The Linguist On Language

Massive input is the best way to learn vocabulary. It is not up to the teacher to decide that vocabulary should be taught in "semantic sets" (colours, the parts of the body etc.) The teacher should facilitate the learning of vocabulary from interesting and appropriate content, show the learners techniques for retaining the vocabulary like lists or flash cards, and then suggest that they can create special lists or col ect cards in categories of interest to them if they want.

Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is not an online system although they have launched some online activities. They had to.

Let me begin by saying that I have never used Rosetta Stone. My son, Mark, played professional hockey in Japan for a few years. His team gave him Rosetta Stone to learn Japanese. He tried it and found that it was boring and did not get him very far. We need a lot of input and stimulus to learn a language.

I decided to do some research on the net. Most reviews that I found seemed to have been done by people connected with Rosetta Stone. I am not surprised. The Rosetta Stone people are excellent marketers for which I salute them. They are not only promoting their product, they are promoting an awareness that people can learn languages on their own.

The best summary of the Rosetta Stone method I found was the fol owing.

The most important component of the Rosetta Stone software-based method is what I cal "a four squares screen". The user is presented with a page that shows four pictures of various objects or entities. A prerecorded phrase or word is played back and the user must click on the square that contains a visual answer to the question or best illustrates the concept. If the user answers correctly a little "ding" is heard, a check-mark appears on the screen and the program advances. That's all folks!

So, why does the Rosetta Stone method work? At the very center of the Rosetta Stone approach is the idea of constant encouragement. Every step of the way the user receives positive feedback from the program. Rosetta Stone takes you through a rapid succession of multiple-choice questions. Given that there are only four options per question it is not difficult to answer every question even if you don't get it right away. This process turns into a series of gratifying experiences.

This was contrasted with the usual language learning experience where the reviewer felt that we do not know how we are doing.

As a result we have uncertainty, perception of poor performance and general lack of success. A user is much more likely to quit such a course, and it should be known that not quitting is probably the single most important requirement when learning a foreign language.

My reaction to the reviews that I read was that I do not think I would want to use Rosetta Stone. Here are seven reasons.

1. I do not like answering multiple-choice questions at the computer. It is not communicating. I might do it once or twice but would not continue. I would not do it daily. I need to connect with a language I am learning daily, in order to learn. I also do not like to get things right or wrong. I do not need accuracy or precision. I need input.

2. Most of my learning activity takes place during dead time. I mostly listen while running, driving, doing the dishes, waiting in line etc... I also read while waiting or as a relaxing activity. If I had to sit at the computer in order to learn I would not do a lot of studying. I just do not have the dedicated time.

3. I do not believe that I can permanently learn words, whether using pictures or other techniques. I know I am going to forget them. In a way I am not interested in learning the word for "red" or "house". I know that I have to be exposed to so much language content, in audio and text, that gradual y it all starts to have meaning. I am not conscious of learning and forgetting specific words, but I know I am doing it. I know I have learned words because I can understand more and more. I know I am forgetting because I am constantly unable to remember the most elementary words.

4. I find it difficult to learn words and phrases that are divorced from a larger story or context. Isolated words and phrases do not connect with my brain. I remember words and expressions as part of larger stories that I remember. I often remember when and where I was listening to many of these stories.

5. When I start learning a language, the gratification that I experience comes from the fact that I start to be able to tel when words begin and end, and then soon after start to make sense of short episodes that used to be just noise for me. That is all the feedback that I need. I do not find the uncertainty a problem. It is the feeling of the "fog lifting", the uncertainty turning into more and more clarity, that is so satisfying in the study of another language.