The Web Way to Learn a LanguageThe young woman seated next to us at a bar revealed a vague
The Web Way to Learn a Language
The young woman seated next to us at a bar revealed a vaguely exotic(异国的) 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 tone 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(波斯语) 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 may be the most recognizable example of PC-based language learning, but it certainly isn't the only one. With the growth of Internet 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 packages 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. "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 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," 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, believes it has an advantage because its software not only teaches words and phrases, but includes a speech recognition component that analyzes 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 vocabulary, 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 a
A．Her appearances and style.
B．Her English accent.
C．Her body language.
D．The class she attended.
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