In preparation for a spring trip to Peru, I’ve been cramming Spanish. It’s been many, many years since high school French. In fact, I thought my language boat had sailed away, and I was ready just raise the white monolinguistic flag of surrender, but I’m giving language learning a fair shake this time around. And I was shocked to find how many free resources for learning a new language are available online.
Language experts believe the best way to learn is to immerse yourself in the language using multiple sources - so combine Lyrics Training with apps, flash cards and traditional audio learning (like the FSI program.) The more frequently you hear a word or a phrase, in different contexts, the more likely you are to remember it. This is a multi-pronged approach. And the most important part? Be easy on yourself. Consistency is key so even 15 minutes a day is better than an hour once a week. Have fun!
1. Lyrics Training
Lyrics Training is one of my favourite discoveries. Lyrics Training is a site that tests your listening comprehension. You have to type the missing lyrics while the song plays. I’ve spent hours testing my Shakira skills.
2. Duolingo
One of my favourite apps, Duolingo has turned language learning into a game. If you’re a mass transit commuter, this is the app for you. An independent study found that 34 hours of Duolingo was equal to one university semester.
3. Anki
More than simply an online flashcard system, Anki utilizes the idea of spaced repetition - meaning that we remember things more effectively if we spread our reviews out over time, inside of studying multiple times in one session. With Anki, you let the system know how well you were able to remember it or whether you forgot it completely, and the program uses your feedback to decide the optimal time to show the card again. The better you’re able to remember a card, the greater the time between the reviews, so you may see a question for the first time, then three days later, then 15 days later, 45 and so on. You’re able to import images and sounds. So in addition to the word gato, you can show a picture of a cat. Anki takes flashcards to a whole new level.
4. FSI Language Courses
The FSI Language Courses were developed by the Foreign Service Institute and are now all in the public domain. The courses cover 44 languages - everything from Lao and Korean to Hindi and Hungarian. Even though the courses are old (the narrator sounds like what I’d imagine a 1960s Ken doll would have sounded like), they are extremely comprehensive. You might get more out of them, if you have a little bit of experience with the language.
5. Open Culture
Open Culture put together a list of resources for learning 40 different languages for free. So if you’re looking for resources languages that are not as common as Spanish or French, check it out.
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