The NYT is talking about requiring payment for their online version soon. They'll have to do better than things like this mediocre article. They mention Rosetta Stone very prominently, with no mention of competitor Pimsleur. The piece starts with a description of a foreign woman speaking perfect American English, right down to the accent; the intrepid journalist discovers that she reached this level by studying the language on her own for two years with Rosetta Stone. In my long, long experience, this just does not happen. It takes a lot more, and practically no one who learns a foreign language as an adult will ever be a native-level speaker, especially where the accent is concerned.
At any rate, take a look, you might get some ideas.
