question taught the student the English of Chaucer! You'd end up with the student making phrases like "thay myghte noghte" for "they might not," all the while totally unaware that all but a highly-trained few in the English speaking world would even know what he/she is talking about!

To give a few examples, in Rosetta Stone Latin I, the student is taught that the Latin word raeda means "car." The sentence "vir raedam gubernat" (the man is driving the car) is taught matter-of-factly. Of course, in modern Latin raeda can certainly be used to mean "car," but if one were to come across this word in Cicero, it would mean "wagon" not "car." The student is not made aware of this fact.

Furthermore, the student is taught that the Latin for "sandwich" is paniculus fartus. Overlooking the fact that the modern concept of a sandwich didn't exist for the Romans. (they would have understood meat and bread, even stuffed bread, which is what is meant by fartus--get your mind out of the gutter!) That being said, the folks at Rosetta Stone don't seem to realize that the modern Latin phrase for sandwich is actually pastillum fartum--at least that's what it is according to the Vatican where the official language is Latin. Inappropriate vocabulary to one side, there is also a small issue concerning pronunciation.

The pronunciation used in Rosetta Stone's course is, as far as I am concerned, quite alright. The one point I would raise, though, is that they teach the reconstructed Classical pronunciation without mentioning that this is only one of two systems currently taught today--the other being Ecclesiastical or Italian pronunciation. The difference would be comparable to the differences between American and British English. I don't say one is necessarily better than the other, but the student should be made aware of the differences in any case. Now that I have said that, there are a few places in Rosetta Stone where the Classical pronunciation isn't followed. In Rosetta Stone, the adjective magnus (large), for example, is pronounced mag, as in magazing, and nus, as in n+us. In both Classical and Ecclesiastical Latin, when "g" comes before "n," it is pronounced "ng," as in sing, so the proper pronunciation should by "mangnus." Of course, that is a minor detail; nevertheless, you would expect Rosetta Stone's Latin course to be more carefully prepared, especially given the premium price.

While I don't think Rosetta Stone is a good starting place for the would-be Latinist, I do think it is a nice way for the established Latinist to get his/her feet wet in world of Living Latin despite the courses occasional deficiencies.

In closing, I hope Rosetta Stone will continue to develop their Latin course and begin marketing it as a "modern colloquial Latin course," which it is, rather than marketing it as a good way to study Classical Latin, which it is not.
California Bill
4.0 out of 5 stars Good product. Needs improvement.
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2012
The short answer is: buy this product.

That said, I have a few criticisms. It takes a Latin dictionary and some familiarity with Latin grammar to get the full benefit of the application. Rosetta Stone has forced the Latin language into their standard format, which focuses on travel and tourism. While it's fun to contemplate renting skis or buying blue sweaters using Latin, opportunities to do so are quite limited.

The point of learning Latin is to read the ancient classics in that language. Like it or not, those books focus on the concerns of war and empire. They do not dwell on shopping. Perhaps Rosetta Stone could add levels to the product, which prepare the student to begin reading in Latin, by using the actual vocabulary found there.

The good news is that their strategy of using listening, reading and writing ( I didn't bother with speaking ) together really does work. Surrounding your brain with the language, from all sides, makes the learning memorable and interesting.

A good book to follow this product is "38 Latin Stories" by Anne Groton and James May.
Nilo Esparza
5.0 out of 5 stars i am too enthusiast
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2012
finally i will learn my favorite language, this way i will understand a little more about ancient cultures from the Old Wolrd.
DAVID
1.0 out of 5 stars Poor product quality, unusable
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2017
The product is bug ridden. It is incompatible with non-USB headphones and has issues with many of those. The application does not work as described in the owners manual - it appears that it has not even been tested for functionality. Spent time on 2-3 days and with numerous on line chats with their support desk and they had nothing but apologies for a poor product. Left my son very discouraged and frustrated, not to mention me as well.
Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars No technical support- beware
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2017
The product is not bad but be aware that this version ( 3 personal) is no longer supported by Rosetta Stone. If you have installation problems they will direct you to a FAQ page and recommend an upgrade which does not exist. There is no updated version 5 for Latin. Amazon should have included a disclaimer about no technical support for this version even though it is very pricey.

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