Rosetta Stone Arabic Review

The Arabic language has a number of variations, however, Rosetta Stone Arabic uses Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which is essentially a formal form of the language used widely across the Arab world. It significantly differs from the Arabic spoken in North Africa, but remains the literary standard across the Middle East, and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

Most printed material in the Arab world is written in MSA. Colloquial Arabic, on the other hand, which refers to many national or regional variants of Arabic spoken in the region, is not used for written materials but instead used in daily verbal communication. This is essentially the primary downfall of the Rosetta Stone Arabic program; it doesn’t help you learn everyday colloquial Arabic, which is most useful when travelling in the region.

What To Expect From Your Rosetta Stone Arabic Learning Experience

The program is split into 3 levels, with the primary goal being to build a fundamental vocabulary and essential language structure. It will take you about 2 months to finish level 1, and by level 2 you will have grasped a fair understanding of the alphabet and a decent level of pronunciation and understanding of grammar. Arabic is by no means an easy language to learn, but even so, learning progression is slow with Rosetta Stone. The old style repetition technique is effective but will wear down your enthusiasm. That said, the speech recognition and analysis tools do go a long way in improving pronunciation. In reality you can expect to have basic conversation with native speakers at about 3 months, but expect the rather monotonous image recall learning technique to become a little mundane. See the program through to the end of level 3, however, and you will be able to spell and write accurately and engage in real life conversation.

Rosetta Stone Arabic, and indeed the system itself, is a tried and tested method of learning by association. But language software has come along way since this invention, and the lack of innovation since its inception leaves it somewhat overpriced and overvalued. The system is far too one dimensional, and with a little effort could be complemented by a dictionary or supplementary language book, rather than having to play Pictionary with the images all the time. If you are hell bent on learning Arabic no matter the time or cost, then Rosetta Stone will help you become proficient in the language. However, if you want to simply learn the basics of the language, or think you might lose interest without a multi-faceted learning approach, opt for a recommended phrasebook or one of the more affordable, more innovative, newer learning systems on the market.

Comprehensive language course from basic to fluent

Tried and testing image recall learning system

One dimensional learning

Not enough focus on colloquial phrasing

Occasional program freezes because of heavy computer resource requirements

Expensive ($579.00 USD for all 3 levels)

Rosetta Stone has a fantastic reputation, and there is no arguing that it has helped thousands of people around the world learn languages to varying levels of proficiency, but for the price tag the system needs to evolve from its one dimensional approach to learning. It isn’t all encompassing and does require the use of supplementary material such as grammar books and an English – Arabic dictionary. Because of its stubbornness to evolve and offer better value, Rosetta Stone Arabic has been succeeded by a number of newer competitors, all of which offer superior value and a more interactive experience. If you're looking for a comprehensive Arabic course at a much lower price, we recommend Rocket Languages.