Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Rosetta Stone hates Finns

So i've been hearing things about this amazing program called Rosetta Stone that's a language teacher thingy. Everyone, when i say i'm trying to learn Finnish, says, "Dude, you got to get Rosetta Stone! It's so good!" So i decided to investigate. And by investigate i mean download illegally. Well, the tables turned on me when i found out they don't offer Rosetta Stone in Finnish....

At first i thought, "Well, that's understandable. Finnish is kind of an obscure language." But then i found the languages they do offer. Along with the major ones, they have Welsh, Pashto, and Tagalog!??!?!?! Are you serious?!?! (Although, Welsh would be cool.) The Finns have been shafted... Well, people who want to be Finns are being shafted i should say. I'm content with my Teach Yourself Finnish book and CD's, but i still thought that was screwed up.

On a side note, i named my new iPod (that i got for free when i purchased my new MacBook) "Anteeksi, en ymmärrä" which means "Sorry, I don't understand" which i find HILARIOUS.

On an additional side note, Saila's dad is mailing me a DVD of this years Eurovision, which is so sweet, i almost cried. I love the Savolainens!

24 comments:

edee said...

oh my gosh thats sad because i was just looking for rosetta stone in finn. because im doing an exchange program in 09 and i need to learn finn.!!!! so hey what did you say you used? cuz i need to learn it

Unknown said...

OH I'M SO ANGRY! Swahili? Irish? The Irish barely even speak Irish! Pffft. Perkele

Anonymous said...

hell yeah dude. I just came back from a month long backpacking trip through Scandinavia... I used to be all into sweden. I even got the rosetta stone for Swedish. But behold the crappiness of Swedish in the face of Finnish. Goddamn its just so robust and awesome. Every Finn I've ever met was nothing short of kick ass/nicest person I've ever met. We oughta send rosetta stone some paskat voileivät :)

Unknown said...

Hey thanks, i found your blog while searching for a finnish language course. The TYF book & Cds are better than the other things seen.

Anyway i emailed Rosetta Stone, simply "Do you plan on making a finnish course?"

and got this:
Thank you for your message. While we are constantly working to expand our library of languages, this process is based largely on demand and we do not have specific information available as far as release dates or which levels/languages will be added next.
As you have noticed, Finnish is not currently available at Rosetta Stone, but we will consider your inquiry as a request. We carefully tally language requests, and they do help shape our development priorities. Again, thank you for your interest. Please revisit our website periodically for any future release information.

So shoot an email to them and tell a friend

Suslin said...

Wow... I want to learn Finnish, too. I also have the "teach yourself Finnish" book which I found very unhelpful. Oh well. However, "from start to finnish" is pretty good.

vbyenny said...

Im also trying to learn Finnish! and here in the US theres only like 6 universities that teach it and none near me go figure. so i guess its self teach books and cds for me does anyone have any suggestions?
o and i sent a request to rosetta stone...hopefully theyll come out with it soon..doubt it!

Unknown said...

For what it's worth, they also don't carry Norwegian, in spite of having both Danish and Swedish.

I think it's also funny that they've produced 2 separate versions each for both Spanish and English, but there's no European Portuguese edition.

Bon's Bits, Bites, and Blurbs said...

Has anyone tried or heard of....http://www.byki.com/fls/FLS_GFIN1.html?l=finnish ???
supposedly FREE

Please let me know....I too want to learn Finnish, as my sweetie lives there.

Bon's Bits, Bites, and Blurbs said...

Has anyone tried or heard of....http://www.byki.com/fls/FLS_GFIN1.html?l=finnish ???
supposedly FREE

Please let me know....I too want to learn Finnish, as my sweetie lives there.

Bon's Bits, Bites, and Blurbs said...

Has anyone tried or heard of....http://www.byki.com/fls/FLS_GFIN1.html?l=finnish ???
supposedly FREE

Please let me know....I too want to learn Finnish, as my sweetie lives there.

FinnishDude16 said...

Mitä Vittua?! That sucks yeah Im trying to become fluent in Finnish cause out of High School I plan to take a trip there looking for work and settling there. Just keep sending demands maybe they will crack! :-)

Unknown said...

Still noting from Rosetta Stone...grr, best I've found is http://www.kidsplaylanguages.com. At least I can pop into the language department in the Stockmann's bookshop in Helsinki this summer and pick up some language books.

Unknown said...

That is because Rosetta Stone people must be Swedish!

Unknown said...

Mailled Rosetta Stone again, still no plans for a Finnish version :(

Unknown said...

Well, BYKI finnish is really cool, it works for me, and they let users upload custom lists which means other people can make lists eliminating the need to by byki deluxe... and i'm gonna learn byki swedish just so i will have a backup for me if finnish doesen't work.

Anonymous said...

Rosetta stone has Japanese but when I wanted to make a request for finnish they did not have Japan on Address aplication so I could not post it however I am for putting Finnish on the worlds most pleasant language to listen to but so difficult to learn like Suslin I too learning finnish

Puhu suomea

Pidän suomea kirjoittamisesta ja lukemisesta ja Radio puhu kuuntellemisesta

Terveisiä kaikille :)! Olkaa hyvä Haluaisin Radio puhu Snow leopardiin käyttöjärjestelmä välityksellä kuuntellemisesta

I have a group on Fiinish Community Suomen kieli kirjoittan Just for Finnish writing only so Terviesiä kaikille

Camilla said...

Well, I'm half finnish and half swedish and I don't think it's because the Rosetta Stone - people are swedish (which they of course isn't, they're brittish..) :) In fact it is over all very hard to find dictionnaries and language courses in finnish.

But I have an free online alternative for you that has helped me in learning finnish:

http://donnerwetter.kielikeskus.helsinki.fi/FinnishForForeigners/parts-index.htm

Anonymous said...

Entä sitten emme halua Rosetta stone

Lexi said...

If you live in an area that has a significant Finnish population they often have language classes through a formal or informal Suomikoulu (Finnish School). You might check with local chapters of the Finlandia Foundation.

I'm lucky enough to go to the University of Washington in Seattle, where I am the University's second-ever Finnish major. Teaching myself was too hard.

Hyvä onnea, ja jos sinä haluaisit suomenkielen "kirje-ystävä" minun sähköpostiosoite on lexophilia@gmail.com.

ironman said...

BS"D

Rosetta Stone surely DOESN'T hat Finns. Even so. MANY of us (Rosetta Stone fans) would LOVE Rosetta much more if it gave us FINNISH. I'm a Catalan currently learning Finnish with TALK NOW and TEACH ME and dreaming of a ROSETTA STONE FINNISH

Pepe

Max Kalkman Photography said...

I was just looking for Finnish myself and google steered me to this entry. Thanks...I guess. At least I'm not searching any longer. Any good recommendations on other books/programs/anything really for learning Finnish?

For such a beautiful language to be so damn hard to even find an opportunity to learn is just wrong.

Anonymous said...

i need to learn finnish... im going to a concert in a month or two and im stayig in Helsinki for 1month...this sucks

Crystal said...

I have used BYKI in several languages and it works quite well considering there is no other real option for learning Suomi :( Which I am also disappointed in Rosetta Stone not having that as an option.

Unknown said...

For those of you who want to request Finnish to be in Rosetta Stone, use this: http://www.rosettastone.com/form/language-request