Free Rosetta Stone lessons offered at NSU Ethen Herrington TNE writer

Ethen Herrington/TNE Gaby Fernandez, Sapulpa junior and Janine Price, Cappi Wadley Reading and Technology Center secretary talk about benefits of the offered technology. Rosetta Stone courses are offered to students for free and students can learn up to four languages at the Cappi Wadley Reading and Technology Center. The languages offered include: Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese and English as a second language. The languages are also available to the city of Tahlequah and are not limited to students. "Rosetta Stone is free to any person whether it be a community individual, an NSU student, an elementary school child," said Janine Price, Cappi Wadley Reading and Technology Center secretary. Rosetta Stone is at no charge to any person that wants to utilize it. Rosetta Stone will help students and others develop language skills based on audio and visual aids. Hearing the language spoken will help with pronunciation and the visual aids promote an expanded vocabulary. Students can use any one of the 16 private computer pods to start the program. The pods have available seating at a desk and beanbag seating is also available. The pods are soundproof and promote a healthy learning environment. Dr. Tobi Thompson, director of Cappi Wadley said when the glass doors are closed you really cannot hear much. There are also five other rooms in which students can learn with laptops provided by the center.

The Cappi Wadley center is open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. on Fridays. "The best times are usually in the morning between 8 and noon," says Price. "We do offer evenings between 5 and 7 for people that work, students, NSU students, and people that can't come during the day." However, students might not have the best of luck during the 3-5 p.m. time frame due to the use of the computer pods for teaching purposes. To sign up students need to fill out an enrollment form, provided at the front desk, and pick out an available time slot to begin lessons. "It would be cool to learn a second language," said Mara Demuth, Bartlesville freshman. It is recommended that students start with a 45 minute session and build from there. The languages are provided to give students and residents an opportunity to learn in their spare time or to sharpen language skills they already possess. They should not be seen as a replacement for credited classes offered by the university. "It is an added benefit for those that are not taking the curriculum that NSU offers," said Price. The Cappi Wadley Reading and Technology Center is a great facility to learn and provides students with everything they need to learn a second language and more. It is located on the third floor of Bagley Hall. For more information, email herringe@nsuok.edu Published: 1-30-14 Photo cutline for image 1: Gaby Fernandez, Sapulpa junior begins first lesson on Chinese (Mandarin) in computer pod. The interactive audio lesson helps with pronounciation. Photo cutline for image 1.1: Gaby Fernandez, Sapulpa junior and Janine Price, Cappi Wadley Reading and Technology Center secretary talk about benefits of the offered technology.