Portuguese!

Some things that are great blessings in our lives can also be great trials. We got the computer program Rosetta Stone in Portuguese. A lot of good things have been said about this program for learning a new language. I have to agree, I think it is a great program but it does come with a little bit of frustration.

Here is how it works. It gives you a word and a picture and repeats that and then says the word again and you match it to another picture. Then they start using it in everyday circumstances. It has a core lesson where you are introduced to the vocabulary for that lesson and how it is used, using pictures to help you figure out what is going on. Once you finish the core lesson you then go through vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening, writing and speaking (pronunciation). It is the speaking part that is so frustrating. It is not the saying and repeating things that bothers me. It is the speech recognition program that is used that gets me soooooooo frustrated.

The first unit and its four lessons were fine; even the second unit was not too bad but by unit three and four I was getting very frustrated. I wanted to throw the computer across the room. I even yelled at it a couple of times. What was it that made it so frustrating you ask? It does not like the way I say "Por favor" or "Porque". I can really mess up on other words and it will accept them but these two it just will not accept. I don't know why, because I do try to say it exactly as I hear it from the people in the program. I must either say the "r" too hard (like an American) or I roll it too much (like the Spanish). Whatever it is I am doing "it" keeps beeping me with an annoying "honk". After about 12 tries it will accept it but by that time I have forgotten the rest of the sentence and I have to start over. There is no pause button or go back button.

I have now finished level 1 and will have a week and a half to just review everything with Paul and get it in my mind better. I know about 300 words and I can understand some things Paul says to me. I am just a little slow formulating a sentence in my mind. He tells me it will come. I hope so.

Tchau