Check out Rosetta Stone if you’re aiming to master a new language. Here’s my personal experience with it.
Back in 2008, I was 23, managing backstage on an Alaskan cruise ship. My team consisted mostly of Filipino men who spoke mainly Tagalog. Despite my continuous pleas for them to converse in English, I got nowhere.
For Christmas, my boyfriend gave me the Tagalog version of Rosetta Stone. Before this, my efforts to learn Tagalog from various free programs and a book amounted to just a few questionable expressions.
Interestingly, Rosetta Stone offered an easy-to-use phone interface where I set aside 30 minutes every day for learning. In three months, I started noticing I could understand some phrases. By six months, I understood about 80% of their conversation. And what a moment it was when I surprised them by understanding and responding to their conversation in their language!
Visibly, Rosetta Stone instils learning in a simple and engaging manner. This has proven to be more effective than conventional language teaching methods I’ve experienced in my high school and college years.
Why I found it necessary to learn their language despite their supposed knowledge of English, you ask? It’s all about going the extra mile to foster a more conducive working environment. Plus, being multilingual increases employability. Case in point, my dream company, Cirque du Soleil, has French as its primary language.
Moreover, different job environments require different languages. For instance, if you’re passionate about the opera, knowledge of Italian and German is beneficial. Or if the circus is your cup of tea, Russian, Spanish, and even Chinese can be beneficial.
What sets Rosetta Stone apart, you ask? Here are five things:
1. It’s user-friendly. You can get started right away without needing any guidelines.
2. It offers a full language immersion. Each class is solely in the language you’re learning.
3. It lets you learn on your laptop and mobile phone simultaneously. This allows you to brush up your vocabulary whenever you have spare time.
4. It’s cost-effective compared to other language learning tools out there.
5. It’s fun! The lessons are engaging and don’t have the dullness of traditional language classes.
Today, my Rosetta Stone Tagalog course is a part of my professional toolkit. If you’re a stage manager like me looking to invest in your skills, picking up a new language might be just what you need. Give Rosetta Stone a shot, and before you know it, you’ll have an impressive addition to your resume.
If you’re worried about the cost, it does offer Military and Student discounts. Ready to get started? Let’s learn a language together!