Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program

Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program
The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program was created by Rosetta Stone Inc. in 2004 for use by endangered language communities engaged in language revitalization. Organizations that contract the Endangered Language Program to develop custom software own the sales and distribution rights over their final product, allowing communities control over this language resource and respecting indigenous intellectual property rights. These versions are thus not marketed via the usual outlets such as bookstores or commercial websites.Groups sponsoring an Endangered Language Program project translate, adapt, and customize their edition of the software in conjunction with Rosetta Stone experts to make it culturally and linguistically relevant to their community. The flexibility of the Rosetta Stone method allows for Endangered Language Program projects to be used as part of an integrated school language program, or independently by children or adults to reinforce language use and provide unlimited exposure to fluent native speakers.

Currently, Rosetta Stone Endangered Languages offers one level of Inuttitut (also called Inuktikut, Inuit), two levels of Chitimacha (isolate), Navajo (Na-Dene), and Mohawk (Iroquoian), and three levels of Iñupiaq (Inuit).

Based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the Endangered Language Program began offering a corporate grant program in 2007 to underwrite development costs for awarded communities. Rosetta Stone Ltd. offered the first awards of the grant program to the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana and the Navajo Language Renaissance coalition. The Endangered Language Program also offers paid internships to graduate and undergraduate students interested in contributing to the work of the program.

Links for the Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program
Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program website

Endangered Language Program projects website