Alternatives to Rosetta Stone

Want to learn another language? Or brush up on your high school French? Maybe you’d like to travel (once you graduate), or, maybe having foreign language skills may prove useful in other ways.

The possibility of making a career in international law is greatly enhanced by knowledge of a foreign language…or two. Law students can take advantage of the language programs available through the Penrose Library. And DU is now expanding the number of options available to acquire foreign language skills. Many students, faculty, and staff have taken advantage of the Rosetta Stone program, and now Penrose is now offering additional programs, on a trial basis, as described below. See the rest of the story here.

Computer-Assisted Language-Learning Programs at DU
As you may have heard, Penrose Library and the Center for World Languages and Cultures (CWLC) are evaluating the computer-assisted language-learning (CALL) programs, including Rosetta Stone, that we offer to the campus community. Currently, we offer Rosetta Stone and Tell Me More, but there are several other programs available, including Live Mocha, Mango, Pimsleur, and Transparent Languages. Together, this broader suite of tools would provide our students and faculty with a wider variety of languages and would serve a broader range of learning styles.

If you are currently using Rosetta Stone through Penrose, you will want to be aware that Penrose will be transitioning away from the current Rosetta Stone program, and will be moving to a more limited option (details at the link, above). This is your opportunity to try out the alternatives that could be offered in its place, and express your views on the best replacement(s). And, if you tried Rosetta Stone, but found it didn’t meet your needs, here is an opportunity to find a program that matches your learning style.

Taking a trip to Mexico or Italy may be beyond the means of many of us, but the break is a great time to explore Spanish or Italian language learning programs. Because maybe, someday, having those language skills will be the key to getting us that position that we really want in Geneva or Beijing!

Written by Joan Policastri, Foreign,Comparative & International Librarian