首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
The Web Way to Learn a Language The young woman seated next to us at a bar revealed a vaguely exotic(异国的) air; her looks and
The Web Way to Learn a Language The young woman seated next to us at a bar revealed a vaguely exotic(异国的) air; her looks and
admin
2012-09-19
43
问题
The Web Way to Learn a Language
The young woman seated next to us at a bar revealed a vaguely exotic(异国的) air; her looks and style, we thought, made it likely that she was not American born. But then she spoke in perfect American English, even ending her declarative sentences in that rising questioning tone of many young Californians. As it turns out, however, she wasn’t from these parts after all; she was born in Iran and spoke only Farsi(波斯语) until her arrival here two years ago. What classes, we wondered, had she attended to learn the language so well?
"I didn’t," she said. "I used RosettaStone." Those yellow boxes sold at shopping-mall may be the most recognizable example of PC-based language learning, but it certainly isn’t the only one. With the growth of Internet connectivity and social networks, companies have introduced a wide range of Internet-based language learning products, both free and fee-based, that allow students to interact in real time with instructors in other countries, gain access to their lesson plans wherever they are in the world, and communicate with like-minded virtual pen pals who are also trying to remember if bambino means baby.
Learning a language sometimes seems as difficult as dieting. The solution is to figure out how to stay interested after the novelty wears off. To counter boredom, online language programs have introduced crossword puzzles, interactive videos and other games to reward users for making progress.
Online courses are either fee-based, free or a combination. Starter packages of fee-based programs may cost just a few hundred dollars, but the cost to reach higher levels of comprehension and speaking can easily be $1,000. While that may sound expensive, language company executives say it isn’t; college courses often cost many thousands of dollars to reach the same level. So, cost aside, how do you choose which program to use? The answer is that one size doesn’t fit all.
"The quality of feedback is important," according to Mike Levy, head of the school of languages and linguistics at Griffith University. "Sites with human contact work best," he said. "This shows the advantage of humans compared to computers. A computer is never as subtle or intelligent."
Pay and learn
RosettaStone, the best-known language program, now offers 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," 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 graph of 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 vocabulary, 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 apply for advanced courses with additional features on a monthly or six-month basis. For $20 a month, students can submit up to eight voice recordings 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 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 (假装的) 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 can communicate 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 japanese-online.corn, or learn-korean.net.
Applications for a smartphone
No program would be complete without an accompanying smartphone application, and many exist for the iPhone and other devices. Several are simple providers of useful phrases, including the Lonely Planet Phrasebooks, the Oxford Translator Travel Pro, and World Nomads. The Ultralingua Translation Dictionary offers simultaneous translation of English and six languages. Both RosettaStone and TellMeMore say that they are developing smartphone applications as supplements to their online programs, but neither has announced a release date.
Livemocha expects to have an application 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.
RosettaWorld is a product ______.
选项
A、being a main competitor of RosettaStone
B、by which users can chat online with natives
C、including traditional lesson-based module
D、by which users can play games related to language
答案
D
解析
该段末的分句提到RosettaWorld,其同位语表明它是一个可以提供与语言相关的游戏的在线社区,D是对where you...games的同义改写,故选D。A、B、C均是其他语言程序的特点,与题眼Rosettaworld无关。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/Ee57777K
0
大学英语四级
相关试题推荐
HowAdvertisementIsDoneThelanguageoftheadvertiserWhenwechooseawordwedomorethangiveinformation;wealsoexp
Careerplanningdoesnotnecessarilyfollowroutineorlogicalsteps.Eachofusplacesweightondifferentfactorsandmaycons
Geographyisthestudyoftherelationshipbetweenpeopleandtheland.Geographers(地理学家)compareandcontrast【C1】______places
Publicimage【C1】______tohowacompanyisviewedbyitscustomers,suppliers,andstockholders,bythefinancialcommunity,byt
Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteALettertotheMayoroftheCapital.SupposeyouareLiMingfromPekingUni
LegendhasitthatsometimetowardtheendoftheCivilWar(1861—1865)agovernmenttraincarryingoxentravelingthroughthenor
Belle,ourtinymonkey,wasseatedinherspecialchairinsideachamberatourDukeUniversitylab.Herrighthandgraspedajo
WhatisthesinglelargestcauseofsickleaveintheUK?Theanswerisnotthecommoncoldorflu,butbackpain.Backpainaff
Whatdeterminesthekindofpersonyouare?Whatfactorsmakeyoumoreorlessbold,intelligent,orabletoreadamap?Allof
Thecameracanbe______totakepicturesincloudyorsunnyconditions.
随机试题
怀疑宫外孕破裂大出血早期妊娠诊断
中耳炎的发病部位是
上述处方中崩解剂是上述处方中黏合剂是
A.胃肠道反应 B.二重感染 C.对耳蜗听神经损害 D.肾损害 E.过敏性休克链霉素最常见的不良反应是
国有资产监督管理机构应当进行审核的事项包括()。
华泰、华海两公司属同一集团,华泰公司为上市公司,2012~2014年发生的与投资相关的交易或事项如下:(1)2012年7月1日,华泰公司向中联公司的控股股东中运公司以每股15元的发行价格定向增发本公司普通股股票500万股(每股面值1元),取得中联公司25
从资金交易业务流程来看,资金交易业务可分为()。
随着市场经济的发展,我国的一些城市出现了这样一种现象:许多工种由外来人口去做,而本地却有大量的待业人员。假设各城市的就业条件是一样的,则以下各项都可能是造成这种现象的原因,除了:
WhydoesDr.Johnsonsuggestbuildingagreenhousenearapowerstation?
Childrenfrompoorfamiliesarealreadyayearbehindinvocabularytestswhentheystartschool,accordingtoaresearchpublis
最新回复
(
0
)