Feature:Rosetta Stone V2.1A (software) only 30 USD English Language Learn

la

Rosetta Stone is

proprietary language-learning

software produced by

Rsetta Stone, Ltd. Its title and its logo refer to the

Rosetta Stone, an artifact inscribed in multiple languages
that helped

Jean-François Champollion to decipher Egyptian
hieroglyphics. The software is created by Rosetta Stone Ltd.,
headquartered in

Arlington County, Virginia.^[1]
The Rosetta Stone software uses a combination of images, text,
and sound, with difficulty levels increasing as the student
progresses, in order to teach various vocabulary terms and
grammatical functions intuitively, without drills or
translation. They call this the "Dynamic Immersion method". The
goal is to teach languages the way

first languages are learned.

[edit]
History

According to the company, Mr. Allen Stoltzfus had learned
German through immersion while living in Germany, and found it
relatively easy. In the 1980s, Stoltzfus began learning Russian
in a classroom setting, but discovered it to be much more
difficult. He wanted to simulate the German experience, and he
decided to use computing technology to create a similar learning
experience. He enlisted the aid of his brother-in-law, Dr. John
Fairfield, who held a PhD. in computer science.
By 1992,

CD-ROM technology made the project possible and they formed
a company known as Fairfield Language Technologies in

Harrisonburg, Virginia. Allen and John brought on Eugene
Stoltzfus, Allen's brother, as company President and CEO, and
released their software product under the name Rosetta Stone. In
2003, the company came under new leadership with the
announcement of Tom Adams as President and CEO, a businessman
with international experience. The company changed names in 2006
to Rosetta Stone, Ltd., and with it came a change from an

S Corp to a

C Corp and the sale to investment firms

ABS Capital Partners and Northwest Equity Partners. On
September 23, 2008, Rosetta Stone Inc. filed an

Initial Public Offering with the

Securities and Exchange Commission.

[edit]
Versions

The latest version is version 3.4.5. Not all the languages
are available in version 3, and some of them are still in
version 2. The version appears on the exterior of retail
packages and this information is apparent through their website.
Rosetta Stone version 3 software has a built-in feature to
download and install upgrades from the online Web site. Newer
versions have featured a larger interface, new functionality,
improved learning experience and better-quality pictures than
their predecessors.

[edit]
Version 2

Instruction takes the form of a unit of lessons consisting of
ten groups (more in some of the later units of Level I) of four
images each, with an associated word or sentence both written
and spoken aloud by a native speaker of the language, except for
those languages that are no longer spoken natively, such as
Latin.
Lesson topics range from

grammatical concepts such as
verb

tense or

mood to specific topics such as

colors, hot and cold and associated words or the use of
money.
Within each lesson there are sets of exercises testing
listening, reading, and speaking (for which the computer must
have a

microphone). For languages using the

Latin alphabet, there are also writing exercises. The
writing exercises for non-Latin scripts use a substitute,
on-screen keyboard. All sets except reading and speaking offer
four exercises each; there are two reading exercises and one
speaking exercise. They are identified by the software as A, B,
C, D, and E.
The user is offered either text, sound or image (and later,
video), to match against four possibilities. With a mark and/or
sound chosen by the reader from the preferences menu, the
program indicates whether the right or wrong choice was
selected. A score from 0 to 100 is kept; it is visible during
the exercise in practice mode but not in test mode. The first
choice in a group of images nets four points for a correct
answer, the second three, the third two and the last one.
In all units, the last lesson is a review of the previous
lessons, with each predecessor represented by one group of
images. There are no formal grammar guides or instructions
included with the software. The only documentation is a manual
with written versions of the phrases and a word index.

[edit]
Version 3

Instruction takes the form of four units per language level.
Each unit is then subdivided into four core lessons. Each core
lesson is approximately 30 minutes followed by sublessons.
Sublessons take the form of Pronunciation, Writing, Vocabulary,
Grammar, Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Reviews. At the end
of each unit is a Milestone, which reviews the material covered
in that unit in an interactive activity.
Version 3 applications cannot read the language disks of
older Rosetta Stone installations (Version 1 and 2). Those who
have multiple versions of Rosetta Stone need to have both
applications installed in order to use the language packs of
both versions.

[edit]
Homeschool
Edition

Homeschool edition is available with version 3 sets. The only
difference between the homeschool edition and the popular
"personal" edition is the installation disc. The homeschool
edition keeps track of time spent per lessons, scores achieved
on lessons, lesson plans, and instructional objectives. This
edition also include a supplemental CD which has workbooks,
quizzes, transcription of lessons, and exams. As opposed to the
personal edition, where reviews of previous lessons are
suggested; the homeschool edition does not recommend review
lessons. Aside from the minor differences, the homeschool
edition is essentially the same as the personal edition - except
for the supplemental CD with written exercises and lesson
plannings. Many consider the homeschool edition a "better" buy,
due to the supplemental CD and options to create lesson plans.
The language discs in both editions are identical and are
interchangeable. Much of the information on the supplemental CD
is available online from Rosetta Stone.^[2]

[edit]
Packages

Several different packages of lessons are available. The full
course in each language is separated into three levels. All

retail software packages except the homeschool version
contain two

CDs, one with the application software and another with the
instruction. The homeschool version also consists of disks for a
server program and a student management program.

[edit]
Levels

All languages except Latin use the same set of words and
sentences in the same order, with the same images (some of which
are recycled from lesson to lesson). There are three levels of
instruction, each sold separately, or they can be purchased
bundled for a discount. In version two, most languages were
offered with only two levels, though a few were offered in a
third:

• Level 1 consists of eight units, starting
  from simple vocabulary such as "boy", "girl", "man",
  "woman", moving up through numbers, the past and future
  tenses and concluding with a unit on giving directions.
  Units 1 through 4 have 10 lessons plus a review lesson,
  units 5 through 8 have 11 lessons plus a review lesson. 92
  total lessons in level 1.
• Level 2 offers units 9 through 19; however
  as a practical matter there are only nine units devoted to
  instruction since units 18 and 19 are "glossary"
  units devoted to single words having to do with a particular
  topic (school, nature, automobiles etc.). Level 2 units
  consider more advanced grammatical concepts, as well as
  specific subjects like
  
  banking,
  
  shopping and
  
  travel. These exercises also use short video clips in
  
  QuickTime format to illustrate some verbs. Units 16 and
  17 consist solely of old
  
  Saturday Evening Post
  
  cartoons and their captions. 118 total lessons in level
  2.
• Level 3 is no longer offered on version 2
  products, but when it was, it used longer video and writing
  passages to expand the level of instruction.

In version 3, languages have from three to five levels,
though what they cover for each language is different; there is
more of a focus on conversation and less on complex grammatical
topics.

• Level 1 consists of four units, each with
  four thirty-minute lessons and a number of five to fifteen
  minute activities. The level, which is supposed to "build a
  foundation of fundamental vocabulary and essential language
  structure," takes about 24 hours to complete following
  Rosetta Stone's recommended course. Starting from simple
  vocabulary such as basic greetings, "boy", "girl", "man",
  and "woman", moving up through numbers, comparisons,
  adjectives, nouns, future tense, and telling time. Each unit
  also contains a ten-minute simulated conversation called a
  "Milestone."
  
  The four units in Level 1 are: Language Basics, Greetings
  and Introductions, Work and School, and Shopping.
• Level 2 offers units 5 through 8, for a
  total of about twenty-four hours designed to teach you to
  "navigate your surroundings as you build on the vocabulary
  and essential language structure in Level 1." More grammar
  is covered, including past and future tenses, and imperative
  forms. Topics such as giving directions, writing letters,
  workplace terms, apologies, discussing emotions, and
  criticizing art are also covered. As in Level 1, each unit
  is followed by a ten-minute "Milestone."
  
  The four units in Level 2 are: Travel, Past and Future,
  Friends and Social Life, and Dining and Vacation.
• Level 3 offers the final four units (9
  through 12), which are designed to help "connect with the
  world around you by building on the language fundamentals
  and conversational skills you developed in Levels 1 and 2."
  In addition to expanding upon grammar learned in Levels 1
  and 2, Level 3 teaches more in depth vocabulary, including
  botanical terms, culinary terms, how to express detailed
  opinions and judgments, and how to discuss politics,
  religion, and business. As in the first two levels, each
  unit contains a ten-minute "Milestone" activity in which the
  user participates in a simulated conversation.
  
  The four units in Level 3 are: Home and Health, Life and
  World, Everyday Things, and Places and Events.
• Level 4 & 5 is currently available for the
  American English, Latin American Spanish, French, Italian,
  German and Spanish (Spain) languages.^[3]
  Level 4 and 5 teach more complex sentence structures, higher
  verbal tenses, more irregular verbs, and introduce more
  vocabularies. Some improvements in language drills include a
  newer method of sentence matching and color coding of the
  stem and endings of nouns and verbs. Unfortunately, some
  reviewers found the color coding to be more confusing than
  helpful, and the new sentence matching has been a challenge
  for some users to understand.^{[citation
  needed]}

[edit]
Other packages

• An Explorer package consisting basically
  of the first three units from Level I was available for a
  much cheaper price than the full Level I. This product is no
  longer available from the publisher.
• A Traveler version, consisting of several
  lessons focusing on basic terms as well as vocabulary
  important for travel, was produced in the late 1990s and is
  no longer available.
• Free Demos are available directly from Rosetta Stone,
  Ltd.
• Audio Companion was released on June 9,
  2008 and reinforces what is learned using the computer
  software. It is portable and is played on a CD or MP3
  player.

[edit]
Languages

The following languages are available as of December 2009^[update]:

Language	Version	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5	Audio Companion
Arabic (Modern Standard)	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Chinese (Mandarin)	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Danish	v2	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Dutch	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
English (American)	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
English (British)	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Filipino (Tagalog)	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
French (Parisian)	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
German	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Greek	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Hebrew	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Hindi	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Indonesian	v2	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Irish	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Italian	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Japanese	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Korean	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Latin	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Pashto	v2	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Persian (Iran)	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Polish	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Portuguese (Brazilian)	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Russian	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Spanish (Latin America)	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Spanish (Spain)	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Swahili	v2	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Swedish	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Thai	v2	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Turkish	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Vietnamese	v3	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Welsh	v2	Yes	No	No	No	No	No

[edit]
U.S.
government usage

In December 2007, the

United States Army offered a special military version of
Arabic to help troops deploying to the Middle East learn the
language for conversations and phrases important in a military
situation.^[4]
It is available to all US Army personnel, US Military Academy
cadets, contracted US Army ROTC Cadets and other special guests
with a sponsor.
The United States Army "E-Learning", a SkillPort product,
offers the full Version 3 Online, with the exception of only a
few languages. The Army E-Learning web site is accesible by all
Army members with a valid AKO (Army Knowledge Online) e-mail
address or CAC (Common Access Card).^[5]
Other branches of the U.S military also offer Rosetta Stone
software. The

United States Air Force also offers a similar version to

company-grade officers.^[6]
The

United States Marine Corps also offers an online version of
all the languages that Rosetta Stone offers through their
MarineNet Distance Learning portal.^[7]
The

U.S. Department of State uses Rosetta Stone (version 3 as of
2009) as a companion to their in-class and distance learning
language programs provided through the

Foreign Service Institute. It is free for civil and foreign
service employees.^{[citation
needed]}

[edit]
Awards

Rosetta Stone has won a number of awards from software
magazines and associations concerned with language learning such
as textbook publishers and homeschooling magazines, among them
the Gold Awards for Best CD-ROMs Used in School and
Best CD-ROM for Language Learning i-Magic Awards in 1996^{[citation
needed]} and the Best Software in Second
Language Foreign Language Learning Program annual awards by

ComputED magazine in 1994 and 1996.^{[citation
needed]}

[edit]

Reception and effectiveness

Frequent criticism of the program arises in its lack of
sensitivity to the differences between the various languages it
comes in and their respective cultures. All programs present the
same concepts in the same order, using the same images taken
mostly in the

Washington, D.C. area near the company's headquarters at the
time in

Harrisonburg,

Virginia. Furthermore, the program is well-received for
teaching various nouns by matching pictures with words, but it
is harder to learn from a grammar and syntax perspective.
Another frequent issue is the use of more formal vocabulary
than that regularly used by native speakers.

MacWorld reviewer Cyrus Farivar noted that the Persian
CD he had been using used khodrow for "car", although
most native speakers use a French

loanword, ma:sheen. He called the company regarding
the picture sets, and was told that four are in use, one for
Western languages, another for Asian, and two sets unique to

Swahili and Latin.^[8]

[edit]
Russian

In a review of the

Russian Version 2 in 1997, Mark Kaiser, director of the
Language Media Center at the

University of California, Berkeley called the program
"woefully inadequate for a number of reasons".^[9]
Not only did he cite the lack of cultural context, stating that
the images contained in the program were not only clearly not
Russian, but that they contained such objects as

paper towels, which Kaiser attested to never having seen on
any visit to Russia at that point, and its lack of any way to
test conversational skills; he also noted the tendency of some
words and phrases to be too English-based.
"The entire package lacks any pedagogical foundation," he
concluded. "Rather, it utilizes the glitz of the multimedia
capabilities of the computer, a dearth of quality foreign
language software, and clever marketing to create an
economically successful product."^[9]

[edit]
German

A few months earlier, Donald McRae of

Brock University had been far kinder to the

German Version 2, calling it "very good, but with some
reservations."^[10]
In contrast to Kaiser, he called it "good pedagogy and extremely
effective. The authors of the program never lose sight of solid
teaching methodology."^[10]