Surprisingly enough, there doesn't seem to be an OSS equivalent to Rosetta Stone.

[sajro]

I've searched high and low, yet there doesn't seem to be any open-source software equivalent to the Rosetta Stone software. I find this surprising because of how successful and useful an app like this would be.

For example, there could be a program (let's call it GnuStone) that is modular and simple. You start off with an empty library of languages and then you load libraries in individually. For example, I could install it through my package manager, then use the package manager or manually download, let's say, the language library for Serbian. Then I could load up the Serbian library and start learning through the same method Rosetta Stone implements so successfully.

Imagine the benefits of the openness on the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the language packs. Naive speakers could proof it and refine it, adding explanations of nuances the language doesn't officially have, but exist in practical usage. Near-dead languages only offered in special academic settings (such as Latin) could propagate and become more accessible. Languages like Basque may become clearer to non-native speakers and Esperanto may reach its original purpose.

Of course, we would be using peoples' copyleft pictures and audio. All work done on the project would be from desire to help your fellow man, not monetary incentive. Can you feel the gushy altruism?

So, isn't it surprising this hasn't been done? The Rosetta Stone's language learning paradigm is one of the most effective and immersing ways to learn a language and it seems the ideals of open-source fit such a thing perfectly: people are freer when they aren't restricted by speaking just one language. They can observe more culture, absorb more information, and become generally more enlightened.

What do the Ubuntu Forum'ers think?

[hhhhhx]

rossetta stone is more than a program, it is hard to learn a language and takes more than a programer

[frup]

Weird, every language class I have ever done emphasises not translating (although this is important at times) but actually using images to memorise a word/saying. Rather than translating from say English to German in your mind when you think of Table and der Tisch you need to immerse yourself in the Language and learn to think of the object that is a table as der Tisch.

On the other hand, as you rightly state, it can be very hard to learn colloquialisms and figures of speech and the only way to really learn these is to find out directly asking someone what they mean.

[Meson]

Some software is just that, code. Rosetta Stone is just plain work. It's not really the source of the program that matters but the content. There are some free language tutorials online.

[Catharina]

Open source software and open content are two different things as been said here, so it also needs different contributors We run a portal for open content education and there are some language courses on there too, but the quality is not the same yet as the professional courses.

But luckily more and more content becomes available under free licenses, like creative commons, so I think there is a great future for open educational content.

If you like, have a look at http://www.open-of-course.org

Other resources:

http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Main_Page

http://cnx.org/

And an open content search engine: http://www.opencontentonline.com/search.php

[clanky]

I not this is not exactly on topic, but for language learning on-line the BBC is very good BBC Languages (http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/homepage/d/int/br/lea/languages/t/-/languages/)

[tylerspaska]

I don't know how to program anything, but if someone took on a project like this and make it so that people could add languages without knowing how to program (if all you had to know was the languages and you could add the information in some way). I would work on a language pack for those who speak English and want to learn Finnish. It wouldn't be helpful to very many people, but I would do it none the less.

I think it's a great idea. Like I said, I can't even program "hello world," so I don't know the ins and outs of how hard or logistic it would be to make such a program, but if it existed I would use it and help with the languages I know.

[detgar]

I've never heard of Rosetta Stone so it wouldn't surprise me if I'm OT.
That being said, check out Wordnet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WordNet). It seems to be English only, though, but it's BSD licensed, maybe you can do something with it?

[Catharina]

I don't know how to program anything, but if someone took on a project like this and make it so that people could add languages without knowing how to program (if all you had to know was the languages and you could add the information in some way). I would work on a language pack for those who speak English and want to learn Finnish. It wouldn't be helpful to very many people, but I would do it none the less.

I think it's a great idea. Like I said, I can't even program "hello world," so I don't know the ins and outs of how hard or logistic it would be to make such a program, but if it existed I would use it and help with the languages I know.

If you like you can join http://www.open-of-course.org (http://www.open-of-course.org) for that. There is no need to program, it works with tekst- and or html editors (I prefer the last one).