As the year wraps up, many of you might be planning exotic trips to Brussels, Paris, Stockholm, Lisbon, Paraguay, Beijing, or any major city in the United States where languages are as abundant as Uber and art museums. To prepare you for your journey, don’t waste money on Rosetta Stone. Use the Library’s online language learning tool, Pronunciator.
Pronunciator is available to all Arkansas Tech students, faculty, and staff. You will need to create your own account at first using your ATU email address.
Once logged in, you have your choice between 80 non-English languages. If you are a non-native English speaker, the service also provides ESL courses for speakers of 51 non-English languages including Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Japanese, Swedish and many more.
Learn at your own pace, or, for targeted objectives, through guided courses. The guided courses range from early learners (3-6 years old), young learners (7-12 years old), 8-week travel prep, beginner courses, and even a healthcare course. Choose the main guide to independently roam and explore the language through “postcards” where you can learn common expressions, cultural information, and more.
Get the most out of Pronunciator using a microphone and headphones, which allow you the ability to practice speaking the language. Pronunciator will play your recorded phrases back to you in comparison with the native speaker, provide drills to score how well you pronounce certain words and phrases, and offer assistance when you just can’t get the hang of it.
As you progress in each language, Pronunciator will let you review your overall progress and stats. You can also take practice quizzes, review flashcards, and nail your rolling R’s with drills.
Not only can you learn a language structured in a learning course, Pronunciator doubles as handy phrasebook, giving you instant access to probably the most important phrase you’ll ever need to know:
Remember, there is also a Pronunciator App for mobile devices, capable of syncing to your existing account. No matter where you are in the lesson, your phone or tablet can take your progress with you on the flight, train, ocean liner, or rickshaw.
Have a question about Pronunciator, the library, or where to find the best brunch in Stockholm? Let us know at Ask-A-Librarian. We’ll be open throughout the break, too, so stop in and grab a travel guide on the way to your next destination. Hint: Search Find It for “Eyewitness Travel Guide.”
Have a great summer!