By Aleka C. Thrash

Rosetta Stone online language learning tools is accessible to the entire Cornerstone University community and can be used as a supplement to taking a language course or in preparation for a global experiences.

“It’s a great opportunity us to give students, faculty and staff an option to learn foreign languages” Michael Pasquale humanities division chair, and associate professor of linguistics said.

“If student are going on a mission trip they can include [learning the language] as part of the preparation process,” Pasquale said.

Rosetta Stone is offered at a discount to those interested including: traditional undergraduate, Professional and Graduate Studies (PGS), Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, faculty and staff. 

“Rosetta Stone is something that is online so it’s easily accessible to our students who are geography dispersed or student who what to access whenever they want, when every they have the time,” Trevor McCready, director of instructional technology said.

According to McCready the idea to offer an online language program, originated from the Professional and Graduate Studies (PGS) division.

“Looking at [how] it was possible to bring language to student’s partiality going on global trips that may not a have a requirement to take a language course,” said McCready.

Rosetta Stone is used by the United States Military, companies involved in global business practices, State Department and offers one of the best technology-based platforms for learning languages.

“We looked at Rosetta as being a quality name in terms of their success in helping people learning language, so we pursued that and were able to bring it to campus,” McCready said.

Although the language program is not offered for credit, it can be used as a supplement to courses offered or in preparation for global experiences. 

“This gives us access to language we don’t currently have, it’s not in competition to our courses I think it just complements,” Pasquale said.

With Rosetta Stone, Cornerstone is able to offer many more languages that may not available through traditional study.

“We don’t have a Italian class but a student can do the Rosetta Stone and a learn basic understanding,” Pasquale said.

Rosetta Stone is an interactive online program and each language comes with lessons at multiple levels of difficulty. 

“Rosetta Stone gives an option to help [students] while taking Spanish courses, it’s a lot cheaper than buying [cds] from the bookstore or somewhere else”, “its online so you can assess it wherever,” Pasquale said.

The available languages are:  Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, English (British), English (American), Filipino (Tagalog), French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain), Swedish, Turkish and Vietnamese.

“Most people want to be able to speak a foreign language but they don’t really know how to begin. Some people are not able to take a class… this is [another] option,” Pasquale said.

The language of your choice can access from anywhere via the Web, and can use as frequently as you wish for up to six-months from when you register. 

“As Christians we need to be open to learning language not just because it’s fun and interesting, which I think it is, but we may need to come across people who speak other languages, just here in Grand Rapids to talk with them in their language I think is a great thing,” Pasquale said.

The cost for six-months of online access is $125 and one language is offered at that price.

Forms are available in Odyssey go to CU Links, Instructional Technology, Content, Online Language Lab Request Form (Rosetta Stone) or for more information contact McCready at trevor_s_mccready@cornerstone.edu or 616-254-1656.