The official language of Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein, German is also taught as a second language in many countries. There are many regional dialects, many of which evolved due to the migration of tribes, centuries ago. Listening to native German speakers is the best way to learn German, in order to pick up correct pronunciation and sentence structures.

There are many words in the German language that have been incorporated into the English language. We are all familiar with ‘kindergarten’, and hamburgers are named after their German city of origin – Hamburg! If you are a beginner to learning German, then you will be pleased to know that new spelling and grammar rules were put in to force by the German government in 1998. The new language system has cut down drastically on the number of rules that previously existed.

There are several courses available from Rosetta Stone, which make learning German fun and easy. If you’re wondering how to learn German fast, then this may be the answer. As mentioned, there is no substitute for hearing native speakers, and you will be able to do just that. There is no English spoken on the CD-ROMS, which may sound daunting, but actually mimics the way we all learn to speak as infants. An example would be seeing many pictures of a different object, such as a book or a house, and hearing the German translation each time. You will quickly learn to associate the word with the object, even though no-one has explained it in English. This way, there is less effort involved, and you will hear correct pronunciations – no doubt the best way to learn German.

There are five levels to choose from, ranging from learning German for beginners, to level 5, which is related to commerce and solving problems. There are discounts for buying packs of levels, rather than just one at a time, and all the software is covered by a six-month money back guarantee if you aren’t happy with the course. Included with the CD-ROMS is an audio companion set of CDs to listen to on CD or mp3 players. There is also a headset for testing out your pronunciation using the speech recognition software.

An alternative to the discs is to pay for a three or six monthly subscription. This allows access to all five levels and is a less costly option.

Technical Details

• Version 4 Personal Edition CD-ROM with interactive software (compatible with Windows/Mac)
• Headset with microphone
• Audio Companion included – CD set to play or download to mp3 player
• 3-month online subscription to games, mobile application and live practice sessions.
• User’s Instructions

Rosetta Stone German Reviews

Many of reviews found the Rosetta Stone CD-ROMs were the best way to learn German. One reviewer had never learned much in high school language lessons, and had tried and failed other German courses as an adult. They said that the intuitive method of learning with Rosetta Stone was simple and felt natural. Lots of reviewers agreed that the courses did not really feel like ‘learning’, yet their language skills had rapidly developed.

The speech recognition technology was very popular with most users, but there were a few who could not get it to work properly. Although this problem affected a minority of reviewers, we would recommend that you test all of the features of the CD-ROMs as soon as you receive them.

Another hit was the CD set that is included. This reinforced and cemented learning when users were away from their computers.

Rosetta Stone is not the cheapest software you could buy, but so many reviewers think that it is the best way to learn German. Due to the money-back guarantee and apparent effectiveness of the program, we certainly recommend the German courses.