Mandarin Immersion Parents Council

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Will Rosetta Stone actually teach your child to speak Mandarin?

Myself, I have no idea. But I spent a lot of time last week talking to teachers at a Chinese language conference and they all were quite clear that while programs like this might be helpful to get kids to practice more (which helps them remember what they’ve learned) it’s not such a great way for them to actually learn to speak. Several of them said they’d had kids in immersion whose parents had spent a lot of money buying Rosetta Stone programs and others with the notion that some how their children would learn to speak Mandarin just by sitting in front of the computer. It doesn’t work like that for kids, they said.

For what it’s worth.

Solution for K-12 Market

TOTALe(R) PRO Platform Delivers Language-Learning Solution to Schools and Districts

 

 

ARLINGTON, Va., Apr 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Rosetta Stone Inc. RST -0.30% , a leading provider of technology-based language-learning solutions, today launched the TOTALe(R) PRO platform for K-12 at the 72nd National School Board Association annual conference in Boston, Mass.

Rosetta Stone’s award-winning classroom programs have been used by more than 20,000 schools. TOTALe PRO, Rosetta Stone’s newest educational solution, now provides an even more advanced platform for the K-12 market. The TOTALe PRO platform combines interactive software with live online coaches who are native speakers, online educational games and activities, mobile apps for tablets and smartphones, adaptable administrative tools and proactive support services. The new solution was designed with a high degree of flexibility and scalability to accommodate programs focusing on English Language Learners and foreign languages, whether in an individual classroom, a district or an entire state.

TOTALe PRO for K-12 is Rosetta Stone’s most comprehensive language-learning platform, helping students to develop four key skills–speaking, reading, writing and listening–by leveraging interactive technologies to replicate elements of the immersion environment in which people learn their first language. The superior technology, services and learning opportunities offered by Rosetta Stone’s TOTALe PRO platform ensure that students are equipped with the language skills needed to succeed.

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5 responses to “Will Rosetta Stone actually teach your child to speak Mandarin?”

  1. SusanOR Avatar
    SusanOR

    But will Rosetta Stone help us parents learn Mandarin so we can help our kids who are in immersion?

    Reply
    1. elizabethweise Avatar
      elizabethweise

      Could well, I suppose. I’m more aural, so I like Pimsleur audio course, but I’ve only used it for Spanish, not Mandarin. And as reading and writing characters are a huge part of what we want to be able to engage with our kids with, it’s probably not a bad way to go about it. I think it’s much more suited to adult learning styles.

      Reply
  2. Marie Billy (@MarieBillyRS1) Avatar
    Marie Billy (@MarieBillyRS1)

    As an employee at Rosetta Stone I’ve had the opportunity to use this program. One of the best new features is Rosetta Studio. In the Studio sessions you are in with a small group of other students learning the same language as you and a language coach. For 50 minutes everyone is speaking in the new language.

    Reply
  3. Ya Li Avatar
    Ya Li

    Yes, it works quiet well. Our family is currently learning three languages, with Rosetta Stone in German and Spanish, and Chinese school. The 7 and 9 year old are doing fantastic with it. It was a very good investment.

    Reply
  4. James Avatar
    James

    Learning vocabulary and short phrases by repeating them over and over again doesn’t mean children can actually string a sentence together when called upon. Using a language effectively means one has to practise reading, writing, speaking and listening. Not really something that can be done effectively in front of a computer. I didn’t like Rosetta Stone personally. Go for a product that has all FOUR. I did!

    Reply

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