Language Learning Apps See Boost During Coronavirus Pandemic
BOSTON (CBS) – People confined to their homes during the coronavirus crisis are using it as an opportunity to learn a new language.
Language learning website and mobile app Duolingo has always been free, but visits to their website and app have reached all time highs. Rosetta Stone is offering 3 months of free courses to students who are being home-schooled due to coronavirus, and Kaylyn Wilson is taking advantage of the offer.
Wilson is a 7th grader at Silver Lake Middle School. Her dad Mike noticed Rosetta Stone was offering free accounts for students back in March and Kaylyn has been studying French on the app ever since. Everyday she takes a break from schoolwork to complete a 30 minute lesson.
"I'm learning colors, numbers, certain foods. Pronunciation is kind of hard," Wilson told WBZ.
Wilson is not required to take a language for school right now, but wanted to get a head start for when she can take it next year. She says if it weren't for quarantine, she probably would have never found the time to do it while balancing school and sports.
"I think it's a good use of my time. I have a lot of time now because I don't have school I don't have to go many places," Wilson said.
"This is a rare opportunity because we might not have a chance to have this bonding time and learning time again so we certainty we picked up a whole lot of life lessons from from this quarantine situation. I hope that when things are back to normal we still continue to carry forth a lot of what we learned and think about what matters most to everyone," Wilson's dad said.
Wilson says her family is planning a trip to Paris when coronavirus passes and she's looking forward to using her new French language skills while she's there. Her dad says for now, his daughter is really using this time become a well-rounded kid.
"Kaylyn is also learning how to cook. She's made her own homemade spaghetti sauce, she made home made biscuits. It's a great time to learn things honestly."
To sign up for Roesetta Stone free courses for students visit their website.
