The search for the best language learning app for you continues. So today, are you ready to know more about Rosetta Stone VS Anki? Read on to today’s blog to learn more about these two amazing apps and whether they best fit your needs.
When we learn a new language, we desire to speak like native speakers. We want to learn vocabulary words, pronounce the words correctly, learn the sentence structure, learn grammar, and others. So, to learn our target language, we try different ways like taking language courses, speaking with native speakers, gathering different resources, and using language learning apps.
This blog will discover two amazing language learning apps that can help you learn a language – Rosetta Stone and Anki. These language learning apps are two of the most popular language-learning apps today. So, let us discover which app between Rosetta Stone VS Anki can help you learn a new language aside from your native language. You can also check the Rosetta Stone Review and Anki Review to know more.
Rosetta Stone VS Anki
Rosetta Stone and Anki are some of the most popular language apps for students and teachers. It is a tool that helps language learners learn a new language and achieve a convenient language learning experience. But, Rosetta Stone and Anki are different apps, and that’s what we’re going to find out in this Rosetta Stone VS Anki review. So, let’s not further the wait, and let’s discover what these two apps offer.
Rosetta Stone Overview
Rosetta Stone is a language learning platform developed by Allen Stoltzfu, invented in 1992. Rosetta Stone’s name is based on the ancient Egyptian artifact – the Rosetta Stone. Allen Stoltzfu developed a way to learn a language through immersion effectively. It also uses cloud-based solutions to help learners write, read, and speak more than 30 languages.
The Rosetta Stone course is the heart and soul of the platform. The learn-like-a-child approach is what Rosetta Stone is famous for. Learners will be exposed to their target language from the beginning. Through this, learners will learn their target language without any translations.
Rosetta Stone has grown bigger through time. It has joined huge companies like IXL Learning, IXL, Vocabulary.com, Education.com, and Wyzant. It is also an award-winning language learning platform. Some of the awards earned by Rosetta Stone are the 2021 EdTech Breakthrough Awards – Language Learning App of the Year, PC Magazine’s Editors’ Choice Winner -Best Language Learning Software (7 years in a row), and BMA Platinum Winner.
Rosetta Stone has helped millions of users learn languages quickly and confidently through the years. Various offices found in the US and six other countries prove that Rosetta Stone continues to grow and improve their program.
Rosetta Stone Pros
After discovering what Rosetta Stone is, let us now go to the Pros and Cons of Rosetta Stone.
Well-Developed User Interface And Software
Rosetta Stone’s cutting-edge digital solutions help motivated learners achieve good learning outcomes at home, in schools, and in businesses worldwide. From the innovations and development of the Rosetta Stone, you can imply that Rosetta Stone take their software seriously. They have many valuable features that learners can use to learn languages effectively.
One of the fantastic features that Rosetta Stone uses is speech recognition technology which helps learners improve their speaking skills. Other language apps don’t have this feature, an advantage of Rosetta Stone.
Well-Structured Lessons
Like what is stated above, Rosetta Stone Course is the heart and soul of the Rosetta Stone App. It uses 5-10 minute well-structured lessons to help students be fluent in their target language. Learners will learn the tasks in a flashcard-like approach. But it’s not just a typical flashcard as it involves activities, mini-quizzes, and other multimedia.
Uses Learn-Like-A-Child Approach
Rosetta Stone is known for its learn-like-a-child approach in learning languages. The app lets learners learn the same way they learn their native language. The learners should be exposed to their target language, so they will have to learn the lessons without translations and support from their native language. Although this could be challenging, the app uses spaced repetition system that helps learners transfer what they have learned from short-term memory to their long-term memory.
Variety Of Learning Activities
Rosetta Stone offers a lot of varied study modes. Although their main feature is the Rosetta Stone Course, the app also provides other learning activities to help learners develop their language skills. It can help learners practice reading, speaking, and learning a new word. Below are other features that Rosetta Stone offers:
- Rosetta Stone Courses – The Rosetta Course is well-structured and flexible to make language learning easy for language learners. Rosetta Course level has several units that focus on a language topic. There are four Core Lessons in each unit, as well as Focused Activities and a Milestone. Learners study language in Core Lessons by employing a variety of abilities, including reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Focused activities have exercises that focus on one of the linguistic skills. Milestones provide learners the opportunity to practice their new language in real-life situations.
- Phrasebook – The Phrasebook help learners learn vocabularies according to categories. These categories are usually real-life situations that will be helpful when learners actually start using the language to communicate with the locals. Some categories are shopping, dining, and greetings.
- Seek and Speak – The learners should prepare themselves for a scavenger hunt using this feature. The app will ask the learners to “collect” all the items given by taking a photo of them. This will make the learners go around their house or their surroundings.
- Live Lessons – This feature encourages learners to interact with each other students by the means of polls, pronunciation practices, and other activities.
- Audio Companion – Another thing that users admire about Rosetta Stone is the quality of the audio-recording that they use. This feature, combined with the Rosetta Stone TOTALe, which is a unique TruAccent® speech recognition feature, can result in a very powerful language learning experience.
- Stories – Stories are an integral factor in a child’s development. So, this feature of the Rosetta Stone app will help learners not just to pick up new words and vocabulary but also learn about the culture of their target language. Learners will choose a reading material that can be read aloud, recorded while reading it, or have a native speaker read.
Rosetta Stone Cons
Now that you have discovered the nice things about Rosetta Stone, let us now go to the cons. Even if this app is an award-winning app, there’s no such thing as the perfect app. Everything has room for improvement. So, here are the cons of using the Rosetta Stone App.
Repetitive
The Rosetta Course is indeed well-structured and proven effective by millions of users. But, this structure can be too repetitive for other learners. Nowadays, learners have a short attention span, and they resort to fun activities and games. The app also uses a spaced repetition technology which is the interval of the re-appearance of the vocabulary. These well-structured lessons can be annoying or repetitive to other learners, especially those who belong to the young generations.
Lack Of Lessons For Beginners
The immersive learning approach is a proven way to learn a language effectively, but it can be too challenging for some. We always wonder why it seems like children learn languages easier than adults. But, we have to know that the adult’s brain works differently than the child’s. Also, adults already have their native language, which they use as a foundation for learning a new language.
Rosetta Stone’s immersive approach can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Intermediate and advanced learners can learn a lot easier than beginners because they already have prior knowledge and some vocabulary in their target language. This can be used as their foundation in developing their language skills.
Limited Free Plan
Rosetta Stone offers a free plan for those who want to try and experience what the app can offer. The free plan can give learners a glimpse of what the app can do, but subscribing to a plan will make the most out of the app. But, this free plan is minimal. Once users are done with the free trial, they should subscribe to a premium version.
Anki Overview
Anki is one of the leading flashcard apps. It was initially launched for language learners in 2006, but today, Anki App has become a learning tool used to learn other lessons. The Anki App’s developers claim that it is optimized, media-rich, and fully extensible. It also covers many features like flexibility and synchronization, which are beneficial in learning a new language, exploring geography, studying medicine, studying law, and learning the guitar chords.
Now, Anki App is more famous for medical students to review their lessons. Almost 50% of medical students have already used the Anki app. This app can also help people with Alzheimer’s Disease and other memory problems. Anki App can help people with memory disorders fulfill their tasks in their everyday lives.
Anki Pros
After learning about the Anki App, let’s discover the great things about the Anki App.
Simple And Straightforward User Interface
Anki App has a simple and straightforward user interface. It has a more retro design, but it is very intuitive, making it easy to use. Even it has an old-fashioned design, it is proven to be very effective in learning. Anki App works like a regular flashcard. With this, you don’t have to take down notes because you can create your flashcards for a particular lesson. You can also navigate the app without leaving the keyboard. Anki App also has a grade A search function.
Online User Community
Anki App also has an online community where learners can ask for help from other learners. This enables learners to interact and share their knowledge. This also helps them clarify questions and correct mistakes if there are any. Other systems don’t have this feature which makes Anki App pretty interesting.
Beneficial For People With Memory Disorder
Anki App is also beneficial for people with a memory disorder. With a built-in spaced repetition technology, Anki helps learners reach their full capacity in retaining information that can be transferred from short-term memory to long-term memory. This is very important for people with memory ability because it can help them do their tasks on time and remind them what to do next.
Anki Cons
After learning about the great things about Anki App, let us discover the rooms for improvement.
Takes A While To Set-up
It is mentioned above that Anki App is pretty intuitive but setting it up is challenging, especially for people who are not so techy. It will take a while for learners to figure out how to get started with the app, but everything will be smooth once they get used to it.
No Varied Study Methods
The Anki App has only one learning method, which is the simple card-flipping method most people know. This App doesn’t offer other learning modes, unlike other apps. Learners can simply just click an arrow button to reveal the answer or the meaning of the term from the other side of the card.
Doesn’t Deeply Develop Other Languages
Anki App is a helpful app to learn vocabulary effectively but has minimal features for language learning. Although you can put audio in your flashcards, it’s hard to find audio recordings for the accurate pronunciation of the words. It also lacks immersion, where you can use what you have learned in conversations. Remember that learning languages are not just about learning words. All skills should be developed.
Rosetta Stone VS Anki: Which Is More Effective?
Searching for the best language app is overwhelming. With lots of apps online like Babbel, Duolingo, Mango Languages, Busuu, and more, Rosetta Stone and Anki are just two of the options to consider. However, in comparing these two apps, you have to know that these apps are way too different. They both cater to other users and learners, so comparing them might not be necessary. But, if you want to know more about Rosetta Stone VS Anki, continue reading.
Interface And Aesthetic
The first thing about Rosetta Stone VS Anki is the interface and aesthetic. As stated above, Rosetta Stone is a multimedia-rich and technology-driven app. The company is making its way to improve and introduce innovations over time.
On the other hand, Anki App has a straightforward, outdated interface compared to Rosetta Stone. It doesn’t have too many colors and multimedia; however, users can add audio and pictures to their flashcards.
We can say that Rosetta Stone is a more appealing and smoother user interface for language learning than Anki App. So, Rosetta Stone takes this round.
Languages Offered
Rosetta Stone offers 25 languages which you can see from the table below.
Chinese (Mandarin) | Filipino | Vietnamese | Korean | Japanese |
English (American | English (British) | Spanish (Spain) | Spanish (Latin America) | Portuguese (Brazil) |
Latin | Arabic | Greek | Hebrew | Dutch |
Russian | Italian | Hindi | German | Persian |
Swedish | Irish | Turkish | French | Polish |
Anki App also offers a variety of languages. The desktop version can be used in 48 languages, while the mobile version can be used in 14 languages. But, nowadays, it is more popular with medical and law students than learning a language. This is a decisive factor to consider between Rosetta Stone and Anki you should pick.
Features
From the features detailed above, we can see that Rosetta Stone has developed different ways to give users an engaging language learning system. The varied activities are believed to help learners develop their language skills.
Anki App doesn’t have those fancy features. It is a pretty straightforward app. It uses a typical card-flipping method, but this is way is more effective than you think. Anki App also has a feature to add videos, photos, and even blur words to test your memory on the material or lesson you are learning. It also has a fantastic search function that can help optimize your decks easily.
Regarding Rosetta Stone and Anki in terms of features, both have pretty powerful qualities that embody that app’s goal. But for language learning and developing other language skills, Rosetta Stone has more features to help learners achieve their language learning goals.
Gamification
Another factor to consider about Rosetta Stone VS Anki is the gamification feature. Anki doesn’t have the engaging, fun mini-quizzes and activities Rosetta Stone has. But, this doesn’t mean that Anki App is not fun to use at all. Again, let us remember that Anki App has grown from solely for language learning to a tool for learning different subject areas.
Spaced Repetition System
Anki App might lack on the fanciness and modern interface and design; it uses a compelling feature that is proven effective in learning – the spaced repetition system. This feature determines the time interval of the re-appearance of a term or vocabulary. This helps learners transfer what they have learned from short-term memory to long-term memory. Luckily, both Rosetta Stone and Anki uses spaced repetition system. But in Anki App, you can adjust this interval. So, we have a tie for Rosetta Stone VS Anki in a spaced repetition system.
Operating System
The next factor to consider about Rosetta Stone VS Anki is the operating system or the availability of the apps in different gadgets. Luckily, both apps have a web version and a mobile app version for Android and iOS devices.
For Rosetta Stone, you can simply go to their website and start learning, or you can also go to your Play Store or Apps Store to download the app. Without any hassle, you can start learning with Rosetta Stone using any of those ways.
Anki App offers different versions, which you can see below.
- AnkiDesktop -The computer version of Anki that can be downloaded for free
- AnkiWeb – It is the web version of Anki that can also be used for free
- AnkiDroid – Can be downloaded for free by Android users
- AnkiMobile – ThE iOS version but needed to pay subscription plan
Subscription Plans
One of the most important factors to consider in Rosetta Stone VS Anki is the pricing. When you’re looking for a language learning app to use, make sure to avail the free trial. You may not see the full potential of the app, but at least you’ll have an idea of how the app works. This is the perfect time to assess if it fits your learning style and your taste because if it’s not, it will be hard for you to learn a language.
Language learning apps have different free versions. Some are way too generous that they will let you try many lessons, and some apps only give you one lesson to try. So, you have to make the most out of the free version before deciding to spend money on a subscription plan.
Rosetta Stone is honestly not a cheap language learning app. The awards and the advanced features might be the reason behind this.
On the other hand, Anki App is free to use and download. This is another great thing about this app; unless you’re an iOS user, you have to pay $25 for lifetime use which is still not expensive. But, if you’re looking for a language learning experience like Rosetta Stone has, then Anki will not give you that.
Final Thoughts
As a language teacher, three factors matter in a language learning app – effectiveness for studying, workflow, and accessibility. These are critical criteria that should be considered. In the case of Rosetta Stone VS Anki App, Rosetta Stone has a solid well-structured, and well-developed program for language learners.
The features developed did not just come out of nowhere and are supported by different language learning theories. I’m no longer surprised why this app has many awards and is popular for language learners up until today.
Even if Rosetta Stone has these amazing features, this doesn’t make Anki App ineffective. It is proven effective, and it is being used by lots of students, not just language learners up until this day. The experience you’ll get with Anki App is satisfying, considering it’s free (unless you’re an iPhone user). It does its job, and it helps learners achieve their learning goals and manages to extend its service to people with memory disorders.
This Rosetta Stone VS Anki comparison is one of the ways to find the language app for you. Choosing a language learning app is a matter of unending trial and error. No app works for every type of learner as varied as the learners are, so as the language learning apps. You just have to find which suits your learning style and fits your budget. Remember, language learning requires a long-term commitment. It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a huge amount of effort, time, and even money. So, in choosing the best language learning app, make sure to consider all the factors you have read from here, and you’ll end up finding the app that’s best for you.
Ling App: A Must-Try App For Language Learners
Are you still looking for other language learning app options? Ling App can be the language learning app you are looking for. Actual language experts develop it, and every lesson is backed with linguistic research. With Ling App, learning languages can be fun and engaging. It has a well-developed user interface, various topics to choose from, and multimedia-rich lessons. You can also learn the right pronunciation of the words through audio recordings from native speakers.
If you haven’t tried Ling App, why not start your free lessons now? There’s no harm in trying something new. Who knows? This app might be the app you’re looking for.