Some Districts Use Software Instead Of Teachers For Foreign Language Instruction

Meredith Orban wrote in a blog for FOX News (9/28) that Randolph, New Jersey "is one of several districts in the state cutting elementary foreign language teachers due to budget cuts." Though using Rosetta Stone software has allowed the district to save on language instructor personnel costs, not "everyone agrees though that a computer program is a suitable alternative to a living, breathing teacher. Brett Lovejoy, Executive Director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign languages points out that language learning is a 'highly intensive interactive process' and says the presence of a live teacher is very important."