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| Rosetta Stone V2: Japanese, Level 1 & 2 [OLD VERSION] | ![Rosetta Stone V2: Japanese, Level 1 & 2 [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VfzBcygEL.jpg)
| List Price: $339.00
Buy New: $305.10
You Save: $33.90 (10%)
Buy New/Used from $250.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 12 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1517
Category: Software
Publisher: Rosetta Stone
Studio: Rosetta Stone
Brand: Rosetta Stone
Label: Rosetta Stone
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows 2000, Windows Xp, Mac Os X
Media: CD-ROM
Edition: Level 1 & 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 8.1 x 2.4
MPN: 1580228828
UPC: 794678288289
EAN: 0794678288289
ASIN: B000TFBZ4G
Release Date: August 28, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Rosetta Stone helps you understand everyday language through our proficiency-based listening and reading activities | | • | You will pronounce words correctly after practicing with our proprietary speech comparison tool | | • | Find the words you need when you need them Connecting new language directly to real-life images means the words spring to mind when you're in everyday contexts | | • | Rosetta Stone teaches you to spell and write accurately Language-specific keyboards and drag and drop tiles perfect your writing skills | | • | Learn to communicate by quickly combining words and phrases into complete sentences and dialogue |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
With Japanese Level 1&2 you engage the world around you, drawing on basic content and structures from level 1 and the blocks of everyday language from level 2. Learn to speak and write clearly and correctly, gaining the confidence to go where you want and connect with the people you meet.
Amazon.com Product Description
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.  | |  | | 
The complete immersion environment puts your native language-learning skills to work, eliminating your dependence on tedious translation and rote memorization.
| |  | |  | 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. Rosetta Stone's exclusive Dynamic Immersion method reinforces your natural language-learning skills with award-winning instructional technology. 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 soon be able to understand everyday language. Pronounce words correctly.
After practicing with Rosetta Stone?s proprietary speech comparison tool, the correct pronunciation of words will come easily. Find the words you need when you need them.
Connecting new language directly to real-life images means the words spring to mind when you're in everyday contexts. Spell and write accurately.
Language-specific keyboards and drag-and-drop tiles perfect your writing skills. Learn to communicate.
You'll quickly combine words and phrases into complete sentences and dialogues. Retain what you learn.
Regular reinforcement of new words and phrases in new contexts ensures the language sticks with you in the real world.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Waste of money! November 17, 2008
The "total immersion method" touted for this program is highly overrated. Random Japanese phrases are associated with various pictures and, starting as early as the first lesson, complex phrasing & concepts are introduced with no explanation. They can only be deciphered by using a Japanese-English dictionary, which is exactly what this program says is NOT necessary.
That is the type of hypocrisy that I find annoying. Very often, the pictures are unclear as to what the phrase actually means and the student is merely memorizing random phrases through unending repetition without really comprehending their meaning.
The program does nothing to prepare one to creatively construct ad hoc Japanese expressions customized to what one wants to say.
I, for one, could care less what the Japanese words for elephant & airplane are when I know I will never be touching those topics, but they are contained in the very first lesson. Also, having to fish through a Japanese translation dictionary to decipher the lesson phrases does not enhance the learning experience at all.
All this neglects the different written language systems that are not effectively taught in this program. There are 3 native Japanese written systems, besides the western alphabet transliteration (Roomaji). Rosetta Stone does not teach correct stroke order, etc. for writing these symbols and merely presents them in their completed, typewritten form.
This is yet another area in which this system fails to meet its advertised effectiveness.
I really regret waiting so long to start using the program because now I can't return it & am out over $300. for a useless piece of junk.
If you want a more interesting & useful method of learning Japanese, try Rocket Japanese (from rocketlanguages.com).
 Glad I bought it! March 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The other reviews for this product were "spot on". There is no hand holding in this learning process which makes it entirely up to you to learn the language. But I did start learning right away. And that's what I wanted in the first place. Don't forget to purchase a cross-translation dictionary, because it will help you to determine exactly what you are saying. Good luck!
Both more and less effective than I had anticipated February 26, 2008
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
One thing I couldn't figure out before buying the product was how they would manage the writing practice. In case others are curious, here's the deal. For most exercises, you can toggle between romaji (transliterated Japanese using our alphabet), kana (the phonetic syllabaries), or kanji (the way Japanese is really written, a combination of Chinese ideograms and kana). There are some writing exercises where you can just type in the romaji. There are others where they give you panes with different characters on them and you have to click the correct characters in the correct order to create the sentence (you can opt to do either kana or kanji for these). It's a little tedious--I get frustrated spending so much time just scanning the lines for the correct character to click on. Obviously you will never learn how to truly write with correct stroke order or anything from the software, so I definitely recommend a supplemental workbook or two if that is important to you. But, on the bright side, my kanji recognition / reading has dramatically improved.
Also, I thought from reading the system requirements that I would have to buy my own microphone so I ordered one ahead of time. I was wrong--it is included with the software.
Otherwise, I've been both impressed and a little disappointed with the software. It is definitely considerably more interesting than most types of studying, which helps me to use it more often and for longer periods of time. Also, it builds on the vocabulary you have already learned in a really helpful way. Review is naturally built in, so by level 8 you know the vocab from level 2 a lot better than before, rather than having half-forgotten it by that time. There are a variety of options so you can customize the way you study to your learning style and goals--and switch it up somewhat to keep yourself interested. There are some things that I learned quite quickly using the software that I just could not get to stick in my head using other methods (like flash cards or classroom repetition).
On the other hand, I definitely agree with the other reviewer who suggests a dictionary. It can be difficult to follow even with a dictionary sometimes (I may not know the dictionary form of a verb, for example). Sometimes it's easy and/or fun to figure out what phrases are matched to the pictures they show you, but other times it's quite challenging and no translation is ever provided. There has already been at least one time when I thought I was saying one phrase when I was actually saying another. I had to rather painfully unlearn what I thought I knew. I have mixed feelings about the "immersion" method--I'm all for thinking in the new language as soon as possible and not forcing awkward translations into English that don't really work or trying to make sense of everything in terms of grammatical rules that often have a bunch of exceptions anyway. But, on the other hand, as adults already fluent in one language, we're inevitably going to translate phrases into English in our heads regardless, and it seems like it would be useful to be able to check that we're translating them as accurately as possible. And I've heard the theory that the one and only advantage adults have over children in terms of language acquisition is that we can understand abstract rules and systems, so we might as well take advantage of that by learning and applying some grammar rules.
Also, the software isn't as smart as I thought it might be. I had hoped it would remember my strong and weak areas and customize the questions it asked me based on my progress over time. Unfortunately, it only does that in a very limited way and only while you're doing an exercise of one particular type. As soon as you finish that exercise, it forgets everything. There is a test function and you can look back on your scores from past tests, but you have to be careful to log on--the default setting is to study as a "guest," in which case it won't even remember your test scores.
The voice recognition analysis I find to be pretty useless. Most times it gives me the same abysmal rating regardless of whether I'm doing my most precise mimicry of the Japanese I'm hearing, or simply humming monotone or speaking gibberish (I've tested). Sometimes, if I have no other programs running, have no background noise, have the microphone positioned just right, etc., etc., it gives me real readings, but it almost always seems to be those other factors it's rating rather than my actual pronunciation. However, just hearing my recorded voice repeated back to me after a native speaker is really useful and I think has helped me to improve.
Overall, I am pleased with the software--my Japanese is getting better, which is what matters.
Easiest way to learn a language February 7, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
If you need to learn a language in a short period of time, here is the solution!
Good but not what I expected January 26, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Having paid about 300 for this I expected this program to not only be a good learning product but also have a well designed user interface. Instead, it looks rather cheap and plain. Considering I've only put about 2 hours in this program so far, I'd say it's pretty good on the learning side of things. However, being Japanese and having somewhat of a background in the language I'd also say that this program might be a bit hard to catch on for anyone who has no experience in Japanese. From the short time I've spent with it, it really does just kind of throw you in the language without any kind of help in english. Keep in mind though, I've barely spent any time with it and I do like it better than every other program I've tried.
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