Rosetta Stone for Schools Partners with Youngstown State University to Strengthen its Foreign Language Program

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Dec 04, 2024, 08:15 ET

This collaboration merges YSU's expert faculty with Rosetta Stone's cutting-edge technology to deliver an immersive, multi-layered language learning experience

SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosetta Stone, the world's leading language learning brand, has announced a new partnership with Youngstown State University (YSU) in Ohio. The university will combine the expertise of its faculty and Rosetta Stone's interactive activities to enrich YSU's Foreign Language Program, creating a deeply immersive learning experience that prepares students for academic and professional success. More than 22,000 educational institutions worldwide rely on Rosetta Stone to equip learners with the language skills needed to thrive in a multilingual world.

YSU students benefit from Rosetta Stone’s extensive collection of engaging lessons, career-readiness content and unlimited one-on-one or small-group tutoring in Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Youngstown State University's reimagined Foreign Language Program exemplifies its commitment to providing an immersive, multi-faceted learning experience. Along with targeted classroom instruction from experienced professors, students benefit from Rosetta Stone's extensive collection of engaging lessons, career-readiness content and unlimited one-on-one or small-group tutoring in Spanish, French, German and Italian. This scalable program empowers students with practical language skills, positioning them for success in a global workforce—all while earning credits toward YSU's foreign language requirements.

"This hybrid approach not only facilitates flexible learning but also fosters a deeper understanding of language," said Charlie Howell, dean of YSU's Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, and Education. "We believe that Rosetta Stone's immersive experience will empower our students to become global citizens and effective communicators in an increasingly diverse society."

"We are excited to partner with Youngstown State University, an institution that shares our commitment to nurturing curiosity and lifelong learning," said Paul Mishkin, CEO of IXL Learning. "By integrating Rosetta Stone's immersive platform with YSU's expert faculty we are providing students with the tools to speak a new language with confidence, unlocking academic and professional opportunities."

Relevant, tailored content for real-world scenarios
Each student's learning pathway is individualized from their first interaction with Rosetta Stone. Placement assessments quickly determine a targeted path for each learner, immersing them in interactive content tailored to their exact proficiency levels. Real-world images and audio from native speakers help learners build context and meaning. This immersive method is similar to how we acquire language as children to accelerate acquisition and increase retention. At more advanced levels, learners can access specialized courses focused on education and occupational skills, such as email etiquette, résumé writing, and understanding medical terminology. These targeted lessons empower students to apply their language skills in professional settings, ensuring they are well-prepared for life after graduation.

Strong verbal skills are essential for mastering a new language. Recognizing this, Rosetta Stone offers targeted speaking practice that helps students develop conversational fluency. One-on-one and small-group tutoring sessions with native speakers provide structured opportunities for students to practice their speaking skills. Through conversations with qualified tutors, learners become more comfortable communicating in classroom and everyday settings. During independent practice, TruAccent, the platform's speech recognition engine, gives immediate feedback on how well students spoke each word or phrase compared to native speakers. This feature helps students confidently refine their accents by showing them that their pronunciation is authentic.

Additionally, Rosetta Stone gives faculty tools to effectively monitor student progress. Robust reporting and grading tools allow professors to assess individual and group achievement by tracking real-time usage. Educators can leverage these insights to inform daily and long-term instructional decisions, tailoring in-class and one-on-one lessons to students' unique strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, Rosetta Stone lessons align with Common European Framework References (CEFR) standards, measuring learners' skills against international benchmarks to ensure they are making meaningful progress.

About Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone has dedicated itself to changing people's lives through the power of language for more than 30 years. The company's innovative digital solutions use advanced technology to help learners at home, in schools, and in workplaces achieve their language goals. By learning with Rosetta Stone, people experience the joy of being able to read, write, and speak 25 languages, and make deeper connections with the world around them. Rosetta Stone joined the IXL Learning family of brands in 2021. IXL Learning includes IXL, Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com, TPT, inglés.com, FrenchDictionary.com, Wyzant, Vocabulary.com, ABCya, Education.com, Emmersion, and Carson Dellosa Education. Discover how IXL Learning's products are shaping the future of education by exploring its newsroom.