Why isn't European Portuguese Available on Rosetta Stone? An Analysis
Introduction
Rosetta Stone is one of the most popular language learning platforms available today. However, one major European language is noticeably absent from their course offerings - European Portuguese. In this analysis, we will explore some possible reasons why European Portuguese may not be available on Rosetta Stone and discuss the differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese. We will also evaluate the effectiveness of Rosetta Stone’s language learning method and whether it is well-suited for learning Portuguese.
Marketing Focus on Largest Markets
As the largest Portuguese speaking country, Brazil has over 200 million Portuguese speakers, far outpacing any other nation. From a business perspective, it makes sense for Rosetta Stone to focus their Portuguese course on Brazilian Portuguese to target this huge market. European Portuguese, while still widely spoken, has a smaller total number of learners globally. Resources are better spent catering to the biggest audience.
Perception of Minimal Differences
For those unfamiliar with Portuguese dialects, European and Brazilian variations may seem too similar to warrant separate courses. However, the differences go beyond accent and include vocabulary, verbs conjugations and grammatical constructs. Failing to acknowledge these subtleties could undermine a learner’s competency in either variant. More education is needed on how Portuguese diversified after colonial empire breakdown.
Methodology Limitations for Portuguese
Rosetta Stone teaches exclusively through immersion with limited grammar explanations. While effective for some languages, this may not be optimal for learning Portuguese.
Not Addressing Variations
Without directly addressing the differences, a Brazilian Portuguese course provides an inaccurate framework for European Portuguese comprehension and usage. Learners could pick up flaws that then require “unlearning” if studying the other dialect.
Benefits of Extra Support
For languages with Latin scripts like Spanish and Portuguese, traditional learning aids like printable verb charts and grammar guides can boost retention beyond pure immersion alone. Rosetta Stone’s solitary approach works best for languages with entirely unfamiliar writing systems.
Is Rosetta Stone Suitable for Portuguese Maintainance?
While an engaging first introduction, long-time Portuguese students often outgrow Rosetta Stone’s basicrepetitive dialogs. For learners seeking to refine proficiency rather than start from zero, alternatives better accommodate more advanced needs. Continued, self-guided study through extensive reading, media, and conversation is ideal at that stage.
Evaluating the Speech Recognition
An oft-criticized element is Rosetta Stone’s inadequate speech recognition technology. For learners attempting to train their ears and pronunciation, inconsistent feedback causes frustration rather than language progress. A human tutor could more understandingly guide enunciation than an inflexible computer program. The limitations especially show for Romance languages with subtle sound variations.
Suggested Alternative Approaches
For serious, self-motivated Portuguese students, free or low-cost options like instructional podcasts, online video libraries, language exchange apps provide rich, multifaceted learning without prohibitive expense. More personalized chat conversations help build familiarity compared to Rosetta Stone’s isolated, sterile listening drills. A mixed self-study approach works best.
Conclusion
While an entertaining starting point, Rosetta Stone has drawbacks that do not make it the ideal sole resource for learning European Portuguese or maintaining Brazilian Portuguese abilities long-term. More comprehensive programs addressing dialect differences and advanced needs are preferable. As with any language, learning is best approached through a variety of open resources alongside interaction with native speakers. Fundamentally, different learning objectives require customized solutions beyond any single product. 