I studied French for ten years in school -- all the way from 7th grade through senior year in college -- but like so many things, it's gotten rusty over the years. I've always wanted to pick it back up, especially since our family loves to travel. We went to Quebec city last year; it's only a 6-hour drive but it was like stepping into a European country, and very, very French. It really made me want to relearn French but I haven't found the right way to start, especially because I'm really frugal. I learned recently that CertifiKID is offering a lifetime subscription to the Rosetta Stone language learning app for just $149 (normally $399), and it seemed like the perfect solution -- really affordable (it's lifetime!) and Rosetta Stone has a great reputation.
I've never learned a language through an online platform before, though I've watched my kids use interactive online tools to study Spanish, French, German and Latin in school. Those apps looked pretty fun, so I wondered if it would work for me. Spoiler: it does!
My main goal right now is to brush up my French skills, relearn grammar rules and just feel more confident in a conversation. When I explored Rosetta Stone, I discovered they offer 25 languages. I expected the usual European languages but they also offer Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Hindi, Vietnamese, Irish Gaelic and more. They even offer Latin American Spanish and Spanish for Spain, depending on your needs. I think my next language will be Portuguese or maybe Korean (I'm a fan of K-dramas ).
When I logged in for the first time, I appreciated how personalized the setup was. Rosetta Stone asked why I wanted to learn the language -- travel, family life, work or just getting the basics -- and then let me choose my level. I'll probably regret it but I picked Intermediate and then chose Travel as my learning goal. The app created a lesson plan based on my selections, with a series of 10 minute lessons. So far, the lessons are really manageable (it likes my accent, yay!) and I've already relearned some basic grammar that I somehow forgot (in French, they say "we are Friday" instead of "it's Friday"). Did I mention I studied French for TEN years -- ugh!
Another great feature is that you can focus on conversational skills or include reading and writing. Since my goal is use the language for travel, I chose conversational fluency only for now. The app also asks you to identify your voice type -- adult male, adult female or child -- so its speech recognition tool can recognize your pronunciation and help you. I've been impressed at how well it recognizes my spoken French.
Working through the lessons, I'm feeling something I haven't in a long time; I'm reconnecting with a language I once loved. It brings back wonderful memories of an amazing year I spent in Paris during college. The structure, pacing and interactivity of the lessons make it feel like I'm working one-on-one with a teacher (a really patient teacher!).
It occurred to me that Rosetta Stone could be incredibly helpful for anyone who works with people who speak other languages -- teachers, healthcare workers, customer service staff, first responders and more. Actually, the lifetime membership would make an amazing gift. It's perfect for someone who loves languages or travel, for a student who needs extra practice for school, or for an adult who needs language skills for work. With 25 languages and a lifetime membership, they can learn exactly what they need now and try a new language later.
Thanks to the CertifiKID deal, I now have lifetime access to all 25 languages. It feels great to speak and hear French again and stretch my brain muscles, so to speak , and I'm looking forward to trying out some new languages too.
Learn more about the CertifiKID deal.
I was provided with a complimentary lifetime membership to Rosetta Stone for the purposes of this article. All opinions and experiences are my own.
