BARCELONA: Rosetta Stone has released a free Rosetta Stone Xbox One app called “Discover Languages” that aims to help people learn English or Spanish from the comfort of their couch.
You may be familiar with Rosetta Stone from the company’s software courses on the PC (and Mac), which are quite expensive packages – and while the console app is likely to be more limited than these £150 offerings, it does have one major bonus. Seemingly, it’s free (at least initially, anyway).
The Xbox One app will teach via “immersive simulation”, with a Discovery Zone, where you can travel to different locations and have conversations with a variety of characters, imparting knowledge such as object names, grammar and so forth. Basically, you’ll interact with a number of virtual environments and situations, with such immersion having been proved the best way to take a new language in.
The software also has a Training Zone to brush up on what you learn – it contains phrase books, cultural tips, games and recommendations for study. The program also keeps a record of your various achievements, and of course high scores.
