6 Online Tools for Language Learning at Home
Introduction
Learning a new language nowadays has changed. If you aspire to be a polyglot, and you feel that you don’t have the time or money for traditional language classes, you can try one of the options below and begin learning from anywhere, anytime! Learning a language can be fun and unconventional. Some of the benefits of online learning include 24/7 access, modern learning technology, and a comprehensive and systematic approach. Language learning apps are also great for children since they are familiarizing them from an early age with a language in an interactive and fun way! Many of the following programs focus on different aspects of learning a language, so you can choose which one better suits your needs. Below are the top 6 online tools for language learning at home :
Pimsleur
Pimsleur is one of the most effective language learning programs there is. Its learning method is based on the idea that users need to be comfortable communicating in everyday conversations. Having said that, Pimsleur has a lot of pre-recorded clips where the user is listening and repeating. Unlike other language learning programs, Pimsleur is actually thoroughly researched, and it combines many language learning methodologies to interact with the user! It’s quite affordable, too, with its most popular programs starting from $14.95 per month.
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone is a 90s project that got completely redesigned for online language learning! Rosetta Stone’s learning methodology is based on a combination of repetition, listening, and rewarding the user! Especially when learning a language that has its own writing system, it’s important to familiarize the user with the sound of the characters. Rosetta Stone has a revolutionary speech recognition tool that helps the user pronounce words and sentences – like a native! When learning a new language, a great tool that will be able to help you, in the long run, is starting to read books in that language on your own or trying to do translations of basic text. Hiring professional translator services will help you tremendously by providing you quickly with vocabulary and insights on important texts.
Duolingo
One of the most famous language learning apps is Duolingo! Duolingo is an American language learning app that uses a freemium model as means of revenue; that means that they offer the app free of charge, but they have a premium service that has more benefits. Duolingo offers 106 language courses in 40 languages as of June 2021. They have language courses that are very short and even if you don’t have time you can do a small lesson that will take you 5 to 10 minutes. A great thing about Duolingo is its notification system. The user sets daily goals to keep them motivated, and the app reminds them via a push notification to complete their goal before the end of the day. It is structured in a way that you don’t feel overwhelmed while you are actively learning! Duolingo as of 2020 had 500 million users and 40 million monthly active users.
Babbel
Babbel is a mobile application mostly that focuses more on getting you acquainted with everyday conversations and its courses are 10 to 15 minutes long. It has among others a great review system to help you stay in touch and remember what you learn and is highly interactive in the form of dialogues, so you can start speaking confidently! Babbel offers 14 languages at the moment: English, Danish, French, Italian, German, Indonesian, Dutch, Norwegian, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish. Babbel states that 92% of its users improve their language proficiency in just 2 months!
Netflix
You might think that Netflix is only an entertainment platform, but you’re wrong! With shows that are in over 20 languages, watching series and movies can help you get acquainted with a new language! A fun method that you could implement is watching a series in the language you are interested in first with subtitles in your own language, and then watching it again with subtitles in the language you are interested in learning!
Tandem
Tandem is a language exchange app. It’s based on the concept that native speakers from around the world can teach each other languages! From July 2020 Tandem offers over 300 languages and among them 20 sign languages and 20 indigenous languages! Unlike the other apps, in Tandem you need to apply to become a member. Each application is reviewed individually to ensure that both parties – you and your language partner- will learn a language successfully.
Conclusion
To conclude, if you want to learn a new language on your own, at home, and systematically, there are many tools that can help you! You can choose a combination of tools, not just one! But learning a new language requires effort and personal drive – be sure to make a schedule, so you know you are progressing steadily!
