Chinese Level 1 Win/Mac Personal Edition [Old Version]

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older)

Product Description
With the Rosetta Stone Chinese Personal Edition Level 1, you have the same new language-instruction techniques at your disposal that the U.S. State Dept, the Peace Corps and NASA use!

For instance, the standard Rosetta first lesson show a picture of a girl and a spoken phrase in chinese to match the picture. You can also see the picture and a chinese character phrase or pinyin english phrase. But nowhere is there an english translation of the phrase you are learning. So you do not know from just seeing a picture of a girl whether you are saying, "this is a girl", "a girl", "girl", "I am a girl", or "you are a girl".

My chinese speaking friends had to explain to me the phrase meant girl in the singular form and that the singular form was typical for all "feminine" objects.

I have called Rosetta and there is no english translation available when it would only cost them cents to reproduce. Do not buy this system unless you have a chinese tutor available to you.


The easy way to learn chinese   August 11, 2001
25 out of 30 found this review helpful

I have been a litlle sceptic when I purchased this product but after having been using it for a year I am amazed by the progress I made. With the Rosetta Stone can I not only learn the vocabulary it also forces you to think in the language and to repeat phrases. The different features enable you to chose speaking reading or wrting excersices, in order for you to work on all of these skills seperately until you are satisfied. Why no five stars? Well unfortunately there's no way of learning Chinese Kalligraphy on the computer so the only writing excersices are in pinyin which uses the latin alphabeth. But on the whole I can recommend this product to everyone who wants to learn Chinese!


More valuable than meets the eye!!!   June 21, 2003
Howard C. Sun
22 out of 26 found this review helpful

Does it "teach? Yes and no. If your native language is English, the Rosetta Stone method is an acquired taste, since it uses no English, or any other language for that matter, to teach. And you'll find it more difficult than the traditional word memorization method.

HOWEVER, the pronunciation and the listening value of Rosetta Stone Chinese is superb! I cannot emphasize enough how important good voice actors can be for language learning software. China is a very large country with many different dialects. Having a proper northern accent is like the difference of having a Hollywood accent and a Texas redneck accent. The voice actors are the best I've ever heard, and a zillion times better than Wenlin's voice actors.

5 out of 5 stars! Not just because they have good voice actors, but because they have IMPECCABLE voice actors. I've been learning Chinese Mandarin for over 6 years, and my native language is English. This is the only software that will get rid of your accent, if you don't have time to travel to China.


Delightful - I love it   October 24, 2004
Laura De Giorgio (Canada)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

I was originally using Rosetta Stone's Chinese program through online subscription. I went several times through the entire program before I decided that monthly subscription was getting expensive and since I enjoyed going over this program very much I finally decided to purchase it.

The online version has Chinese only written with pinyin and I was a little bit disappointed that it didn't have Chinese characters anywhere. When I received the package, I was thrilled and delighted to find that it had two books included and the books had all the material written both with Chinese characters and pinyin. This has taken my enjoyment of this program to a new level.

I do need to add that I have purchased numerous other books and programs, so this is not the only one I have been using - and the other books and programs have helped me tremendously in using this one.

Working with the entire Pimsleur program first has helped me tremendously in working with Rosetta Stone, as did many other books that deal with grammar and writing. Also, among different dictionaries, one of my favorites is Wenlin's electronic dictionary as well as NJStar program. Yes, getting all of these programs can get pricey, but they are all well-worth it, especially if you're learning Chinese on your own. They will serve you for a long time and will make the arduous process of learning Chinese a breeze, allowing you to progress easily and to enjoy the process.