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Kiplinger
Kiplinger
Business
H. Dennis Beaver, Esq.

Can Language Apps Teach You to Speak a Foreign Language?

A young woman wears headphones while lying on the sofa with her laptop on her lap.

“I was asked to look into Spanish-language-learning programs for our insurance brokerage sales staff. Your past articles are highly critical of Babbel and Rosetta Stone. Their commercials claim to have developed a method of teaching languages with incredible speed. According to a Babbel radio spot, you can start speaking a new language in only three weeks by spending a few minutes a day studying. Are you still skeptical? What is your candid opinion of these language programs? Thanks, ‘Anthony.’”

Since Anthony asked for my opinion, here it is: “If you don’t want your employees to be able to converse in Spanish, both of these language programs are perfect!” I am amazed that the Federal Trade Commission or some state’s attorney general consumer fraud section hasn’t sued them for false and misleading advertising.

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