How to Learn a Language Free Online

We all know that the best way to learn a new language is by immersion, or being in a place where only that language is spoken. You would interact with others, and read, speak, think, and live the language. But you can still learn a language at home, right in front of your computer. There are excellent resources on the web that make it easier than ever to learn languages (maybe not all of them, but quite a few), and with a little daily effort, you can be on your way to proficiency in your new language without spending a dime.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet Connection
• Ability to download and view videos on your computer
• Notebook and pen
• Blank Index Cards (optional)

1. Set a goal for the amount of time you will dedicate to learning your new language. I suggest a minimum of 15 minutes a day so that you don't forget what you have learned and can build on it much easier.

2. Start out with the free resources at BBC Languages (see the link below). There are basic courses in some of the more commonly learned languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese), and even some basics in less common ones such as Slovak, Ukrainian, and Greek. You can even sign up to get reminders delivered to you each week for introductory courses, to help you keep on track.

3. Go to YouTube and put your language in the search engine. There are a lot of independent producers that have posted educational videos there, and you may need to sift a little bit but once you find some good ones, you can use them to supplement your other learning.

4. Find an online translation site where you can translate English to the language you want to learn (an example is World Lingo, under resources below). Then, enter in words and phrases that come to your mind for certain situations and use the translator to get their foreign equivalent. Write it down in your notebook along with the English translation, and review these words and phrases daily before you do your lessons. Eventually they will be a part of your language memory.

5. If you have a particular hobby or interest, find its translation and then use your search engine (change the search engine to that language or country of that language if you will still be able to read it) and do a search on that topic. Once you get some pages, check them out. Look for sites with a lot of photos and pictures to make it easier. Your goal here is to translate a little at a time, so pick an interesting photo and translate its caption, or pick a paragraph to translate. Write down any words that you think you will use in the future.

6. Join an online language group. A really good one is EduFire and it has free flash card games. This will increase you vocabulary very fast. If desired, you can make your own flash cards to work with for a few minutes a day, using your word lists, phrases, and words you learn on EduFire. They have online video language lessons and tutors, and your first private lesson is free! This site is addictive!

7. Find an online friend whose first language is the one you want to learn, and who either wants to learn or practice their English. There are many places and ways to do this, such as FaceBook, etc... The idea is to exchange conversations with that person, either with video chat or internet chat. Take turns writing in English and then their language. If you need to, keep another window open with your translator to copy and paste what they are writing and what you want to say. You will need to be patient with this method, but it works, and you help each other out. You will learn the more common words real quick this way, and can chat about more interesting things than what is found in the lessons. You can also take turns trading lessons so you help them with English for 15 minutes, and then they help you with their language.

8. Go to the online magazines and newspapers in that language (see link for Newseum below). If you are able to read them, then you can do some online translations right away using your web translation site. Otherwise, do an online search for your language and look for websites that are dedicated to providing information on learning that language. A lot of universities now have sites with language resources for their students that are open to the public.

9. Subscribe to a "word of the day" e-mail in your target language. This is free, and you will get a new word every day to keep you going and motivated, even on those busy days! The link is below.

Tips & Warnings

• Stay consistent. Even if you can only do 5 minutes, its better than nothing, and try to make up for the missed time the next day. If you need to, keep a diary of your efforts. It will pay off!
• Writing things down in your goal language really makes a difference. If you can read that language, find paragraphs to write each day (making sure you know what they mean).
• If you want to do something fun, send e-cards to your friends and family in your new language. You need to find them with the foreign language search engine, and once you do, you can translate them and send the appropriate ones out. That will also help you understand the language, little by little, in how it is commonly used; you will have to explain the meaning a lot to them so it will become a part of your memory really fast. See links below.
• When finding a friend in your target language, do not give out your address or personal information and use an alias. This is common internet safety, but don't assume that a person is really from a certain place or speaks a certain language, because unfortunately, there are scammers out there that will want to take advantage of any naive person. Most people are kind and eager to help so don't be paranoid, either. Just be careful.

Resources

• Flashcards and Free Online Lesson
• Free Online Lessons and Videos
• Free Online Translator
• Free Language Learning Videos
• Free Links to International Newspapers and Magazines
• Free International Greeting Cards
• Free Word-of-the-Day E-mail

[paigeturner]

on 8/6/2009 Great resources. 5*