I was asked recently to preview and try out Rosetta Stone's online learning site to not only bolster my own foreign language proficiency but also to share the wealth to all of you, with my sage thoughts on this program.
I had heard of Rosetta Stone for some time with people that had used their audio books and other materials, but to be honest I had not used their materials in the past. While I have always had an interest in learning many foreign languages, life has always gotten in the way, and thus, I have tended to not have the chance to push myself academically in this direction.
Enter Rosetta Stone to the rescue! When I logged in for the first time, I was amazed at how easy the program was to enter and navigate around. I also was very happy to see the breadth of languages that they covered. With 31 languages that someone can cover, no one will be left behind and everyone can learn something new.
I chose to learn some Swedish (as my mother's side of the family comes from there). The lesson that I chose came in 3 levels. I started (of course) with Level 1. This series of sessions was broken down into 5 areas that you can start or stop as needed. Each Unit in the lesson is a different length and it walks you through the lesson quite easily. For lesson one, there was no voice recognition needed. As one moves forward though into more difficult lessons, voice recognition is turned on so that you can practice what you are listening to.
A great thing about the Rosetta Stone version 3 that I tried is that this learning can start with children as young as six. The computer-based program is set up similarly to a computer game and is completely interactive, immersive and voice-driven. Rosetta also has started a new learning series specifically for teenagers and up called TOTALe. This program uses the Rosetta Stone Version 3 program and offers online studio classes and interactive games, teens, techies, travel-istas and cooking connoisseurs alike will pick up key phrases quickly and instinctually.
I found the way that Rosetta Stone teaches to be very conducive to my own learning style. They immerse you in the language and through the use of repetition the program brings you along at your own pace. You can go as fast or as slow s you might wish.
I think this product is a great one to give as a educational gift this holiday season. I know that as my girls get older, I would love for them to have the ability to speak and understand multiple languages. This fun, interactive program could be just the ticket to open my girls' eyes to the world.
The featured product in this post was provided to me free of charge by Rosetta Stone. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.
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2 comments:
When I worked in the IT department at a community college in northwest Arkansas (high concentration of Hispanic people), I saw Rosetta Stone in use in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. As someone who took three semesters of Spanish in college, I was drawn to the program. It was so easy to use, and seemed to be helping the newly-arrived learn English. If it can help people learn English, it can help them learn anything!
Thanks Mark, I know that I am definitely learning with this, the biggest issue is finding the time to soak in this great information. I definitely can see the application in ESL programming with this, I hope that I can continue to soak in the information as quickly as many ESL students do!
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