APP OF THE DAY
The Easy Way to Learn a Language
Rosetta Stone: Learn Languages
Speak Spanish, French, German
Rosetta Stone teaches foreign languages in a way that might alarm your high school French teacher: by skipping translations.
Instead the app relies on a more visual approach, using repeated images to forge a stronger bond between what you’re seeing and what you’re saying. The premise is that looking at pictures of French people enjoying breakfast will teach you that boire means “to drink” faster than any vocab list will.
Images are at the heart of Rosetta Stone’s design: Match the written or spoken phrase to one of four photos on the screen. The cumulative effect of studying all those people drinking orange juice is that, in short order, you’ll be able to speak your own sentences about all those people drinking orange juice.
At 10 minutes each, the lessons are easy to fit into your busy schedule. And Rosetta Stone advances you to the next lesson only once it knows you’re ready.
Speedy learners will benefit from Extended Learning modules, micro-lessons based on a theme. One lets you record yourself reading a story to help the app evaluate your accent. Another focuses on common phrases regarding ordering a meal and getting directions. Make your French teacher proud!