On Jan. 18, 100 licenses to the foreign language-learning tool Rosetta Stone Classroom became available for students, faculty and staff to download.’ As of Wednesday morning, all the licenses have been reserved and 42 people are on a wait list.’

The Rosetta Stone software is an interactive program offered in 24 languages. Those with access to the online program only need a computer with high-speed Internet, one gigahertz processor speed, Flash Player, a microphone and speakers and/or a headset. ‘

Camille Sluder, a freshman in biochemistry and chemistry, said she wishes she had known about the opportunity to sign up for the program.’

‘I’m in level 201 of Spanish this semester, and I enjoy being able to speak with my fellow classmates and teacher in class,’ Sluder said. ‘Rosetta Stone would just be a supplement for me to give me extra practice, since my goal is to be fluent in Spanish.’

According to Kristine Alpi, director of the Library of Veterinary Medicine, Rosetta Stone Classroom was first obtained by the College of Veterinary Medicine international programs for use in the CVM library, and later in the D.H. Hill library, in CD-form prior to the free software initiative.’

‘Anybody could use the CDs, but they had to use them on the library’s computers and couldn’t take them out of the library,’ Alpi said. ‘We heard a lot of feedback from students who wanted to use the program online on their own computers. We decided to contact the Office of Information Technology and see what options were available.’

A focus group of library and OIT staff looked at the options offered by the Rosetta Stone company for universities.’

According to Mark Harben, Security & Compliance technology support analyst, Rosetta Stone Classroom could potentially be offered to all University students and faculty.’

‘We decided to start off with a pilot to see how much interest there was,’ Harben said. ‘We didn’t want to charge all students for the program straight out, but if there is enough response we can look at other options. The cheapest option for the most people is to get a site license for $40 per license.’

Education and Technology Services paid for the 100 online programs given away over the past week at $75 per license. The licenses will be available to the students who registered for two months.’

‘If the students like the program and need it longer we hope to be able to offer it to them again,’ Alpi said. ‘It’s all an experiment right now.’

Students on the wait list can expect some decisions to be made in the near future regarding possible expansion of licenses.’

‘We don’t have a plan outlined right now for students to pay for the program, so that is one thing we will discuss,’ Harben said. ‘We are actively working in groups right now and meeting with specific departments to discuss options.’

Mark Darhower, a foreign languages and literatures professor and a specialist in second language acquisition, said the Rosetta Stone program is worthwhile for those who want to learn basic vocabulary and grammar but cannot replace the classroom learning experience.’

‘Rosetta Stone is a nice supplement because it is interactive. It would help someone who wanted to learn the basics for a trip or vacation,’ Mark said. ‘If your goal is to develop fluency or proficiency in a language, however, there is no replacement for human interaction.’