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_VERSION_2_copy.jpg "The software uses a technique it calls 'dynamic immersion' in which words, and the relationships among them, are introduced through photo cue cards. (Jan Jekielek/The Epoch Times)")
Rosetta Stone language-learning software has long been established among the industry’s stalwarts, publishing virtual lessons in 31 languages. Their system must work, if the company’s impressive list of users, including the U.S. military and the State Department, is any indication. Rosetta Stone Inc. went public and opened its first retail store in April 2009, which piqued our interest in the product.
Eager to begin my lesson, I found an online version of the software at www.rosettastone.com. As I recently joined the wave of North Americans who are starting to learn Mandarin, this was the obvious choice for testing. A six month online subscription was priced at $200, a hefty sum, but compared to live language lessons (and the three-level CD box set which weighs in at $549) it seemed to be a bargain—if it works. Let’s see how the software stacks up.
After a few clicks, a single flash-based window opens, governing the totality of your language-learning experience. The page has a clean design, with large, high-quality photos and associated text. A convenient button at the bottom instantly toggles between three text options: Traditional Chinese, pinyin Romanization, and both at once. A friendly voice speaks a phrase, text appears, and you’re expected to click on the corresponding image. A large checkmark or “x” tells you if you are right or wrong in your choice. This method forms the essence of the Rosetta Stone teaching strategy.
Some years ago my wife, who spent several years teaching English in a Japanese classroom, taught me an innovative language-teaching method. Avoiding the use of students’s native language, a highly animated facilitator would display familiar items, and mime out corresponding actions. Think of someone displaying a fork, saying the corresponding Japanese word, then miming “eating” enthusiastically, and then saying the second word in addition to the first. No English was used, but the meaning was obvious. Within the course of several hours students would start picking up basic words and concepts, leading to a sense of success and elation that would leave the student eager to continue.
Rosetta Stone replicates this highly successful teaching method on your desktop, with an added twist: It challenges the student using puzzles in which the identities of words are not just shown to you, but also determined via what Rosetta calls your “intuition” (initial process of elimination, with other twists coming later on in the lessons). For those that enjoy logic puzzles, crosswords, or the like, Rosetta Stone will be a natural fit.
Rosetta Stone calls its technique “dynamic immersion” and indeed, the experience is remarkably immersive. During the first hour of use I found myself learning several basic words, simply by following along with the photo cue cards. Over the first several hours I found I had built a basic vocabulary—very impressive. Successfully learning several words and the relationships among them at the same time was very motivating; I found myself keen to continue with the lessons until completion. While nothing can replace genuine interaction with a native speaker, Rosetta Stone software quickly teaches you to speak basic Mandarin—with retention several days later.
Now on the down side, one of the features touted by the Rosetta PR materials is the speech recognition component of the software. As part of the lesson progress, when you speak into the microphone, the program should be able to assess whether you are pronouncing the phrases you are learning correctly. This worked at a mediocre level—at best—using a built-in MacBook microphone. For those that might question my own ability to assess pronunciation, I’m generally known to be able to parrot sounds effectively, so here I will have to assume that it’s the software that’s failing. Fixing this element would perfect this learning method.
On the technical side, logging in was relatively painless, but I soon found that on a MacBook running Leopard, I was missing a speech services plug-in. Downloading took a bit of time, and installation took a few steps that could be confusing to a computer neophyte. During post plug-in installation, in its first run, the language-learning site locked up five minutes into loading using Firefox 3. Subsequent logins, however, loaded lessons quickly. Restarting the computer midsession was not a problem; the software allowed me to restart or continue exactly where I left off. The software ran lightning-fast and seamlessly using Safari 4.
On a side note, in its ever-present images, Rosetta presents a balanced selection of people of various races, creeds, and nationalities contributing to a genuinely international experience. Kudos for that! All in all, Rosetta Stone is an engaging, attractive and highly effective piece of software that definitely has me hooked. Expect a follow-up review a few months down the line. I expect to write part of it in Mandarin.
Scorecard:
Effectiveness: A+
Interface: A
Usability: A
Installation: B-
Speech recognition: C-
Eager to begin my lesson, I found an online version of the software at www.rosettastone.com. As I recently joined the wave of North Americans who are starting to learn Mandarin, this was the obvious choice for testing. A six month online subscription was priced at $200, a hefty sum, but compared to live language lessons (and the three-level CD box set which weighs in at $549) it seemed to be a bargain—if it works. Let’s see how the software stacks up.
After a few clicks, a single flash-based window opens, governing the totality of your language-learning experience. The page has a clean design, with large, high-quality photos and associated text. A convenient button at the bottom instantly toggles between three text options: Traditional Chinese, pinyin Romanization, and both at once. A friendly voice speaks a phrase, text appears, and you’re expected to click on the corresponding image. A large checkmark or “x” tells you if you are right or wrong in your choice. This method forms the essence of the Rosetta Stone teaching strategy.
Some years ago my wife, who spent several years teaching English in a Japanese classroom, taught me an innovative language-teaching method. Avoiding the use of students’s native language, a highly animated facilitator would display familiar items, and mime out corresponding actions. Think of someone displaying a fork, saying the corresponding Japanese word, then miming “eating” enthusiastically, and then saying the second word in addition to the first. No English was used, but the meaning was obvious. Within the course of several hours students would start picking up basic words and concepts, leading to a sense of success and elation that would leave the student eager to continue.
Rosetta Stone replicates this highly successful teaching method on your desktop, with an added twist: It challenges the student using puzzles in which the identities of words are not just shown to you, but also determined via what Rosetta calls your “intuition” (initial process of elimination, with other twists coming later on in the lessons). For those that enjoy logic puzzles, crosswords, or the like, Rosetta Stone will be a natural fit.
Rosetta Stone calls its technique “dynamic immersion” and indeed, the experience is remarkably immersive. During the first hour of use I found myself learning several basic words, simply by following along with the photo cue cards. Over the first several hours I found I had built a basic vocabulary—very impressive. Successfully learning several words and the relationships among them at the same time was very motivating; I found myself keen to continue with the lessons until completion. While nothing can replace genuine interaction with a native speaker, Rosetta Stone software quickly teaches you to speak basic Mandarin—with retention several days later.
Now on the down side, one of the features touted by the Rosetta PR materials is the speech recognition component of the software. As part of the lesson progress, when you speak into the microphone, the program should be able to assess whether you are pronouncing the phrases you are learning correctly. This worked at a mediocre level—at best—using a built-in MacBook microphone. For those that might question my own ability to assess pronunciation, I’m generally known to be able to parrot sounds effectively, so here I will have to assume that it’s the software that’s failing. Fixing this element would perfect this learning method.
On the technical side, logging in was relatively painless, but I soon found that on a MacBook running Leopard, I was missing a speech services plug-in. Downloading took a bit of time, and installation took a few steps that could be confusing to a computer neophyte. During post plug-in installation, in its first run, the language-learning site locked up five minutes into loading using Firefox 3. Subsequent logins, however, loaded lessons quickly. Restarting the computer midsession was not a problem; the software allowed me to restart or continue exactly where I left off. The software ran lightning-fast and seamlessly using Safari 4.
On a side note, in its ever-present images, Rosetta presents a balanced selection of people of various races, creeds, and nationalities contributing to a genuinely international experience. Kudos for that! All in all, Rosetta Stone is an engaging, attractive and highly effective piece of software that definitely has me hooked. Expect a follow-up review a few months down the line. I expect to write part of it in Mandarin.
Scorecard:
Effectiveness: A+
Interface: A
Usability: A
Installation: B-
Speech recognition: C-
