Rosetta Stone Speech Recognition Not Working

[Jenifer Griffard]

Ive been using Rosetta stone with no issues for the past year. After upgrading to Mojave a couple days ago I can't set up the microphone for speech recognition in Rosetta Stone. I tried it with both the internal mic and a Logitec USB headset. Any advise will be appreciated. Thanks.

I just got this figured out. You need to give Rosetta Stone Daemon access to your microphone. Go to settings/privacy, click on microphone, and check the Rosetta Stone Daemon to allow access. (If you are locked you would need to unlock to allow changes). Voila!

Using Rosetta Stone: Japanese2010/7/22 03:56 I just started using the Rosetta Stone Language software and it is great to pick up the language, but it does not explain conjugations, and I just feel kinda lost with no translations.

I learn phrases like

onnanoko wa tabette imaus.

and that phrase is paired with a picture of a little girl eating. OK i get that it means that but I do not comprehend the language.

I guess i would like some help finding a way to really understand it.

for example, charts that show conjugations of verbs, or nouns. just something in english telling me what is what so I'm not guessing the whole time.by Pierce Carter

I know where you're coming from2010/7/22 14:57 I also went through Rosetta Stone last fall and found the lack of any explanation to be bothersome. While I enjoyed the immersion method to a certain degree, sometimes you really just need someone to tell you what is actually going on. Especially with Japanese which has such a well structured conjugation system that is almost impossible to pick up without some guidance, but makes total sense once it is explained. I found that I retained things much better after I looked things up somewhere else and got a real explanation.

Since the early parts of Rosetta Stone tend to use a lot of the same verb conjugation (te form plus 'iru' or 'imasu') I suggest doing a search on Google for "Japanese Present Progressive". When I enter that search there are a number of good explanations that pop up. And once you find a page that can explain that conjugation form, chances are that same site will have good explanations for the rest of them.

How are you liking Rosetta Stone so far? It's biggest plus for me was having a structured system for learning rather than just fumbling around on my own, as well as having it force me to actually speak out loud. I found the speech recognition to be decent, though far from perfect.

I also found a few errors as I went along, mostly where the spoken phrase did not match the written phrase exactly. And probably my biggest complaint was how they did the 'writing' lessons, especially toward the end. Fairly pointless since it doesn't really teach you anything about actually writing in Japanese.

Good luck - I hope you can find some references that work for you to supplement your learning.

by frippscratchrate this post as useful

Best used with audio and books2010/7/23 02:49 In a nutshell...

Immersion + grammar and conjugation + audio lessons + reading = win.

For audio guides, I recommend using something like Pimsleur's Speak and Understand Japanese (3 levels that I know of, 30 audio tracks each level, approximately 30 minutes per track). It sets a relatively fast pace, and contains a lot of material - everything from asking directions to having idle conversation about the weather. It also includes notes on grammar and tense, variations on specific words and phrases, as well as some information about Japanese mannerisms and customs.

For reading, most bookstores and libraries have at least one self-study book on Japanese. I use ''Teach Yourself Beginner's Japanese'' and ''Master The Basics: Japanese'' (both very old editions, may no longer be in print).

There are also numerous guides online. Here's one on verbs (plus more throughout that site):

I've been using Rosetta Stone for a few months now. I haven't been as diligent at as I should be, because, just as you said - it's bothersome without direct translation. It provides no explanations whatsoever. Mind you, I haven't read all the PDF's it came with, so that's not the final word on the system.

On that note, you have to read along with watching and listening, and you have to study the parts of the language. This not only reinforces the learning process, but helps you form real-world, meaningful and applicable phrases like, ''Sashimi o tabetai un desu ga,'' (I would like to eat Sashimi) as opposed to generic statements like, ''The girl is eating.''

I find the pace of Rosetta to be quite slow. The sentences you are made to form do get more complex further into the system, but it can be a long and boring process.by Forest03 (guest)rate this post as useful

Thank you, plus more ?'s2010/7/24 02:48 Thank you frippscratch and forest 3, its nice knowing someone is going through the slow process of RS.

frippscratch- Ill look up the Japanese present progressive ASAP. and thanks for the reference. and I agree the ''writing lessons'' are kinda pointless. I printed some sheets that have hiragana characters and directions for stroke order, so I can practice that by hand.

forest- I am reading the link you gave me, trying to understand more about the te form. I cant really figure out what the use of it is. I feel like RS is a great way to learn simple indirect japanese but I know it is not the method to deeply learn and understand the language.

I dont feel I know enough to read any japanese or audio tapes. WHat should I do to increase my vocabulary, knowledge of grammar structure, and conjugation of the tenses?

I'm going to use both the information you have listed to fill in the gaps of RS. but RS seems to be my main source of information. also I've been looking into the japanese language school in japan. good idea? cause like everyone else on this sight, I want to go to and someday live in Japan.by Pierce Carterrate this post as useful

Self-study materials2010/7/24 06:56 On an important note, you have to determine whether you are a visual, literal, or aural learner - or some combination of the three, and figure out which method of learning is the most efficient for you. So, if you like visuals but find Rosetta stone frustrating, then I suggest getting a set of flash cards in either paper or digital form. There are numerous packs with varying difficulty across many websites, commercial and educational. You can also choose your curriculum in Rosetta, so you may focus on just listening and speaking.

Ultimately, Rosetta is visual learning tool, as well as a speech and pronounciation guide. Now, as someone who prefers visuals and text, I believe that for anyone who wants to learn a new language, reading is as important as vocalizing and listening.

Here are the tools that I found most helpful (in no particular order):

1) Subtitled anime

Yep, I'm an anime fan. I watched a lot of it for many years (still do), and now I run a review blog of Japanese animation and music.

2) Japanese Language Proficiency Test aka JLPT, Levels N5 through N1

You can find audio tracks and texts for purchase online (very cheap, usually $10 or less per level), including www.jbox.com. Some educational websites may even have them for free.

Don't be fooled by the title! Levels N5 and N4 have very basic audio tracks. You listen to a man and a woman throw words at you for several minutes at a time, often in alphabetical order, a Japanese word followed by its English counterpart. Levels N3 through N1 are more advanced and include reading and writing Kanji.

3) Self-teaching books

I found the book I started with, and Amazon still sells it, so most bookstores and libraries probably carry it as well.

-Yourself-Beginners-Japanese-Publishing/dp/...

Nearly a decade before I even heard of Rosetta Stone, I purchased that book just to give myself at least some knowledge of Japanese. It starts with the basics, greetings, common words and phrases, etc. It didn't quite keep me from having to read subtitles, but it helped me learn a bit of the language.

4) Websites

The link I posted earlier has a chart of verb conjugation for the 3 most common forms. You'll notice right away that Level 1 of Rosetta uses the present tense exclusively. Use those verb charts to figure out what the types of root words are. It will help a lot when you move on to past and future tense.

Eg.

- tabeteimasu = eats, eating

- tabemashita = ate, was eating

- tabemashite = been eating

- taberu = to eat (root word)

5) Pimsleur

This is a relatively old language learning system. The set I found was recorded in the 90's. There is a slight advantage to this in that the phrasing is more formal and polite. I also have a Lonely Planet phrase book and audio guide, and while the vocabulary is fine, the phrasing and grammar is quite informal, often very casual. On that note, most of the questions in Rosetta are in casual form - not rude, just plain. It's good to know more than one way to say something, especially in Japanese.

For instance: (just an example, not taken from Rosetta).

A. Ano, ginko wa doko desu ka? - Um, where is the bank?

B. Sumimasen. Ginko wa sagashiteiru 'ndesu ga. - Excuse me, I'm looking for the bank.

You know, that sort of thing.

Anyways. This post is long enough as it is. I hope this helps. Good luck and have fun!by Forest03 (guest)rate this post as useful

Footnote about "un desu ga"2010/7/24 07:19 ps. "... un desu ga" (yes, ga, not ka) is a polite form, and often implies a request. I don't remember ever seeing this in Rosetta, though I haven't even finished level2 yet; and even if there are levels 4 and 5 for the Japanese series, I'm not spending anymore at this time :p

There are even more polite and formal ways to ask for something, but they're rarely used except by those in the service industry. In any case, it's a good way of asking for something indirectly, especially when approaching strangers.by Forest03 (guest)rate this post as useful

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