Rosetta Stone / The Learnables®

The research procedures that led to the development of The Learnables® began in 1970 in the Speech Science Lahoratory of Dr. Harris Winitz and Dr. James Reeds at The University of Missouri-Kansas City. Many students were tested during the development of the program The initial article describing The Learnables® comprehension approach to foreign lanuguage learning was published in 1973 and later summarized in “Comprehension and Problem Solving as Strategies for Language Training,” The Hague: Mouton 1975. A second publication, “The Comprehension Approach To foreign Language Instruction,” Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House 1981, described further the system of instruction and procedures for the development of language lessons.

The TAPAC machine, an audio-video synchronized mechanical system, manufactured by Lehigh Valley Electronics, was used to display visual images and the audio sentences of the foreign language, as desktop computers were not available at that time. Dr. Winitz had several conversations with Mr. Allen Stoltzfus, the president of Rosetta Sone, regarding language teaching procedures, as Mr. Stoltzfus had adopted the Winitz and Reeds 1973 system of instruction for the development of the Rosetta Stone product (see letter and addendum below).

Currently the Rosetta Stone and The Learnables® systems of language delivery are very different, even though they both present visual images with text and sound by computer. In the development of The Learnables® product, large numbers of students were tested to determine the most effective means of language teaching, resulting in significant modification of the early system of instruction. The Learnable® no longer uses the four-picture guessing approach and isolated, unrelated sentences. Instead The Learnables® presents pictures in story-like fashion using linguistic procedures and semantic field theory that have been found to be effective and well received by students. The Learnables® has modified and improved significantly its original method of audio and picture presentation, making the methods of instruction for Rosetta Stone and The Learnables® now very different.

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