Rosetta Stone is a language-learning software program for PC that, believe it or not, plays a lot like a videogame.  Users will use their mouse to click appropriate pictures or phrases that match the onscreen visual cues and spoken verbal cues.  It even comes with a microphone to help gauge pronunciation.  The entire process requires critical thinking, much like many puzzle or strategy videogames.

The TOTALe version of Rosetta Stone is designed for kids 13 and up, although older tweens can benefit from it.  There’s also a homeschool version of Rosetta Stone, which we’ll be reviewing shortly, that promises to be better suited for younger kids.

We took the Chinese (Mandarin) version of TOTALe.  Outside of Ni-Hao Kai-Lan, we had no knowledge of Chinese whatsoever prior to starting Rosetta Stone, so we figured this would be a good test.

After going through the installation process, you jump right in and are presented with sentences in the language you are learning, accompanied by pictures.  The system comes with a headset/microphone, so you hear a native speaker pronouncing what you’re hearing.  There’s no talking to you in English at all, you immediately are presented with the pictures and sentences.  It’s up to you to figure out what the words mean, notice the differences, assign them to the pictures.  Instead of being told explicitly that “nan ren” means “men,” your brain is forced to make that connection itself, and we could feel immediately that this was a quick and satisfying way to learn a language.  It felt like we were figuring it out ourselves, not being told how it works.

Rosetta Stone Stone TOTALe is broken down into 4 units, each with 4 lessons.  Each lesson takes about 30 minutes, and those are followed by smaller 5-10 minutes sessions.  These sessions reinforce words and phrases you’ve already learned, and also gradually introduce new vocabulary.  We really like how Rosetta Stone indicates approximately how long a session will take.

After going through a few lessons, you can access Rosetta World, which is a chance to apply what you’ve learned in fun and interesting ways.   As if the entire Rosetta Stone experience wasn’t already videogamey enough, there actually are games that help reinforce what you’ve learned which can most definitely be considered educational videogames.

In MemGo!, players play a traditional game of memory, trying to make a match.  But the twist is that you have to match a written phrase in the language you are learning with the right picture.  So you are really applying your knowledge and memory in order to put together pairs.

In Picari, you are presented with a stack of photos, and must double-click the one that represents a written phrase as quickly as possible.  The quicker you identify it, the more points you get.

After completing a full unit, you then get an opportunity to participate in Rosetta Studio, which is a chance to converse with a native speaker in the language you are choosing.

This feature underscores one major consideration for users of Rosetta Stone.  You’ll need to make sure you’re in an area and place where you can speak when going through the lessons, as there are times where you’ll need to repeat phrases or words on screen as Rosetta Stone checks your language.

One other feature worth mentioning is the Rosetta Stone concierge service that comes with copy of Rosetta Stone.  A language lesson expert will contact you shortly after your purchase to check on your progress, answer any questions and be available for you should you have any questions or concerns.

As a final add-on to the Rosetta Experience, there’s also a free Rosetta Stone which offers “flash card” style words and pictures for each lesson and session.  Interestingly, the default option requires you to pronounce what you are seeing correctly, which we found a bit odd since chances are if you’re on your phone looking at the App, you might not be in a place where you can speak freely.  It makes sense in the context of being helpful flash cards, but it still didn’t quite work for us.

Although Rosetta Stone TOTALe may seem like a weird fit on a videogame review site, it’s actually a lot like one, from the way players use critical thinking to teach themselves language to more traditional videogame experiences contained in the software’s Rosetta World portion.  Although it’s a little more expensive than your traditional game, there’s clear educational value in Rosetta Stone - the benefit of teaching players a tangible skill – a new language.  It’s a perfect summer break videogame, and one that parents should have no problem letting their kids participate in.