As you know, I am using Rosetta Stone to try to learn Spanish. As you may know, if you have ever tried to learn a language, pretty much every scenario involves people being completely dumb and/or socially awkward. Here are some of my favorites from so far in my Rosetta Stone journey.
The text reads “It costs $25,” but her body language says. “Bitch, read the sign.”
“Oh, here I am waving my prescription bottle around in your face. Excuse me, is this the pharmacy?”
“Um, no, this is the bookstore as you can see because I am shelving books outside the bookstore. WTF is wrong with you?”
Guy: “Yep, I think I’ll just drag my TV to the tv store to go look at new TVs. Like you do. Just takin’ my old TV to the TV store. Excuse me, I need a new TV.”
Crack Salesman: “This is my day! The day I finally make a commission! Asking what kind of TV you’re looking for is overrated, I should probably challenge you and see why you need a new TV anyway. Consumerism is what’s wrong with this country.”
Guy: “My TV is broken, dipshit. It looks I got a little carried away playing Wii bowling.”
They get all sneaky trying to figure out ways to ask questions. Here they have a whole series with the dorkiest census taker ever asking random people when they work. Everyone in the Rosetta Stone Universe is so friendly though and never suspicious, and this man is happy to let you know he’s working in the morning. Maybe when I get into more complex sentences they will have people saying things like, “Why do you need to know?” because as a former census taker myself, I can tell you that it’s much more realistic.
Sometimes they use children to ask dumb questions, which is fine because kids generally ask dumb questions. This one wants to know why this wet and dirty dog smells bad. Turns out it’s because the dog is dirty and wet. A revelation!
I’m sorry to break this to you girl, but if your boyfriend doesn’t know why you’re wearing a sweater (hint if you don’t speak Spanish: It’s because she’s cold), then it may be time to start looking elsewhere.
According to this picture, this little boy wants cake, but he does not need it. I guess Rosetta Stone and I have different definitions for the word “need.”
I am almost finished with the first disk of Rosetta Stone. I can’t wait until more complex ideas and sentences lead to the dumbest interactions ever. Right now we’re only dumb in the present, but soon we’ll be dumb in the past and the future and the past imperfect and every other tense!
Note: I first published the pharmacy panel and the TV panel on my tumblr.
17 replies on “Rosetta Stone and Life Skills”
Wow. This was brilliant. I’ve used Rosetta Stone in the past and never thought to look at it as if it were an episode of MST3K (as SaraB said below). This will make my learning language journey more fun now. Thank you.
I do hope you will post more of these.
Being dumb in the past could be fun.
My boyfriend didn’t understand the concept of putting on a sweater when you’re cold, so I dumped him. Then I needed a piece of cake, which seriously upset my stomach. Unfortunately, I was out of my medicine and was in such pain that I thought the bookstore was the pharmacy.
This reminds me of my best college friend, who studied Arabic. The award-winning, funniest ever conversation in her Arabic workbook was, “Is that your daughter?” “No! That is my camel!”
I would totally consider using Rosetta Stone, so keep us updated on how it works for you. I have to choose my next language or decide if I want to do a higher level of German to continue (ish) preparing for the DSH.
When it gets a little warmer and my money tree starts blooming I would like to get this for Russian. The idea of these scenarios in Russian makes me laugh and laugh and laugh. Strangers are not friendly to you in Russia.
However, if you were in an urban area, you could probably wave an empty prescription bottle in front of a random person and have it filled with something useful for a very reasonable price. There would also be many smelly but adorable dogs. Also, the cake there is fucking delicious and a definite need.
Anyway, despite the high price tag, would you say Rosetta Stone is worth it?
Beats the shit out of my French-class-taught-by-southern-baptist-preacher. He sincerely believed the only things we really needed to learn were the words we’d need to evangelize; he refused to teach us words for wine, beer, and other “nondesirable” substances, and the majority of my verb tense lessons came in the form of classic hymns.
Rosetta Stone all the way.
OMG, I would not be able to handle that. Rosetta stone 4ever. I hope I start learning words for beer and wine, then I can go anywhere!
So, is Rosetta Stone worth the $$$? I’ve thought about getting it, but I always baulk at the price tag.
It’s the same with the Japanese program. “What color is the sky?” “IT’S FUCKING AO.”
As someone who speaks Japanese, I just burst out laughing.
However, fair warning: Japanese people actually do LOVE to talk about the weather.
This simultaneously made me laugh and also made me want to try Rosetta Stone.
You don’t know awkward Spanish-learning media until you know La Catrina! Here is a sample of the awesome, Baile de Queso:
Is that cheese dance? I must investigate further!
Oh my lawdy, La Catrina! <3<3<3<3<3
“Mi Biiisshhshshabuela!” It sure is!
It’s like MST3K for language software!
I love everything about this post.