‘Learning a New Language’ Among Top New Year’s Resolutions
HARRISONBURG, Va., Dec. 28 /PRNewswire/ — Americans who make a New Year’s resolution to learn a new language in 2006 are not alone. This year “learn a new language” ranked fourth on CareerBuilder.com’s top ten list of most prevalent resolutions.(1)
“Language learning is a popular New Year’s resolution because it opens the door to meeting so many other goals in your life,” says Dr. Caroline Clauss- Ehlers, a bilingual counseling psychologist and assistant professor at the Graduate School of Education, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. “Whether you want to learn a new language to enjoy international travel, advance your career to an exciting new level, or enrich your life through self-improvement, language learning can be one of the easier goals to attain — especially if you can see incremental progress and gain the confidence to keep going.”
One of the best ways to learn a new language is through a language- learning software that uses a method that focuses on the natural way people learn their native language. Rosetta Stone interactive language-learning software, developed by Fairfield Language Technologies, is the fastest, most effective way to achieve success in a new language — and keep your resolution on track all year long.
Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion(TM) method uses carefully sequenced words, phrases and visuals to immerse users in the new language, allowing them to fluidly learn increasingly complex grammar and vocabulary. Audio from native speakers and thousands of real-life, color images convey the meaning of each spoken and written phrase, reconnecting people with the innate skills they used successfully to master their first language. Now is the time to begin learning. As an added incentive, if you purchase any Rosetta Stone Personal Edition CD-ROM product on the company’s Web site during January 2006, Rosetta Stone will extend its 6-month money-back guarantee through December 31, 2006, provide free shipping, and send periodic e-mail reminders and support tips to help you meet your goals throughout the year. Visit http://www.rosettastone.com/newyears for details.
Another key benefit to consider is that the programs allow learners to study at their own pace, on their own time, and to steadily gain the confidence they need to keep going. Without that confidence, many resolution makers fail to meet their goals — regardless of the resolution.
In a survey of 12,000 people who made New Year’s resolutions in 2004, CNN reported that nearly 30 percent bailed out by February.(2) According to Clauss-Ehlers, whose family is bilingual (in different languages) and is raising bilingual children, “having a built-in support system as part of your strategy is an important factor in your ability to attain your language- learning goals, and makes it much more likely that you will keep your New Year’s resolutions.”
Clauss-Ehlers offers the following strategies for language learners and other resolution makers:
Strategies to Keep New Year’s Resolutions — Choose a resolution that’s meaningful. Resolve comes easier when it is focused on something specific. For example, instead of choosing ten goals to work on, select just two that are most meaningful and that you are more likely to complete. This will help you stay on task. — Be realistic and flexible. Everyone has setbacks, so don’t give up if you break your resolution during the transitional period. Give yourself time to change, and treat yourself fairly. It takes time to incorporate new habits into your lifestyle. If you have a setback, stop and think about what may have caused you to slip, and then plan a way to get back on track. Change doesn’t happen instantly — it’s a process. — Make resolutions together as a family. Having a common goal allows family members to support one another in keeping the resolution, and gain quality together time in the process. For example, if your family resolves to learn Spanish before a vacation to Mexico, carve out some fun time by preparing a Mexican meal together while speaking the new language. — Have a buddy. Recruit a friend or co-worker, beyond a family member, who can offer additional support when the going gets tough. Having a buddy also means you have another person who is aware of your goal, which can be a motivating factor as well. — Focus on what your life will be like when you have met your goal. Motivation comes from envisioning how you will benefit from the change. When the going gets tough, think about how your life will be better. For example, will you be living in France? Will you have an exciting new job? Use this vision to spur yourself on toward your goal. About Rosetta Stone
Fairfield Language Technologies publishes Rosetta Stone, the revolutionary CD-ROM and online language-learning software acclaimed for the speed, power and effectiveness of its Dynamic Immersion method. Teaching 29 languages to millions of people in over 150 countries throughout the world, Rosetta Stone is the key to language-learning success. For the second year in a row, Fairfield Language Technologies is one of the fastest growing technology companies in Virginia as ranked by Deloitte and Touche.
The company was founded in 1992 on two core beliefs: that the natural way people learn native languages as children remains the most successful method for learning new languages; and that interactive technology can replicate and activate that immersion method powerfully for learners of any age. The company is based in Harrisonburg, Va. For more information, visit http://www.rosettastone.com/ .
(1) CNN.com, “10 New Year’s Career Resolutions,” Jan. 5, 2005 (2) CNN.com, “New Year’s Resolutions a Month Later,” Feb. 3, 2004
Rosetta Stone and Dynamic Immersion are trademarks of Fairfield Language Technologies.
Rosetta Stone
CONTACT: Grete Krohn, +1-612-375-8535, gkrohn@clynch.com , or AprilWhite, +1-212-414-6880, awhite@clynch.com , both of Carmichael Lynch Spong
Web site: http://www.rosettastone.com/