Rosetta Stone is a well-known platform offering courses in over 30 languages, including both American and British English. But does it really deliver on its promises? What exactly does it offer?
In this review, we’ll break down its teaching methodology and services to help you clearly understand its strengths and weaknesses. Let’s dive in!
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What is Rosetta Stone and how does it work?
Rosetta Stone began as language learning software in 1992, which has evolved into an application available for mobile devices and computers.
Since its creation, as stated on its website, its goal has been to design content that helps its users learn a language naturally, without applying traditional methodologies that do not work today.
Today, Rosetta Stone offers courses in over 20 languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese, as well as both American and British English.
Its goal as an English learning platform is to provide flexible lessons designed to strengthen the four key language skills: pronunciation, listening comprehension, reading, and writing.
To achieve this, the app features a range of content—from basic lessons covering topics like adjectives in English to more advanced subjects such as the past continuous tense.
Features of the method:
From the moment you log into Rosetta Stone, the platform provides a brief introduction to its study methodology.
At its core, Rosetta Stone aims to replicate the way humans naturally learn a language as children. Its approach, called “Dynamic Immersion,” is designed to expose learners to English as much as possible, helping them practice consistently from anywhere.
To achieve this, the lessons combine visual content with everyday topics, making it easier for users to associate new words with real-life situations.
It is also important to note that they give greater priority to pronunciation, since this is the cornerstone of English, or any language, which is perfected before beginning to write or read.
They also include additional features in their app where you can listen to stories, access conversation guides, downloadable lessons, and even some 25-minute live lessons that delve deeper into topics such as the structure of the present simple.
How much does it cost to study with Rosetta Stone?
Rosetta Stone currently offers three types of teaching: for individuals, for businesses, and for schools. In each case, a payment must be made to access the service.
Classes or lessons for individual users have the following costs:
- 3 months: $44.85 USD.
- 12 months: $131.40 USD.
- Lifetime subscription: $190.00 USD.
Services for businesses and schools have variable prices, as they depend on the requirements of each particular institution. For this reason, the cost must be consulted directly with the platform's customer service.
Are you looking for English classes with better results?
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Advantages and disadvantages of learning English with Rosetta Stone
Let's discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using Rosetta Stone to learn English:
Advantages:
Varied and up-to-date content
They offer a good variety of lessons, especially for the most basic levels, where topics such as colors in English are studied. They regularly update their content to ensure it remains relevant to their users.
Conversation guides
They offer guides with common phrases that you can use in specific contexts, such as when ordering food in a restaurant. The audio recordings are made by native speakers and help you polish your pronunciation.
Flexible schedules
You can access the lessons via your computer or mobile device at any time. They even allow you to download and save some lessons so you can practice without an internet connection.
Disadvantages:
Voice recognition system
Many users have complained about its voice recognition system, as it flags pronunciation errors that do not exist. This can greatly delay your learning process, especially when it happens constantly.
Inexperienced teachers
In the English course, you have the option of receiving 25-minute live classes, but many of the teachers are inexperienced and do not use an appropriate methodology to encourage your learning.
Constant technical glitches
The platform has also received complaints about technical glitches, as users report that the app closes unexpectedly or lessons do not load completely, interrupting your lessons.
User reviews
The best way to evaluate an English language platform is through the opinions of its users. With this in mind, we found some people who have had a good experience using the Rosetta Stone service:
“The Rosetta Stone course works for me. It helped me a lot with basic English so that I can communicate, and I'm still studying it. I'm even working with people who only speak English, and I can get by easily. I'll continue working with that course.”
However, this is not the case for many other people, as they have reported problems with pronunciation exercises and voice recognition:
“The speaking exercises are the worst. I pronounce correctly, but it marks me wrong, not to mention the way they repeat the exercises all the time. Terrible app. If it weren't for college, I wouldn't even use it anymore.”
Students also point out that the website has many errors that interrupt lessons, and that its content is not as extensive as promised:
“I think it's a pretty bad platform for learning English, not so much because of the content, which has plenty of listening exercises and stories, but because of the flaws in the app. When doing the stories, for example, it's not uncommon for it to fail to recognize your voice. On the other hand, the content is extremely extensive, and with my knowledge of English (C2 certified), it doesn't teach you much.”
Finally, it’s important to highlight the complaints regarding billing and subscription management, as several users reported issues when trying to cancel or stop paying for lessons.
“I've been writing to you for three days asking for my money back, and you haven't given me an answer or a solution! I've canceled my subscription twice, and you're still charging me!”
In summary, it can be seen that the platform offers interesting lessons for the most basic levels, but they have many problems that do not favor your learning. This includes voice recognition failures, very long activities, lessons with incomplete content, among other issues.
In short, is it worth studying English with Rosetta Stone?
When evaluating Rosetta Stone's service, it is easy to see that the platform focuses its resources on the most basic lessons, teaching the most commonly used words in English with a methodology focused on improving pronunciation.
However, they have not resolved some basic issues that interfere with users, even though they have received constant complaints.
Even though their content is updated, they do not offer a personalized service that adapts to your needs and learning pace. This is especially noticeable in the live lessons, where they work with teachers who have no teaching experience.
The best option for learning English: Papora
If you’re looking for a comprehensive English learning platform that offers a personalized approach and lessons with native-level teachers, Papora is the perfect choice.
Unlike Rosetta Stone, Papora provides unlimited monthly classes in small groups with a wide variety of schedules, so you can learn at your convenience.
Each lesson is designed to be dynamic and engaging, making it easier to learn naturally while improving your pronunciation, reading, writing, listening comprehension, and grammar—all at the same time.
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Papora combines live classes + interactive course. Everything you need to make real progress.
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Frequently asked questions about Rosetta Stone:
It is impossible to know exactly how long it will take you to master the language, as this depends on your dedication and the lessons you take each week. Generally speaking, it can take between one and two years for a person to reach an intermediate level of English.
Yes, they currently offer 25-minute live lessons, where a tutor talks about everyday topics or current events. However, they often work with inexperienced teachers who do not offer personalized lessons to users.
