| Down-loadable digital media learning programs are | | | | games" to maintain student interest. They offer a |
| immensely popular for learning languages. For | | | | comprehensive course, covering from beginners |
| North Americans Spanish is one of the most | | | | to advanced students, for a single price of $300. |
| frequently selected languages to learn. It seems | | | | This is for the hard-copy version, with books and |
| that you need Spanish not only when you cross | | | | CD's in physical form. There is a shipping charge |
| the southern border of the U.S. but also when | | | | of $50 to send the whole package, so the net |
| you need to communicate with people who have | | | | cost is $350 delivered. There is also a digital |
| already crossed that border, going north! There | | | | down-loadable version available for $100. |
| are an estimated 30 million people in the U.S. who | | | | Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone Spanish are excellent |
| speak Spanish, and a few million of these don't | | | | at teaching you formal Spanish or "Castellano", the |
| speak English. | | | | way educated Spanish speakers converse. If you |
| So what are the choices of learning programs for | | | | are traveling in Latin America and need to deal |
| Spanish? How do the prices compare, and the | | | | with everyday people you will find a lot of |
| quality? | | | | difference between what Pimsleur or Rosetta |
| The most popular alternatives are: | | | | Stone taught you and what is being commonly |
| Pimsleur Spanish. The Pimsleur approach offers | | | | spoken. For everyday usage or traveler's Spanish, |
| three levels of Spanish. Each level consists of 30 | | | | you will need to know and be able to converse in |
| audio lessons at 30 minutes each, a total of 15 | | | | street Spanish. |
| hours of audio instruction. The materials are | | | | You may need both. If you only know street |
| available on CD or cassette (your choice) and are | | | | Spanish, and then need to interact with educated |
| accompanied by a sight reading booklet and a | | | | Latin Americans in formal situations, you will come |
| study guide. Each level costs $169 for a total of | | | | across as an uneducated hick. In reality, there is |
| $507. There is a comprehensive package with | | | | street Spanish and then there is formal Spanish. |
| extras, priced at $572 Emphasis is on spoken | | | | (Just as in English there is everyday |
| Spanish which covers both formal Spanish (as | | | | conversational English and then there is university |
| spoken in the drawing rooms of upper-class | | | | English. But the differences in vocabulary and rules |
| society, at Universities and at high-level business | | | | of grammar between the two forms of the |
| and political settings) and, to a certain extent, | | | | language are much greater and more pronounced |
| street (or everyday spoken) Spanish. There is | | | | in Spanish than they are in English) To be able to |
| also a down-loadable digital version available at | | | | communicate effectively in both formal situations |
| $155 per level. | | | | and ordinary street conversation, you would need |
| Rosetta Stone Spanish software comes on CD's | | | | to know both forms of Spanish, in order to be |
| and also offers three levels of Spanish. Their | | | | able to switch back and forth between them as |
| pricing is a bit more complicated. Spanish Level I | | | | needed. |
| by itself costs $195.00. Spanish Level II by itself | | | | This author has no personal experience with |
| costs $225.00, but if you get Levels I and II | | | | Rosetta Stone Spanish but it is reputed to teach |
| together as a set, the price is $329 (you save | | | | primarily the formal version of Spanish, along |
| $91). Then Spanish Level III by itself costs $245. | | | | somewhat the same lines as Pimsleur. |
| However, if you get all three levels together as a | | | | All three are very good products and highly |
| set the price for all three together is $499. | | | | recommended. Which is best for you would |
| Rosetta Stone has long been known as the | | | | depend on your reasons for wanting to learn |
| "Cadillac" of Language learning; the most complete, | | | | Spanish. For everyday conversations and street |
| maybe the best, and one of the most expensive. | | | | Spanish, Rocket Spanish is probably the better |
| Rocket Spanish learning program also comes on | | | | choice. For formal, educated Spanish (Castellano), |
| CD's. It uses some of the same basic teaching | | | | Pimsleur or Rosetta Stone would be a better |
| methods as Pimsleur, but takes a heavily | | | | choice. For complete domination of the Spanish |
| conversational approach to learning, focussing on | | | | language, you would need to know both the |
| everyday spoken "street Spanish". They use | | | | formal and the street forms of Spanish. |
| interactive conversational teaching and "learning | | | | |