As schools seek new ways to engage GCSE pupils in foreign language learning, many increasingly look to technology to provide them with their “unique selling point”. The Rosetta Stone programs could be a painless solution by allowing schools to provide many more languages in a busy curriculum.
Available in 29 different languages, this multimedia package offers learners the chance to work through a series of lessons and units in all four skill areas.
The Rosetta Stone Language Library claims to teach new languages naturally from the very beginning, due to its immersion approach. When pupils log on use the program they'll find a non-traditional approach to language learning instead, in lesson 1 of Unit 1, they're confronted by four pictures and asked to click the right picture for the phrase heard.
So far, so good. I managed to get full marks on Dutch using only my knowledge of German and some common sense. Greek threw me though. I had to resort to the “preview” button during the exercise.
It's true that being alone with your computer screen and mouse does make you more willing to ask for help – there’s certainly no shame in clicking on a help button – and so pupils may appreciate the anonymity of working with a computer. However, it did pain me to see the program introducing prepositions in German in that first lesson with no real explanation. I would have preferred some grammar notes and time to digest the rule before moving on. However, that’s not the Rosetta Stone philosophy and it would appear that, even without understanding why you choose the correct answer over the incorrect one, you do succeed.
To give Rosetta Stone its full credit, the four skill areas are covered. Speaking, often neglected in computer programs, is done professionally and you can easily compare your recording to the perfect native speaker. Writing, too, is not forgotten – there's a nice mix of activities, including drag-and-drop, before you type yourself.
There are a number of reasons why you may want to consider Rosetta Stone, and not least for its wide range of languages which schools may otherwise be unable to teach. The program is professional, the activities are excellent, pupils’ progress can be tracked and there are good support materials Whether you could let your GCSE pupils rely on the program entirely would be a school issue, but it is certainly a resource that deserves further investigation.
Details
1-5 users - £147.22 per person/language
6-9 users - £122.22 per person/language
10-49 users - £97.22 per person/language
50+ users - £80 per person/language
Network Version
Minimum annual licence per language £700 for 20 users; additional users (21+) an extra £35 per annum/per language.
Rosetta Stone titles are available through Ramesys
