The idea for Rosetta Stone originated in the 1980s, when Allen Stoltzfus set out to learn Russian. Stoltzfus was having a difficult time with the language and he attributed his slow progress to his study methods. Years earlier, he lived and studied in Germany. His control of German was facilitated by the language immersion he experienced while abroad. To learn Russian, Stoltzfus realized that he needed to create an environment conducive to learning a language naturally, rather than sit in a classroom reviewing grammar rules and translating texts.