RosettaStone products make use of a standardized template which present users with a screen containing four images from which the correct response must be chosen to an audio prompt. For example, presented with the phrase siku nigliñaqtuq (which the user might only hear , not see written), the user is expected to click on a picture which has something to do with this phrase. For example, a child holding a piece of ice (the phrase means 'the ice is cold'). Note that the user is not necessarily expected to know the precise meaning of the phrase or to be able to translate it. They just need to know enough to be able to recognize the appropriate image. In this way the software comes close to simulating actual language learning, in which the learner's understanding builds and improves over time.
One downside of this software is that it is not able to respond to the user. The interaction is one-way:
the computer speaks, the user clicks. Dedicated learners will benefit from repeating the sounds produced by the computer, but they are not able to engage in a conversation with the computer. (The software does allow a user to record their voice and compare the audio waveform to that of a Native speaker pronunciation.) Still, a dedicated learner will likely benefit greatly from active use of the software. Elders may grow weary of repeating words or sentences again and again, but the computer can repeat as long as the learner is willing to listen. As with any language learning situation, the more effort a learner puts in to using this software, the more rewards it will pay. This new software will be an important addition supporting Inupiaq language revitalization on the North Slope.
Listen to the full APRN report by Jane Neher here.
