Rosetta Stone is the most recognizable brand when it comes to learning languages, but does that mean it's the best? 

The answer to that question will differ widely based on which language you're learning. In this article we'll look at some of the unique features of the Hebrew language, and how well (or not) Rosetta Stone teaches it. 

For a more in-depth look at the Rosetta Stone method itself you can check out our Ultimate Rosetta Stone review.   

Is Rosetta Stone Hebrew right for you?

Yes if you're a beginner

If you're new to Hebrew with little or no experience in the language then Rosetta Stone may be an option for you. Their method caters specifically to new language learners. 

Yes if you're a casual learner

If you want to take a gradual approach to the language then Rosetta Stone is also a great fit. The course tries its hardest to ease you into the language bit by bit. Some don't like this slow paced style, but if you're the slow and steady type this course could be a good fit. 

No if you're lower intermediate or higher

The effectiveness of Rosetta Stone courses typically drop off after you pass the low intermediate level of proficiency in the language. This is mainly because the courses are designed for beginners. 

No if you like a more intense approach

If you've learned a foreign language before and or you simply want to dive head first into Hebrew, then Rosetta Stone probably isn't your cup of tea. You may find the pacing of the course to be at best slow and at worst boring. 

No if you want to learn Biblical Hebrew

Rosetta Stone only offers a Modern Hebrew course, they do not offer a course for Biblical Hebrew. Though the languages are obviously related, those who learn Modern Hebrew will learn the language as it is spoken today in Israel. Those who learn Biblical Hebrew learn and interpret the written language as it was used in the biblical texts.  

Pros

Rosetta Stone Hebrew does a  decent job of teaching basic vocabulary and very basic grammar. Their method works in such a way that when you understand what is taught it sticks with you. 

One advantage of learning Modern Hebrew is that when you start constructing basic sentences, the word order is the same as English: Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).

This isn't the case with many other languages. Because of this similar word order Rosetta Stone's no translation method works well with simple phrases, as it's not hard to surmise what's being talked about. 

A brief intro to some of the basics of Hebrew grammar, including word order

It's not ideal for learning the Hebrew Script

New Hebrew learners often struggle with reading written Hebrew, as its writing system is much different than that of English. A different alphabet, vowels that are implied but not written, and the fact that you read from right to left all contribute to the difficulty of the written language.

More info on the Hebrew writing system

The Rosetta courses typically gloss over writing systems. They work better with languages that use a Latin based alphabet similar to English, but they struggle to adequately teach writing systems that are further removed. Their courses have always emphasized repeating spoken vocabulary over being able to interpret texts.  

Learning explicit grammar is good for Hebrew

There are always differing opinions as what way is best to learn a language. Some choose a hard focus on grammar, while others lead off with relevant vocabulary and put of grammar until later.

Another benefit of learning Hebrew is that it is a Semitic language. Languages in this family are especially logical and their grammar follows a predictable system of patters and rules. The difference is hard to get used to at first, but once you get a handle on how the language works it's easier to make leaps in your learning. 

I think Rosetta Stone does Hebrew learners a disservice by not teaching any explicit grammar. It's hard to pick up rules and patterns (especially in more complicated sentences) if you don't actually know what they are. 

Sure Rosetta Stone gives you room to infer new words and the way they're used, but this gets increasingly more difficult to do the further you progress in the language. 

Rosetta Stone Hebrew has value if you're a beginner and want to ease into the basic vocabulary and grammar of the language. More advanced students will find the course less helpful. 

The course does well with low level Hebrew but once you get into more advance materials it's hard to work through the language efficiently with no translations. 

Rosetta Stone doesn't pay much attention to the Hebrew script, and because of their no translation policy you're likely to miss out on the benefits of learning such a logical language. 

Immersion is undoubtedly the best way to learn the Hebrew language. 

Immersion is extremely effective and efficient for learning a foreign language. No other method or language course can quite compare. Now it's important to point out that living in Israel will not magically make you fluent. You will have to take full advantage of the opportunity immersion provides to benefit from it.

For those who do, there awaits a crash course in the Hebrew language in which your skills grow both wider and deeper. 

But immersion isn't all sunshine and rainbows. For the majority of us, getting up and leaving for Israel isn't the most practical or affordable option for learning Hebrew.  Does that mean the rest of us who want to learn hebrew are stuck in the mud?

No!

It's completely possible to design your own Hebrew learning program without ever having to step off a plane in Tel Aviv. While it wasn't true a decade or two ago, there are now a plethora of resources and opportunities for learning Hebrew (this is largely due to the internet). 

Polyglot Benny Lewis shares his thoughts on immersion without traveling. You can check out more about his method for learning languages here.

Even though there are a bunch of resources out there, which ones are best for you will depend on your skill level and reasons for learning the language, not to mention other factors like your budget or time constraints. 

In this article we'll do our best to recommend the right resources for each level of Hebrew learning, and provide you with the information you need to make the choice that's right for you. 

But first...

We'll need to talk a bit about inputs and outputs. 

There are four aspects of language learning: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. 

Of these four options two are inputs: reading and writing; and two are outputs: writing and speaking. You will need to develop all four skills to become fluent in Hebrew.

But you'll need a different amount of practice for each depending on your level in the language.

At first, as a beginner, you're going to want to work with a lot on inputs. After all it's pretty hard to write or speak Hebrew if you don't know any words or phrases.

This doesn't mean that you neglect outputs at this level. They play a smaller role here then they will in the future. 

Hebrew doesn't have the amount of courses and tools that more popular languages have like Spanish or even Japanese. Still as a beginner you will be able to find some notable options. 

The important thing at this level is that you're learning the basics of grammar and vocabulary.   

At the intermediate level you should have some Hebrew words and phrases under your belt. This is where you should start to practice outputs a little more in order to help cement the material you're learning, and to start developing your communication skills.

You should also up the difficulty level of you reading and listening activities. You want to always to be just outside of your comfort zone. There's a sort of sweet spot when the use of the language isn't overwhelming but still challenging. 

 As in an intermediate learner you'll likely encounter plateau periods, where you put in the work but can't see the results (yet). To some extent this phenomena is unavoidable, but you can guard yourself against plateaus by spending more time with Hebrew inputs than you do outputs. 

While your level of Hebrew probably isn't high enough to jump blindly into a conversation with just any native speaker,  taking a lesson or two a week with a profession Hebrew teacher is a great way to strike the needed balance between inputs and outputs. 

A teacher will notice the areas you need to improve on while giving you the guidance to learn and practice new material. Depending on where you live it could be hard to find a local Hebrew teacher, but there are some great online options that work just as well.

The advance level is where Hebrew learning really starts to get fun. By now you should have a solid foundation in the language and be able to use it in normal conversations. 

Learning at this level is more about refinement than it is about discovery. Try speaking with any native speakers you can find (online language exchanges are great for this). 

Now you can take off your Hebrew training wheels and practice the language any way you see fit. Just remember to always look for some type of feedback (especially from native speakers). Without accurate feedback you'll be treading water instead of increasing your proficiency. 

An occasional lesson with a professional teacher can also be a great asset at the advance level. They can help you tackle the finer nuances of the language like idioms or slang, and just like at the intermediate level, they can help you strengthen your weaknesses. 

Don't let anyone fool you into thinking there's only one way to learn Hebrew. The truth is that the best way for you to learn why not be the best for another person. It all depends on your individual needs and level in the language. 

But also remember that more important than any course, is a love for the language. Don't get so caught up trying to find the right courses and tools that you miss out on enjoying the language for its own sake. Learning a foreign language should never be anything less than an adventure!

Note: This article is specifically about Pimsleur’s Modern Hebrew courses. Here we discuss the unique features of these courses and how they relate to someone learning the Modern Hebrew Language.

We don’t cover the usual strengths and weakness common to all of Pimsleur’s language courses. You can find that information in our full Pimsleur review.

Summary of Pimsleur Method

(all languages)

Great courses are hard to come by for anyone learning Modern Hebrew. Compared to more popular languages like Spanish, French, and Japanese; Modern Hebrew doesn’t get much of a spotlight in the language learning world.

That’s what makes Pimsleur’s Hebrew courses really stand out from the pack. They are one of the few solid audio course options for anyone serious about speaking Modern Hebrew.

Pimsleur Hebrew shares all the usual pros and cons common to all the Pimsleur courses, but here we’re going to talk about how well the Pimsleur method works for the Modern Hebrew language.

The Hebrew sounds het, ayin, and resh

This method will help you to hear and say the more difficult sounds of the Hebrew language. Pimsleur is one of the only Hebrew audio courses that allows you to do this.

Cons

Only 3 levels

The biggest shortcoming of Pimsleur Hebrew is that there aren’t enough courses! Pimsleur only provides 3 levels for their Hebrew courses.

Other, more popular, languages have up to 5 levels and help you reach an upper intermediate level in speaking ability. But since there are less levels in Hebrew you’re probably going to be closer to an upper beginner by the end of all 3 courses.

Is Hebrewpod101 right for you?

Advanced Hebrew students will find a lack of more difficult lessons, but beginners and intermediates have a lot of podcasts to choose from. For whatever reason the focus of Hebrewpod101 seems to be toward the low and mid levels of Hebrew students.

If you want to practice understanding native speakers or maybe work on your accent then Hebrewpod101 can be a useful tool. Each podcast episode is organized around a scripted conversation between two native speakers. By using the slow playback feature and lesson scripts they can be a powerful tool for listening to spoken Hebrew.

The lessons are also good for learning grammar and vocabulary. The hosts of the lessons do a decent job of sharing important content without being boring or dry.

You can get Hebrewpod101 on your phone through the site’s app, making it a great choice if you want to practice your Hebrew on mobile. The app is available for Android, Iphone, and Ipad.

Features​

Podcast episodes

Each podcast episode is introduced by two hosts who introduce and breakdown each lesson. At the core of each lesson is a Hebrew dialogue that usually illustrates a particular point of grammar, culture, or maybe just a useful Hebrew phrase. Episodes are typically between 5 and 15 minutes long.  

Lifelike situations

The Hebrew conversations are written to take place in real life situations. This keeps the grammar and vocabulary interesting and useful. This way you’re more likely to learn Hebrew that you could use if you met another Hebrew speaker in the real world.

Episodes feel like a Podcast not a course

The podcast episodes feel more personal than your standard input/output Hebrew audio course. The hosts usually do a good job keeping you engaged by bantering back and forth and sharing facts or tips relevant to the lesson.

​Tools & Resources

Hebrewpod101 supplies a bundle of add on materials to help you study Hebrew. These bonus features include phrase lists, pronunciation helps, grammar charts, and a dictionary.

A lot of these features are generic and can be found on other free Hebrew learning sites, but there are 3 others that can be quite useful: the flashcards, playback, and transcript features. Regrettably, you only get access to these if you pay for the premium or premium plus subscriptions. 

Flashcards

Similar to Anki or Memrise, Hebrewpod101’s flashcards run on a Spaced Repetition System, and are easy to make. You simply pick any word from an episode and Hebrewpod101 will create a card for it and put it in your deck. This can be a nice time saver when compared to making flashcards in other apps.

Playback

In Hebrewpod101 you can pick any word from a dialogue and play it back at either slow or normal speed. Needless to say this will a big help if you have trouble pronouncing or understanding spoken Hebrew. Playing a word back slower allows you notice the intricacies of a native accent.

Transcriptions

The site also has full transcription of their podcast episodes. Using the transcripts you can read along to the Hebrew conversations or read transcripts as a review. 

Price

Subscription choices​

For a monthly subscription to Hebrewpod101 there are 3 options: basic, premium, and premium plus. You also have the option to buy multiple months upfront. The more months you purchase at once the less you’ll be charged per month.

If you purchase the basic level you will get the podcast lessons. A single month will cost $8. The monthly rate will be lowest ($4) if you buy 24 months. 

Should you buy the premium level you’ll receive the podcast and all the tools and resources (most valuable probably being the transcripts). A single month here will run you $25. You’ll pay $10 per month at 24 months.

​The premium plus level is the most costly and is $47 for one month ($22.88 a month for 24 months). The premium level comes with the podcasts, tools and resources, and pointers and help from a Hebrew teacher. 

Which is the best value?

The basic subscription, hands down. In reality you won’t need more than the podcast episodes to practice or improve your Hebrew. The premium subscription is next on the list. The added tools are great if you are sure that you’ll use them.

To me the lesson transcripts make it a tempting offer. At the bottom of the list is the premium plus subscription. The price is just too questionable considering what you’re getting. I’d rather pay for the basic subscription and then book a Hebrew lesson (maybe two) on Italki before paying for the premium plus level.

The Cons of using Hebrewpod101

Lack of advance episodes

Hebrewpod101 has significantly more beginner and intermediate lessons than it does advanced. Though there are some advanced episodes on the site, it would be great if they updated it with more. 

Lack of speaking practice

Because it’s purely audio based Hebrewpod101 can’t help you practice your spoken Hebrew, other than maybe in your pronunciation. The site can be an effective tool but remember that if you do decide to use it you’ll still need to set aside time to practice using Hebrew with other people.

Lack of community

Hebrewpod101 would benefit greatly by add some way to connect their community of Hebrew learners. A language exchange, blog, discussion board...something.

Best way to use Hebrewpod101​

Study & review

Hebrewpod101 is great when you use it in addition to a Hebrew course or lessons with a Hebrew teacher. Listening to at least an episode each day will help you remember the Hebrew you’ve learned elsewhere and it will expose you to new words and phrases you haven’t yet encountered.

The in site flashcards can also be a good if you spend a few minutes after each episode making and reviewing your deck. 

Listening & pronunciation​

If you take each Hebrew word from an episode, or maybe just the ones you have trouble with, you can play them back slowly and try to mimic the sounds you here.

 This is a simple yet effective way to help you better understand spoken Hebrew. Also try listening to the dialogues with and without the lesson transcripts to help strengthen your listening skills. 

Milk your time for all its worth

Because it's a podcast you can listen to Hebrewpod101 anytime and pretty much anywhere. You take short moments of 10 or 15 minutes from each day and use them to practice Hebrew. Every little bit will help further your fluency in the Hebrew language. ​

Conclusion

With an affordable basic monthly subscription and an effective lesson format Hebrewpod101 is a valuable Hebrew learning resource.

 While it doesn’t provide enough direction and structure to be considered a true course or class, it can help you a lot with vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar. Just remember to practice with native speakers to develop your speaking skills. 

Hebrewpod101 has a one week free trial offer (you don’t need a credit card). Give it a shot for yourself and tell us what you think!