January 28, 2010
The Web Way to Learn a Language
By ERIC A. TAUB
The young woman seated next to us at the sushi bar exuded a vaguely exotic
air; her looks and style, we thought, made it likely that she was not
American born.
But then she spoke in perfect American English, even ending her declarative
sentences in that rising questioning lilt characteristic of many young
Californians.
As it turns out, however, she wasn't from these parts after all; she was
born in Iran and spoke only Farsi until her arrival here two years ago. What
classes, we wondered, had she attended to learn the language so well?
"I didn't," she said. "I used RosettaStone."
Those yellow boxes sold at shopping-mall and airport kiosks may be the most
recognizable example of PC-based language learning, but it certainly isn't
the only one.
With the growth of broadband connectivity and social networks, companies
have introduced a wide range of Internet-based language learning products,
both free and fee-based, that allow students to interact in real time with
instructors in other countries, gain access to their lesson plans wherever
they are in the world, and communicate with like-minded virtual pen pals who
are also trying to remember if bambino means baby.
Learning a language sometimes seems as difficult as dieting. The solution is
to figure out how to stay interested after the novelty wears off.
To counter boredom, online language programs have introduced crossword
puzzles, interactive videos and other games to reward users for making
progress.
Online courses are either fee-based, free or a combination. Starter kits of
fee-based programs may cost just a few hundred dollars, but the cost to
reach higher levels of comprehension and speaking can easily be $1,000.
While that may sound expensive, language company executives say it isn't;
college courses often cost many thousands of dollars to reach the same
level.
So, cost aside, how do you choose which program to use? The answer is that
one size doesn't fit all.
"The quality of feedback is important," according to Mike Levy, head of the
school of languages and linguistics at Griffith University in Brisbane,
Australia. "Sites with human contact work best," he said. "This shows the
advantage of humans compared to computers. A computer is never as subtle or
intelligent."
PAY AND LEARN RosettaStone, the best-known language program, now offers
Totale, (rosettastone.com) a $1,000 product that includes RosettaCourse, a
traditional lesson-based module; RosettaStudio, a place where a user can
talk to a native speaker via video chat; and RosettaWorld, an online
community where you can play language-related games.
"We offer modern-day pen pals facilitated with voice over I.P.," said Tom
Adams, the company's chief executive.
RosettaStone uses things like colorful flash cards to help students first
learn basic words, and then connect those words to concepts and sentences.
The idea, according to Mr. Adams, is for the user to let go of the adult
"technical questions and just get into a comfort zone, learning new sounds
and trying to make sense of them."
One of RosettaStone's main competitors, TellMeMore (tellmemore.com),
believes it has an advantage because its software not only teaches words and
phrases, but includes a speech recognition component that analyses
pronunciation, presents a graph of speech, and suggests how to perfect it.
Other videos show students how to shape their mouths to create sounds
difficult for native English speakers, like the rolling R in Spanish.
With 10 levels of content, a 10,000-word glossary, videos of native speakers
and more than 40 practice activities, TellMeMore believes it has enough
material to keep a user motivated.
TellMeMore charges $390 for a year's access to its resources for six
languages; those looking for a quick refresher can buy a $10 daily pass.
Weekly, monthly and half-year passes are also available.
The company's product is currently available only on CD-ROM, but online
versions for both Mac and Windows that will include real-time coaching are
coming later this year.
FREE NOW, PAY LATER Livemocha (livemocha.com), a two-year-old Web start-up,
offers free basic lessons in 30 languages. Users can upgrade to advanced
courses with additional features on a monthly or six-month basis.
For $20 a month, students can submit up to eight voice recordings to a
native-speaking tutor, who will then review and make recommendations for
improvement within 24 hours. For $70 every six months, students can submit
up to two examples a lesson.
All students, whether using the pay or free model, can join social
networking groups and speak live (using VoIP) to people around the world who
are native speakers interested in learning English.
As with all social networking sites, this feature is open to misuse. Within
hours of signing up for Livemocha, I received a note from a young woman,
ostensibly from Poland, "wanting to meet me."
The company says it has "the world's largest community of people learning
languages," with five million registered users in 200 countries.
Financed in part by the European Union, Babbel (babbel.com) offers paid
instruction (and a free trial lesson) in English, French, German, Italian,
and Spanish for $12 a month, or $6.62 a month for a six-month commitment.
In addition to extended grammar and vocabulary, users can communicate with
others in their desired language via private or public chats, or arrange to
get in touch via voice.
FREE LANGUAGE LEARNING If money is truly an object, a variety of free
language learning is available from a number of sites.
The British Broadcasting Service (bbc.com/languages) offers varying levels
of instruction for 36 languages, with features including audio and video
playback and translation.
Looking to visit Deutschland? The German television network, Deutsche Welle,
can help you make yourself understood (bit.ly/ts6x7). And for those who not
only want to learn another language but another alphabet as well, try
japanese-online.com, or learn-korean.net.
Apps for a smartphone No program would be complete without an accompanying
smartphone app, and many exist for the iPhone and other devices.
Several are simple providers of useful phrases, including the Lonely Planet
Phrasebooks ($10 for each of 18 languages), the Oxford Translator Travel Pro
($10 for each of five languages), and World Nomads (free; 23 languages). The
Ultralingua Translation Dictionary ($20 a language) offers simultaneous
translation of English and six languages.
Both RosettaStone and TellMeMore say that they are developing smartphone
apps as supplements to their online programs, but neither has announced a
release date.
Livemocha expects to have an app later this year for both the Android and
iPhone operating systems. The company plans on integrating text with a
native speaker pronouncing the language, and providing the option for voice
recording and live video feeds.
-- New York Times
