A book isn’t necessarily the only tool for the job when it comes to learning. For everything from languages to interactive courses to in-depth research, KDL offers online resource subscriptions to better fit our communities’ information needs.
Resource: Rosetta Stone
What it’s for: Learning a second (or third, or fourth) language! Get ready for a trip abroad, get
extra practice for school or learn some helpful phrases for work. Rosetta Stone uses an interactive
approach that doesn’t focus on translation from English, but incorporates speaking, writing and
listening skills.
Why KDL staff love it: “I have been using Rosetta Stone to learn both Dutch and Spanish. I chose
Spanish because it is widely spoken in our community, so I thought it would be helpful to learn.
(Also, my wife speaks it, so I have a built-in practice buddy.) And I am learning Dutch because
my ancestors immigrated from the Netherlands, so Rosetta Stone provides me an opportunity
to connect to those roots through language! Though I've had good experiences using both the
web-based platform and the app, I prefer the app because it allows me to do a few minutes at
a time from wherever I happen to be – my couch, waiting in line at the pharmacy or even on a
break at work! There is so much I love about Rosetta Stone. The lessons are short, which makes
them easy to complete and provides a sense of accomplishment! I've appreciated that Rosetta
Stone teaches me to write, read, speak and understand spoken phrases all at once. The program
provides lots of pictures to help provide context clues, and everything is written out on the screen
and spoken, so it supports lots of learning styles and provides a really holistic learning experience.
I feel that this allows me to learn the language quicker and better. And, of course, I love that I can
work on the lessons at my own pace!” – Christine, Branch Librarian
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