I ran across of the New York Times and thought some of you might find it a helpful starting place for recommendations. (Experiences with any of these programs? Post a comment.)
Foreign language study at home is always a challenge–we’ve used Rosetta Stone for modern spoken languages with varying degrees of success–so I’m always on the lookout for new resources.
PAY AND LEARN RosettaStone, the best-known language program, now offers Totale, () 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 (, 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 graphof 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 (), 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 voicerecordings 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 () 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 cancommunicate 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 Corporation () 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 (). And for those who not only want to learn another language but another alphabet as well, try , or . 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). TheUltralingua 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.