by alextabar
Presented by Rosetta Stone
Have you ever traveled to a foreign country and grabbed the menu at a restaurant only to go blank? You order based on what you see in a picture, or worse, you order a random dish playing “eenie meenie miney mo” and crossing your fingers that you have made a good choice.
Being the foodie that I am, every time I visit a country what interests me the most about a culture is its gastronomy. Since I want to try everything, in several countries I have to guess when ordering from a menu, sometimes even simply pointing to a photo. And although on several occasions I have emerged victorious and I have gotten some of the best dishes that I have tried in my life, on other occasions I have left the meal untouched on the plate.
Other people have fared much worse. Can you imagine ordering a dish that has an ingredient you are allergic to?
The days of wandering lost in the world are over!
After downloading the Rosetta Stone app (click here to download) several weeks ago, I am sure that I will never eenie meenie miney mo my way to a blind food choice again. I am surprised at how much I have been able to practice Spanish with the app, especially related to my interests in travel and gastronomy.
Available for iOS and Android, in the app you can find everything from basic vocabulary and pronunciation classes– in topics such as food and cooking– to interactive activities where you can practice a complete conversation, including making a reservation to eat at a restaurant.
The Rosetta Stone app (click here to download) has won countless awards, and can go with you anywhere, even when you don’t have an Internet connection. With the app, you can practice up to 24 languages, including: Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain), English (US), English (UK), French, Japanese, Italian, German, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Korean, Dutch, Tagalog, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Farsi, Polish, Swedish, Turkish and Vietnamese.
Make a restaurant reservation like a pro
Recently as I prepared for my next trip, I focused on practicing with the “Phrasebook” feature, part of the interactive section of activities called “Extended Learning,” where you can find a program by level, and you can participate in language development activities.
Within this feature there are several topics, such as “Getting Around,” “Staying in a Hotel” and “Shopping,” but the one that I liked and I’m sure will be useful in my next adventure is “Dining Out.” Here you can hear a native person saying common phrases and then practice listening and repeating with TruAccent®, the world’s best speech recognition technology.
With this feature you can learn and practice making a restaurant reservation until you feel comfortable, from the moment you grab the phone to call and make the reservation until you arrive at the restaurant, order and pay.
Another very important thing to mention that I found within the same feature is the “Health and Safety” section, which includes a part related to allergies, which as I mentioned before, is very important to take into account (if you suffer from any) when ordering a dish in another language.
The Rosetta Stone app (click here to download) is your new travel buddy, before and during the trip
Traditional language classes are a thing of the past! When you plan your next trip, forget signing up for one of those basic classes where you learn words that you may not even use. The Rosetta Stone app is your new travel companion, which you can use to learn both before your trip and “on the go” in a fast, modern, interactive and fun way.
The Rosetta Stone app (click here to download) offers a monthly subscription that works on both your computer and your mobile devices (phone and tablet). This app is for those who want to learn a new language and go beyond simple words or phrases.
The app has extensive content and countless lessons developed by linguists and education specialists, teaching the language without the need for translation. It is definitely a more natural way to learn any language with confidence, no matter how old you are.
Now, which new language are you going to take on, and what is the next country to visit on your list? I hope that the days of blindly trying dishes have come to an end, and that the next time you go to a restaurant you will be able to order the most delicious dish on the menu.
