Japanese Level 1 Win/Mac Personal Edition [Old Version] | ![Japanese Level 1 Win/Mac Personal Edition [Old Version]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51X02CRJKQL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | From: Fairfield Language Technologies
Category: Software
This item is no longer available
Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 4849
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Mac Os X, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows Xp
Media: CD-ROM
Operating System: Windows XP
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 8.2 x 2.2
MPN: 032-00
Model: 032-00
UPC: 794678007286
EAN: 0794678007286
ASIN: B00004YUGP
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| Features:
| • | This powerful tool uses advanced multimedia tools to immerse you completely in Japanese, as you experience the language just as a native-speaker would | | • | You'll enjoy 12 special activities with 92 lessons each -- all of them fun and interesting, and sure to teach you more about the language | | • | Key skills in listening comprehension, reading, speaking and writing are developed as you get a taste of Japanese culture | | • | Previews, tests and automated tutorials help you when you're stumped, so that your Japanese speaking skills never cease to grow! |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before. 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 Japanese 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!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Difficult to Learn March 10, 2007
J. Nichols
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
Not sure why I need to learn the Japanese word for "elephant" as part of the first lesson. The language is difficult for me, and English speaker. Hope it will get better.
 It is great! February 5, 2006
evguenia_y (Falls Church, VA, USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This software works great for me. I am very lazy, and this program is the only way I can force myself to study. I have already passed Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 4 and this year I will take Level 3. I have never taken any Japanese class, all my achievements are thanks to this software.
 Imersion... January 9, 2006
Robert E. West Jr. (Seattle, WA)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
Through my personal experience this was the perfect program for myself learning the japanese language in a recreational manner. I was not a student learning for credit, but in fact a person with numerous Japanese friends who was planning on moving to Japan soon with some of them. I was not that interested in reading and writing said language, but more in fact interested in better comunications with my friends and the new people I would meet while living in Japan. For this reason this software was perfect. It teaches through a completely visual level. I completely understand why some of the other reviews have critism. This is not a program I believe that is very efficent in conjunction with a collegiate course, but more for the beginings of basic everyday communication in this language. It has also helped tremendously to have a slew of Japanese friends to help me along the way, but with this software I have moved leaps and bounds in my understanding of this language. I have always been notoriously horrible at college language courses, and was quite intimidated at the thought of learning a new language. However, with the help of my friends and this program I have now become quite a casual speaker of the language, and I recomend it to anyone who wishes to accomplish the same goals as I did. Once again I must state though...THIS IS NOT A GOOD PROGRAM FOR COLLEGATE STUDY OF THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE, BUT AMAZING FOR THE BASIC AUDITORY COMPREHENSION OF THE LANGUAGE. I hope my take on this software has helped in some way.
Pretty good, but use other references too! November 11, 2004
crouchingtiger (San Francisco, CA United States)
43 out of 44 found this review helpful
I have to say that I agree with pretty much all of the reviews of this product on amazon.com (4 at the time I'm writing this). These reviews have ranged from 1 star to 5 stars and I believe that this simply reflects differential weighting of different elements by different reviewers with different needs/expectations. For me, here are the points I think are the most salient for discussion:
1. The pictures-based method of learning is obviously very powerful and should be commended. Having the visual representation there helps immensely with remembering vocabulary words. Similarly, it is incredibly convenient to be able to toggle between the romaji, hiragana/katakana, and kana+kanji representations of the text. Finally, the audio is excellent with the speakers speaking at a realistic pace (i.e. not speaking exceedingly slowly like some of the other language CDs while still maintaining excellent enunciation and pronunciation). The combination of these three elements -- pictures, words, and audio is fantastic.
2. Having said that, I could not agree more with the reviewer who wants an explicit English translation of each word/phrase/sentence! It is often not clear exactly what the meaning of the phrase/sentence is, even after reviewing all the other examples in the lesson/unit. This is especially true for certain verbs, grammar concepts, and the use of the different particles. It seems like it would have been trivial to include and it would have reduced the frustration level quite a bit. I understand that it may have detracted a little bit from the immersion. I think it'd be worth it because I'd estimate that in about 30% of cases, a more complex concept/word/grammar point was trying to be conveyed than is possible from a single picture (which often has been used many times before for other words/concepts!).
From my own personal experience, I feel that this is a useful program for absorbing the language. However, I did not tackle the problem of learning Japanese solely from this program and I think that was a wise decision. Coupling this program with more traditional Japanese textbooks (I'm using "An Introduction to Modern Japanese" by Mizutani) has been much more helpful than having just the program by itself. I have also started tackling actually learning the hiragana/katakana and the Rosetta program has been reasonably good to aid in that process but again I find the pronunciation guides from other textbooks indispensable. (I have also ordered a mnemonics-based guide to remembering the hiragana/katakana -- I will review that after I get it). Also, I have an extensive recognition of the Kanji characters because I am fairly fluent in Mandarin Chinese (which is a significant, if limited, help in learning japanese Kanji), but if you are a beginner in that regard as well then I think it'd be advisable to also purchase a book that helps you learn/write the Kanji.
Overall, I invested about 3 times the amount of money in the Rosetta software as all my other learning aids combined. I'd have to say the bang for the buck is not that great, but the overall expenditure (if budget is not an issue) is still fairly modest compared to the benefits of learning a language quicker and easier. There's something that just feels nice about interacting with a language graphically compared to rote study of textbooks or through audio dialogues. Hence, a 3-star review.
One final note: I am using the Macintosh version of the software (v. 2.0.6) under MacOS X and there is one annoying bug/feature: the CPU usage while using the program, even if it's sitting there doing nothing, goes to 100%. On a Powerbook this eventually makes the CPU fan come on and stay on and the computer gets hot, which is annoying. The only other programs that behave like this are graphics-intensive games so I'd have to assume that this is something that should be fixable, but to date nothing has happened. My solution to this is to limit my sessions to about an hour max on the Rosetta software and I turn to the other textbooks in between.
 YOURE PAYING FOR A LOT OF CONFUSION. June 7, 2004
18 out of 26 found this review helpful
This is a well meaning program that will leave you with nothing but doubt and unanswered questions.Fairfield uses a "picture to words to sound" method for teaching different languages. This is an excellent way to teach a language. It lets the user hear proper pronunciation while seeing the proper spelling (romanized or japanese) for the word. They also slap a picture of the subject so you can achieve a visual connection with the word or words mentioned. That's it, and thats where lies the problem. There is no confirmation in English to what you just learned. This leads to doubt because you don't know if the picture matches the word 100%. You cant make the vital connection between the Japanese word and the English one. To make matters worse not all the picture are crystal clear as to what is being refered to. Anyone who has studied Japanese knows what a difficult language it is to grasp and Fairfield thinks that you can just jump into it with this poorly thought out program. I don't know how well this method works in other languages but it fails in Japanese without that English reasurance. So in closing : 1. Dont be fooled by the "impressive" list of users of this program.
2. The poor structure of this program will leave you confused and reaching for your dictionary more than you'll be able to stand.
3. The price of this software package is ridiculous for what you get. It doesn't make $en$e.
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