Hello Folks -
Curious if anyone out there has tried to do some language studying while running.
I do a fair amount of my running on my own as it is, usually listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Pondering trying to put some language study into this, but want to gather some info before I plunk down any $.
Thanks,
-Charles
Rosetta Stone is a really great app but I think you’ll find that it’s a bit too mentally demanding, and interactive to be used effectively while running on a treadmill. The way they structure the lessons relies on nuance and subtle cues as you progress and it does demand a certain degree of focus.
Passive language tapes might work, but I don’t think they’re nearly as effective.
Rosetta Stone is a really great app but I think you’ll find that it’s a bit too mentally demanding, and interactive to be used effectively while running on a treadmill. The way they structure the lessons relies on nuance and subtle cues as you progress and it does demand a certain degree of focus.
Passive language tapes might work, but I don’t think they’re nearly as effective.
can i ask, what is it that you have to do that makes it challenging?
and do you need to be talking back into a microphone for it to work?
i should add that i tend to be running on paths, not a treadmill (and it’s not runs where i tend to be looking at my splits).
Pimsleur Japanese on recovery ride was good but you look totally weird when someone passes you and you’re speaking Japanese with yourself. I should definitely do this on the trainer uh… However running was harder, probably because of my lack of fitness but I happened to need my mouth to breathe and to speak. (pimsleur technique involves that you must speak/ repeat out loud) I don’t know about rosetta stone but that was my main problem.
I say go for it.
i should add that i tend to be running on paths, not a treadmill (and it’s not runs where i tend to be looking at my splits).
This is a complete non-starter then. Rosetta Stone is interactive and there’s no way you’ll be able to use it while running out in the real world. Forget splits – you wouldn’t be able to use Rosetta Stone on any run where you’re looking at where you’re going.
Sounds like Pimsleur might be possible based on alexvpaq’s description, but I’m still skeptical.
Rosetta comes with an audio cd-rom containing mp3 files that you can upload to your ipod or other device. I practice a bit every day in the car to and from work because of the availability of this. The op could certainly do the same thing.
Pimsleur Japanese on recovery ride was good but you look totally weird when someone passes you and you’re speaking Japanese with yourself.
This past summer I had to go get my bike from the shop, which is around 5 miles away. I figured I’d just run there, bike back. I was going to carry my helmet, but then realized it would be easier to just wear it on my head when I run.
If I can hack that, I think I can handle running while talking to myself.
This is very useful, though. Pimsleur over Rosetta Stone, it seems, based on what you and MacNugget are saying.
Hello Folks -
Curious if anyone out there has tried to do some language studying while running.
I do a fair amount of my running on my own as it is, usually listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Pondering trying to put some language study into this, but want to gather some info before I plunk down any $.
Thanks,
-Charles
I used to practice my Spanish during swim practice. I’d go through the verb conjugations in my head. String together sentences, etc. I don’t know that I could take in anything all that new while I was exercising, but I could definitely practice my Spanish skills a bit.
Agreed re: Pimsleur or Michel Thomas over Rosetta Stone, both are basic audio that you just “talk back” to. For the major language learning programs, the breakdown seems to be:
• Pimsleur teaches you sentence structure, basic verbs, basic conversational material.
• Michel Thomas (best for French, but good for other languages) works to teach you how easy it can be to learn, lots of cognates/shared phrases, and getting-around-town chat.
• Rosetta stone teaches you lots and lots of vocabulary (and requires much more direct interaction / game-playing).
I work a lot on foreign languages in my spare time and try to maximize all my time so I’m always doing something with languages when possible. I’ve tried Pimsleur and a few other sets while running and biking (on a trainer) and it doesn’t work well for me. I find my language retention drops off significantly when I am exerting myself physically. Don’t know why, but Pimsleur seems to work best for me when sitting still and breathing slow/relaxed. What does work for me is listening to streaming foreign language radio while running. When I go for longer runs I sometimes take my iPhone and listen to streaming news or talk radio in French or German and the immersion experience seems not to be hindered by exertion. However you would need a least a rudimentary level of language comprehension for this to be of much benefit.
If you want to try Pimsleur while running, you can download 5 unit packs of mp3s in the language of your choice at the Pimsleur website for around $20 so you can try a few hours of it to see how it works for you before dropping bigger $$ on the entire series.
Wow! I’ve been on ST for years and never had a question so well-suited to my expertise. I’ve worked at Rosetta Stone for 15 years and helped develop the product line.
What everyone is saying is pretty much spot-on. The main Rosetta Stone application is an interactive, multimedia experience: even in the app for mobile devices, you’re expected to click and speak frequently to demonstrate comprehension. There is, as an earlier post suggests, an MP3 “Audio Companion” that comes with Rosetta Stone. These are audio files of what you learn in the main application. They’re excellent for practice and review, but it doesn’t make much sense to listen to them before you learn the material in the application.
Pimsleur and Michel Thomas are interesting approaches and probably better suited if your only time spent studying will be on the run. If you decide you want to give Rosetta Stone a shot, I’ll be happy to answer any questions or give you advice about how to optimize your running/non-running study time.
Jack
Dude, you’re awesome. Glad to have your honest feedback. Should I decide to go w/RS I’ll most certainly be in touch! Though it does sound like this doesn’t fit what I’m planning to do right now, it might fit w/my needs sometime in the near future.
Hi Jack,
I have Rosetta Stone, which I practice every night. I also have the Audio Companion, which has MP3 files. Unfortunately, my 13-year old car has a CD player that does not play MP3 files, only old-fashioned CDs. Do you know how I can get the MP3 files converted to files that will play in my car’s CD player?
Thanks,
Sharon
I am on the second course of Pimsleur Italian and mostly do it when I am working out. I do better with languages when I see it written down, but doing the lessons when I am running or on my trainer is my only opportunity. The retention isn’t as good as if I were sitting there concentrating on it. But, it’s better to do it than not to do it.
@Sharon, I think iTunes will burn an old-fashioned CD from MP3 files. First, import the MP3 files into iTunes, then somewhere there’s an option to “burn CD”, and iTunes will convert the MP3 files into a format that can be read by a standard CD player and burn those files onto a CD. At least that’s how I did it a long time ago. Good luck!
I think it would be hard to run and learn anything more than vocabulary, but if that is what you’re after, “Drive Time (Spanish, etc.)” is a much cheaper option that might be worth a shot before investing in a more comprehensive program. You’ll still look weird repeating the words out loud to yourself though.