About Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone approaches learning a foreign language in the same way an infant learns to speak its native tongue, through immersion and exposure without translation. This proprietary methodology was the brain-child of Allen Stoltzfus who, in the 1980’s, was trying to learn Russian in a classroom setting. He had become frustrated with his slow progress when he hit upon an intriguing idea. Allen had learned to speak German while living and working in Germany, immersed in the day-to-day activities and culture, not chained to a desk in a classroom memorizing vocabulary words and therein lay the seeds of the beginnings of the Rosetta Stone program. Allen worked with his brother, Eugene Stolzfus and brother-in-law, John Fairfield, who held a PhD in computer science, to develop this unique software-based language learning tool. In 1992, Fairfield Language Technologies was founded in Harrisonburg, Virginia and the three men got down to the business of designing their unique software program. Today, Rosetta Stone software is sold online and in kiosks in malls and airports across the country.

How Rosetta Stone Got Its Name
In a moment of inspiration, the founders decided to name their product Rosetta Stone after the ancient stone artifact that enabled scientists to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics. It is appropriate considering that Rosetta Stone software provides the key for millions of users to unlock their own language learning skills.

Corporate Social Responsibility
Fairfield Language Technologies takes the idea of corporate social responsibility very seriously. They support organizations that focus on language learning, diversity and culture and education and literacy. They are also involved in the preservation and revitalization of languages such as those in the Mohawk, Seminole and Inupiat communities, to name just a few. This enables these disappearing languages to maintain their meaning and integrity so that they can be passed down to new generations.

What Does Rosetta Stone Software Offer?

In a word: immersion. You will learn a new language of your choice quickly and easily through exposure to familiar images that are labeled with the word that relates to them in the language you’ve chosen. You’ll also hear the correct pronunciation and, through the software’s speech recognition system, you’ll get immediate feedback to improve your own articulation and accent. The software offers a variety of ways to mix up the learning to prevent boredom.

All of those features are wrapped up in a simple, intuitive interface that doesn’t impede learning for a minute. The company offers 31 language software packages, the TOTALe online program for each language and products for the educational market, including homeschool and traditional classroom settings, as well as an Enterprise package for businesses seeking to expand their global reach.

All in all, Rosetta Stone software will enable you to become proficient in speaking a new language quickly and easily. While it won’t make you into a scholar of a particular language, you will feel comfortable carrying on a conversation in your chosen tongue.

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