Content uploaded by Snezana Kirova
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Snezana Kirova on Mar 11, 2017
Content may be subject to copyright.
TEHNOLOG IJA, IN FORMATIKA I OBRAZOVANJE
ZA DRUŠTVO UČENJA I ZNANJA
6. MeĎunarodni Simpozijum, Tehnički fakultet Čačak, 35. jun 2011.
TECHNO LO GY, INFO RM ATIC S A ND EDUC ATI ON
FOR LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY
6th International Symposium, Technical Faculty Čačak, 35th June 2011.
UDK: 004.4:37
Stručni rad
ROSETTA STONE SOFTWARE – AN INTERACTIVE
EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Snežana Kirova
1
Summary: One easily understandable reason for learning a foreign language is to be able
to communicate with the people who speak it. The act of learning a language other than
your native one shows respect for the culture of the language you are learning. This in turn
improves communication and makes understanding other cultures easier. At this time of
globalization, being multilingual is one of the most important special skills and an obvious
advantage when looking for a job.
Of course, there are a number of ways to learn foreign languages such as at school, at
home, online, attending courses or living in the country where a particular language is
spoken; this paper presents some of the features of the Rosetta Stone comprehensive
software for learning foreign languages. This is already being used by millions of learners
throughout the world (including the Peace Corps, the US State Department - NASA even
used it on the Mir Space Station).
It is available in more than 30 languages and it combines advanced interactive technology
with your intuition and natural ability to pick up a language, offering opportunities for
acquiring the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Key words: learning, foreign language, rosetta stone, software, comprehensive.
ROZETA STOUN – INTERAKTIVNA OBRAZOVNA ALATKA ZA
UČENJE STRANIH JEZIKA
Rezime: Jedan lako razumljiv razlog za učenje stranih jezika jeste da bi mogli da
komuniciramo sa ljudima koji taj jezik govore. Sam čin učenja nekog jezika koji ti nije
maternji pokazuje poštovanje prema kulturi jezika koji učimo. Ovo s druge strane
poboljšava komunikaciju i olakšava razumevanje drugih kultura. U ovo vreme
globalizacije, da se bude višejezičan je jedna od najvažnijih posebnih veština i očevidna
prednost kada se traži posao.
Svakako, postoji veliki broj načina za učenje stranih jezika, kao na primer u školi, kod kuće,
onlajn, posećivanjem kurseva ili živeći u zemlji gde se određeni jezik govori; ovaj rad
predstavlja neke crte Rozeta Stoun razumljivog softvera za učenje stranih jezika. Ovaj
1
Snežana Kirova, Philology faculty, Krste Misirkov bb, Shtip, E-mail: snezana.kirova@ugd.edu.mk
Tehnologija, informatika i obrazovanje, TIO 6
Snеžana Kirova
softver već koriste milioni učenika širom sveta (uključujući i Mirovne Snage, Stejt
Department SAD-a, NASA ga je čak koristila na svemirskoj stanici MIR).
Dostupan je na više od 30 jezika i kombinuje naprednu interaktivnu tehnologiju sa vašom
intuicijom i prirodnom sposobnošću za učenje jezika, pružanje mogućnosti za sticanje četiri
osnovne jezične veštine: slušanje, govorenje, čitanje i pisanje.
Ključne reči: učenje, strani jezik, rozeta stoun, softver, razumljiv.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Why do we learn foreign languages?
One easily understandable reason for learning a foreign language is to be able to
communicate with the people who speak it. The act of learning a language other than your
native one shows respect for the culture of the people whose language you are learning.
You can cope with a number of situations
When you have learnt a new language, you can move your business to another market and
sell whatever you produce. By speaking their language, you show respect to your business
partners. At this time of globalization, being multilingual is one of the most important
special skills and an obvious advantage when looking for a job as well.
There are a number of ways to learn foreign languages, such as at school, at home, online,
attending courses or living in the country where a particular language is spoken.
This paper presents some of the features of the Rosetta Stone comprehensive software for
learning foreign languages.
2. ROSETTA STONE LANGUAGE SOFTWARE
The Rosetta Stone, discovered in 1799 by French soldiers rebuilding Fort St. Julien 30
miles from Alexandria near a town named El-Rashid, a harbour on the Mediterranean coast,
is a famous ancient Egyptian artifact. The town of El-Rashid is traditionally known as
Rosetta, lending the Rosetta Stone its modern name.
Picture 1: The Rosetta Stone
188
Tehnologija, informatika i obrazovanje, TIO 6
Snеžana Kirova
It helped linguists unlock the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphics because it carries the same
text in 3 different languages - Egyptian hieroglyphic and Demotic scripts, along with
classical Greek.
The Rosetta Stone was carved during the Ptolemaic Era (325 BC to 30 BC) circa 196 BC,
and is dark blue, pinkish and grey in color. It is approximately 45 inches tall, by 29 inches
wide, almost a foot thick, and weighs more than a ton and a half. The Rosetta Stone
currently resides on public display in the British Museum in London as a result of the
French surrendering Egypt and its captured relics to the British in 1801.
2.2 How does it work?
It offers self-study learning solutions in 31 languages
This approach uses pictures and sounds in context, without translation; this method is
similar to the way children communicate when they are learning.
It teaches words and phrases by association-linking to a photograph, and the verbal
pronunciation makes it easy to figure out the meaning of the phrase.
With its online portability, you will find that it can enhance your language learning
experience anywhere
Rosetta Stone Language Learning Software uses the copyrighted Dynamic Immersion
Method. It is similar to the way a newborn child learns his or her first language.
It functions much the same way by using thousands of real life images to convey the
meaning of not only spoken but written words and phrases the same way.
The structure is sequenced, native speakers are used, it provides instantaneous
feedback.
It effectively teaches all 4 language skills: listening comprehension, reading, writing, and
speaking.
When you use this software, you see English only on the Home Page, when selecting your
lessons. After the lesson starts, it is the language you are studying only, starting the learning
process as a child would, visually learning the words for “man,” “woman,” “boy,” and
“girl” from pictures, and then using those words in different pictured contexts of everyday
activities. The primary mode of operation involves being presented with a group of 4
photographs (out of thousands of images) and a word or phrase spoken by a native speaker.
You then select the image that corresponds to what you heard. Once a correct answer is
selected, the images are shuffled and you are given another spoken phrase. You get
immediate feedback, and you learn to directly associate what you see with what you hear,
without going through the process of translation. You learn to think directly in the new
language, which is the best way to achieve fluency. As you learn new words, nouns and
verbs, they are then used in more complex contexts to develop and expand your vocabulary
organically.
189
Tehnologija, informatika i obrazovanje, TIO 6
Snеžana Kirova
Picture 2: Russian
Picture 3: Spanish
3. ADVANTAGES OF THE ROSETTA STONE LANGUAGE SOFTWARE
The Rosetta Stone method is based on scientific understanding of how we learn and
remember. By building connections between words and images, and by using a
sophisticated system of repetition, you quickly begin to learn the basics of the language that
you are studying. In addition, everything in the Rosetta Stone method is practical
knowledge.
This curriculum gradually incorporates new words, phrases and grammar into each new
lesson while also introducing previously learned vocabulary.
You can progress at your own pace and at times that suit you and your lifestyle. With your
computer and a set of headphones, you can use the listen and test and write and test features
of the program to learn your new language anywhere without disturbing those around you.
You can choose from 31 languages; it is used by the U.S. Army, many companies,
NASA, and over 10,000 schools worldwide.
Its balanced curriculum includes listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and
190
Tehnologija, informatika i obrazovanje, TIO 6
Snеžana Kirova
writing (all 4 Language Skills).
You improve your speech by imitating a native speaker.
Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without boring
memorization and translation.
Dynamic Immersion™ method connects people again to the language skills they used
successfully to master their first language.
The Rosetta Stone is a very comprehensive language learning program
Each unit builds on the vocabulary and structures of the unit before it, which is sound
language learning instruction
The program also has the advantage of not telling you the answers. Rather, it
encourages you to find them out for yourself. This takes longer, but the repetition
ensures that you will remember the lesson
4. ROSETTA STONE’S VOICE RECOGNITION SOFTWARE
The voice recognition interactive feature of the program can be very helpful but could use
some adjustments. You can repeat a word spoken by a native speaker and Rosetta will
respond with sounds to indicate that you have pronounced the word correctly, or that you
have not. The Speech Recognition feature lets you fine tune your pronunciation and
compare it to the native pronunciation.
However, if sometimes you mispronounce a word on purpose, it is rather often recognized
as correct by the speech recognition software. The vocal interactive feature of the program
is a great idea but could use refining. You can repeat a word spoken by a native speaker and
Rosetta will respond with sounds to indicate you‟ve done a good job, or not.
5. STRUCTURE
Level 1, 2 & 3 Set Includes:
The Basics
Nouns, verbs, adjectives, numbers, questions, colors, clothing.
Friends and Family
Ages, family relations, household items, introductions, landmarks, states, descriptions.
Work and School
Times of day, greetings, calendar terms, body parts, speaking, personal hygiene.
Shopping
Buying, selling and shopping; entertainment and sports; merchandise, speed and
weight, comparing and contrasting.
Travel
Destinations, transportation, directions, locations, telling time, distance, cost, weather.
Past and Future
Tenses, letter writing, school subjects, signs, workplace terms, polite requests.
Friends and Social Life
Months of the year, arrivals and departures, social interaction, celebrations, meal
courses, quality terms, apologies.
Dining and Vacation
Future tense; terms for art, architecture and music; emotions, places of worship, travel
and lodging.
Home and Health
Terms for home, garden and backyard activities; household items and appliances;
191
Tehnologija, informatika i obrazovanje, TIO 6
Snеžana Kirova
terms for strength and physical activity.
Life and World
Emotions, continents, life milestones, oceans, botanical terms, terms for animals.
Places and Events
Opinion and judgments, currency exchange and transactions; measurements, household
repair tools, culinary terms.
Talking About the World
Nationalities, governmental leaders, political terms, media terms, business terms,
religious terms. Doing things
The lessons are organized into Units. Units are divided into sections in vocabulary,
grammar, reading, writing and review that build on each other to reinforce learning.
Each Unit ends with a Milestone. A Milestone presents a real-life scenario that allows you
to practice what you have learned by participating in the conversation.
The User‟s Guide gives a full description of all the steps in the process if you should want
some guidance.
6. CONCLUSION
Rosetta Stone is a very detailed, well-thought-out program for language learning. Once you
are in the program you don‟t need to slip out to refer to other resources in order to enhance
your learning experience. It keeps track of where you left off so you know where to begin
the next time. The program not only covers the spoken language, but written language also.
It combines advanced interactive technology with your intuition and natural ability to pick
up a language. Documentation is clear with lots of pictures and is easy to read. Additional
learning resources are available for „learning on the go‟ with MP3 capability. Furthermore,
unlike a lot of other language programs, learning a different language with Rosetta Stone
software is amazingly easy, fun and effective for all ages.
ROSETTA STONE IS AVAILABLE IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES:
Rosetta Stone Arabic
Rosetta Stone Chinese
(Mandarin)
Rosetta Stone Danish
Rosetta Stone Dutch
Rosetta Stone English (American)
Rosetta Stone English (British)
Rosetta Stone Farsi (Persian)
Rosetta Stone French
Rosetta Stone German
Rosetta Stone Greek
Rosetta Stone Hebrew
Rosetta Stone Hindi
Rosetta Stone Indonesian
Rosetta Stone Irish
Rosetta Stone Italian
Rosetta Stone Japanese
Rosetta Stone Korean
Rosetta Stone Latin
Rosetta Stone Pashto
Rosetta Stone Polish
Rosetta Stone Portuguese (Brazil)
Rosetta Stone Russian
Rosetta Stone Spanish (Latin) American)
Rosetta Stone Spanish (Spain)
Rosetta Stone Swahili
Rosetta Stone Swedish
Rosetta Stone Tagalog
Rosetta Stone Thai
Rosetta Stone Turkish
Rosetta Stone Vietnamese
192
Tehnologija, informatika i obrazovanje, TIO 6
Snеžana Kirova
7. REFERENCES
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Rosetta-Stone-language-learning/379000117/
http://www.helium.com/items/624787-evaluating-the-rosetta-stone-approach-to-
foreign-language-study
http://languagestudy.suite101.com/
http://multilingualbooks.com/rosetta.html
http://www.rosettastone.co.uk
193