Studies have found that students typically spend less than 30% of their time in a language classroom actually speaking the language.

One technique language faculty has used to ensure students get enough exposure to the target language is language labs. Among the many benefits that language labs offer students, perhaps most important is providing them a safe and friendly environment to practice and reinforce language instruction.

However, one of the many constraints of language labs is the finite number of stations they can support. However with the advances in language learning solutions and technology, it is now possible to add a virtual component to a language lab that empowers students to practice and reinforce language instruction from any computer or mobile device, in or out of the lab environment.

Rosetta Stone^® recently sat down with Dr. Shelley Patterson, a former Spanish language instructor and curriculum designer, as she shared her insights on this topic. Listen to this 10-minute podcast to discover:

• The evolution of language labs over time
• What a virtual language lab actually is
• The benefits of a virtual language lab, including the ability to track student progress
• How you can quickly add a virtual component to your existing language lab at your institution