Language Learning Programs
I checked out the link posted in the book for language learning and found it to be useful for simple activities to supplement a variety of units.
I prefer using software that will grow in difficulty and complexity as students’ knowledge and understanding of the Spanish language improve. It is also important to invest in a software program that will allow teachers to adhere to strict time constraints. For these reasons, I have selected the Rosetta Stone Spanish software program to review for this post.
Rosetta Stone
For those who are unfamiliar with Rosetta Stone, it is a language-learning program that uses an interactive CD Rom to present a new language similarly to how you learned your native tongue – through images, immersion and repetition. There are several levels of the program, and each level takes approximately six months to complete. Each level is set up in the same way; there are multiple lessons that focus on listening, reading, speaking and writing (typing).
Level one starts off right away by showing and naming four pictures. For example, a picture of a young girl appears, and an accompanied voice says, “Muchacha,” or “Niña.” This continues with three more images (e.g. boy, man, and woman). After seeing and hearing each word, a single image (of the four) appears, and you are instructed to click the correct caption written in Spanish to describe the person. New words are introduced and mixed in throughout the lesson to slowly build off of what you know.
As the levels continue, short phrases and sentences are introduced to describe what the people in the pictures are doing. The seemingly unavoidable “rote” and frustrating part of language learning is addressed by introducing necessary components like the alphabet and numbers in Spanish after a base is achieved. Students are engaged in the program and have experienced success, so they are more likely and willing to put in the hard work to learn these invaluable language features.
Check out an example lesson from a level 3 exercise from YouTube member wmx99: Grammar Example
The last lesson of the last level of the program reviews complex automotive vocabulary, which may not be necessary for all language learners. This also reflects when, if ever, a native English speaker learns these terms and vocabulary words in his or her own life. The organization of the content grows with the learner while slowly building confidence and knowledge of the Spanish language.
Benefits
Keeping multiple learning styles in mind, the program is so repetitive that most students walk away with a majority of the words and phrases memorized. A major part of this software, which separates from other language learning programs, is that there is NO ENGLISH use during any of the lessons or levels. Since pictures are used, students tie meaning to images in their minds and are not translating from one language to another when they need to identify the Spanish word for the person or object depicted.
Many schools have copies of this software in several languages including English to help their students become multilingual. The format of the software allows for students to create their own accounts, which will allow teachers to track progress. Students can complete individual lessons in less than 15 minutes or can attempt a bigger unit in just under an hour. This speaks to the versatility of the program, allowing teachers to create language stations at the computer as a follow up to instructional lessons; students can complete lesson one to be exposed to the new language as gently as possible prior to formal instruction; or teachers could use the computer program as part of a rewards or “early finish” program for students who are consistently on task or finish assignments early.
Drawbacks
The cost of this software can run into the $500 range for a single copy of the complete program. There may be school discounts, but either way, it is going to eat up a large part of any budget.
Students with visual impairments will gain very little from this program because it relies so heavily on visual cues to tie words with images instead of English translations.
Computers many not be readily available, and students will need direct instruction/modeling to learn how to navigate the program. This will take a great deal of time, but it will only have to be completed once.
