Rosetta Stone vs Pimsleur
Overview
Rosetta Stone is one of the oldest and most tried and tested solutions for language learning. It immerses you in interactive core lessons conducted entirely in the target language and provides speech technology to get you speaking in your chosen language quickly and correctly. Rosetta Stone lets you choose both your level and your reasons for pursuing a language and if you purchase Lifetime Plus, you can access regular small group lessons with a live tutor.
Pimsleur is one of the most established names in language learning with 5+ decades of experience behind it. The scientifically backed Pimsleur Method helps you absorb new vocabulary and phrases and commit them to memory efficiently and fast. There’s a big emphasis on learning by listening and repeating. Games, quizzes and speech recognition technology add variety to what is a very systematic approach to learning a new language.
Pros
- Very immersive, you see, hear and read only in your target language in true to life scenarios
- Speech technology to fine tune your accent and object recognition which allows you to point at an object with your phone camera to identify it and have a conversation about it in your target language
- Allows you to personalize your language goals
- Provides In depth progress reports
- Flexible - available in desktop and device versions
- Regular small group lessons with live tutors for Lifetime Plus subscribers
- Good user experience
- Scientifically proven “Pimsleur Method” structured to help you learn fast and retain information
- Speech recognition technology with feedback to hone pronunciation
- Flexible learning across all devices, with hands free for on the go learning
- Easy to use with fun review activities including match quizzes, voice coach, and speed rounds
- Strong focus on core vocabulary and structures in practical, real-life conversations
Cons
- Can feel rather repetitive
- Not great for grammar, writing or cultural context
- No placement test
- Full immersion in the target language may be off putting for some
- Basic subscription is audio only
- Core lessons can seem monotonous and repetitive
- No placement test
- Not ideal for teaching grammar and writing
Best for
Best for: Those looking to learn a new language from scratch or seeking to improve their speaking and pronunciation. Most suitable for those happy to learn purely in the target language and to learn intuitively rather than in a structured analytical way.
Best for: Beginners and those with limited knowledge of a language who want to get talking straight away. Especially suited to those who learn by listening who enjoy a structured approach to their learning. Also great for people who want to brush up on basic “survival skills” -- those key phrases you’ll need on vacation or travelling.
Price
From $7.99 per month
From $14.99 per month
Number of users
500,000 active users
n/a
Overall
Overall: Rosetta Stone propels your language-learning forward by adapting a program of courses to suit your learning aims. It immerses you in the target language (combined with visual and audio clues) so you can learn instinctively and without relying on translations. It also stands out by offering additional features such as voice and object recognition.
To providerOverall: A structured and efficient way to learn a new language that gets you speaking more intuitively and understanding quickly in a way that really sticks.
To providerSupported languages
Spanish, French, German, Italian, English, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Filipino, English (US), Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Korean, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Latin America), Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese
Albanian, Arabic (Eastern, Egyptian, Modern Standard), Armenian (Eastern and Western), Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari Persian, Dutch, Farsi Persian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean Lithuanian, Norwegian, Ojibwe, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese (Brazillian and European), Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish (Latin American and Spain-Castilan), Swahili, Swedish, Swiss German, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Twi, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, English (ESL)
About
Rosetta Stone is a language e-learning service founded in 1992 with the aim of unlocking the secrets of language learning success. This is why it was named after the actual Rosetta Stone (which unlocked the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphics).
It's now one of the oldest and best known names in the industry with 500k+ active subscribers.
As well as having platforms designed for personal and business use, Rosetta Stone has a K-12 educational platform. Around 15% of schools in the US subscribe to one of Rosetta Stone's products.
Rosetta Stone is very immersive and uses only the target language (combined with audio, images and speech recognition) to teach you from the very start.
Pimsleur is named after American linguist, Dr Paul Pimsleur. After years of researching the most effective way to commit a new language to memory, Dr Pimsleur developed the Pimsleur method.
This method was first used by the Pimsleur company to produce reel to reel taped language courses which was then transferred to CD.
In the mid 2000s, Pimsleur began to offer digital learning courses before developing their app in 2018. You can also use Pimsleur on your lap or desktop.
There are now millions of users of Pimsleur products.
How it works
To get started on Rosetta Stone you choose the language you want to learn and either go for a three day free trial or subscribe to one of the options (see costs below).
Following this, you choose your proficiency level and your learning aim (travel, work, etc.). Rosetta Stone will then present you with a learning plan based on your answers:
These plans are the core part of the program. The overall aim is to teach you useful vocabulary and phrases that match your learning aims.
Each lesson is split into bite-sized parts which challenge you in different ways and help to keep up your engagement.
Rosetta Stone also offers a range of supporting features such as:
- Speech recognition to hone pronounciation
- Seek and speak (object recognition)
- Phrasebooks
- Stories
- On demand videos
- Live tuition with expert coaches and native speakers (for Lifetime Plus subscribers)
All of these are described in detail in the features section below.
Pimsleur is a subscription service with a number of options to fit your budget and needs.
Each language contains a variety of levels ranging from 1 (beginner) to 5 (expert). Some languages only have 3 or 4. Each level contains 30 half hour lessons which should be taken daily.
Whatever language or level you’re on, Pimsleur teaches you using “The Pimsleur Method.” What is this? Well, Dr Paul Pimsleur’s years of research in the field of applied linguistics led him to conclude that effective language teaching course needed to combine the following key elements:
Graduated interval recall
Dr Pimsleur discovered that when words and phrases are presented at gradually increasing intervals, students’ memories improve each time. He then figured out the best spacing sequence to move new learning from short to long-term memory. This spaced repetition method is at the heart of all Pimsleur’s programs.
The principle of anticipation
Our brains are hard-wired to predict, or anticipate, correct responses. So, if you’re given a chance to predict an answer, it enters your memory even before the lesson presents it. If it’s correct and then reinforced, new connections are made in the brain.
Core Vocabulary
Learning a little at a time with a chance to internalize it speeds up the learning process. So, since you can communicate in any language with relatively few words and structures, Pimsleur focuses on this core. This, in turn, provides a framework to keep adding new words and phrases to.
Organic Learning
To help your brain pick up tone, rhythm and pronunciation, all new vocabulary and phrasing is introduced in a conversational context.
With all this in mind, Pimsleur lessons and review activities:
- Introduce you to core words and phrases at gradually decreasing intervals
Require you to participate by giving you time to recall and respond in a meaningful exchange
So though there is a strong focus on aural learning, you’re not listening passively. You are actively involved in what you’re listening to and required to respond, just as you would in real life situations.
What a lesson is like
Generally, whatever the level or language, Rosetta Stone’s lessons are structured in a similar way.
They are grouped around communication topics depending on your purpose for learning (eg: business, travel, etc.) and designed to teach useful vocabulary and phrases which you then practise.
Lessons themselves are split into bite sized exercises conducted entirely in the target language.
You’ll usually hear and see a word or phrase along with a number of pictures and try to match them together. The aim is to get you learning actively and intuitively, rather than just memorizing words and translations. You’ll also be asked to repeat words and phrases using voice recognition.
Level 1 lessons all begin with listening to a conversation. Pimsleur then deconstructs this conversation and teaches you to say the elements out loud.
To help make it easier for you to fully grasp new words, Pimsleur breaks them down syllable by syllable. Interestingly, it starts with the last syllable and works backwards when teaching a new word.
Words and phrases are spoken frequently and slowly. This means you’ll be able to fully grasp what to say and how to say it.
However, as the course progresses, the repetition speeds up; you’ll be surprised at how quickly you won't need the time or repetitions you did at first!
In Pimsleur German 1, I learned and increased my German vocabulary and conversation skills by:
Listening to dialogues
Repeating words and phrases aloud
Using the Voice coach voice recognition software to correct my pronunciation
Using flashcards to revise new vocabulary
Completing quick match quizzes and speed rounds
Reviewing learnt words or expressions until I was confident using them
During my week completing the course, I noticed a considerable improvement in both my pronunciation and understanding of German. In fact, I could sometimes predict the meanings of conversations even before Pimsleur began to break them down.
Who is it good for?
Rosetta Stone's learning style would suit anyone who's:
- Learning a new language from scratch
- Keen to improve their skills in another language
- Happy to learn purely in the target language
- Like to learn intuitively rather than in an analytical way
- Appreciative of consistent, predictable content
- Interested in applying language-learning to real-life scenarios
- Keen to join regular small group live tutorials
- Needing to learn flexibly on any device
The Pimsleur method would suit anyone who’s:
- Looking to learn a new language from scratch
- Keen to start talking straight away and hold a conversation in 30 days
- Has some grasp of a language and wants to improve
- Learns best through a structured repetitive method
- Wants to improve their listening skills
- Wants to learn flexibly across all devices
Features
- Personalized learning
- Flexible learning
- Speech recognition
- Seek and Speak - object recognition
- Phrasebooks and stories
- Regular live small group classes led by a tutor
- 50+ languages
- Hands free learning
- Speech recognition with feedback
- Review quizzes, flashcards and speed rounds
- Cultural differences reflected in course material
- Mobile and web based
- Gamification
- Science backed methodology
Is it worth it?
A lot depends on the type of learner you are.
If you like to work things out for yourself and are happy to plunge right into your chosen language then Rosetta Stone's dynamic immersive approach is likely to suit you well.
It will teach you the vocabulary and phrases you need to achieve your language learning goals. And though its core lessons can feel a little repetitive, Rosetta Stone gives you the freedom to jump ahead or focus on the specifics that interest you. It also provides lots of fun resources to help you actively practice the language.
And if you subscribe to Lifetime Plus you'll be able to boost your learning real time feedback with live tutorials from expert native speaking coaches.
But if you are a very analytical person who wants to understand the grammatical structure of a language, or you want a strong focus on writing, it may not be the best choice for you.
While I'm nowhere near proficient in speaking French, after a few hours on Rosetta Stone I was speaking more confidently and precisely than before. Also, the additional features such as seek and speak, stories and videos were a great way of immersing myself in the language outside of core lessons.
Overall, with a free trial option for three days, I think Rosetta Stone is worth trying out. After choosing your goals, you can get a feel for the site by taking a few lessons. As most users agree, it's a helpful place to start and gets you speaking actively in your new language.
Yes, as long as you are clear about what Pimsleur is good for, and how it works.
You need to take on board that Pimsleur is highly structured and systematic, and that it’s this approach that makes it work. But it may not be to everyone’s taste.
Also, if you’re an analytical learner or a grammar nerd, Pimsleur is unlikely to suit your style.
But if you’re a beginner, or want to brush up your conversational skills for travel purposes, Pimsleur is definitely worth considering. Especially if you learn best by listening, don’t have time in your day to ‘sit and click’ and want to learn hands free and on the move.
The Pimsleur method cements new vocabulary and phrases into your memory in a way that helps you speak almost intuitively without thinking, and the Voice Coach (voice recognition and feedback system) develops great pronunciation.
Pimsluer’s emphasis on recall and repetition will have your conversational and listening skills up to a great standard in no time!
A seven day free trial will give you more than enough time to decide if the Pimsleur Method is right for you. If not, you just cancel within that time and no payment will be taken.
So what have you got to lose?