Posts Tagged ‘learning materials’
Feb
Feb
Finding the sounds of Italian
Category: General, Italian · Tags: alphabets,Google,learning materials,using the web,YouTube
Some people have the fortune of a life that allows lots of travel, and for them, the best way to learn a language is, without a doubt, immersion in a country that speaks the language. For most of us, though, our careers or families keep us planted in one spot for most of the year.…
Feb
Feb
Really getting started
Okay, so we’ve spent a week learning little more than the Italian alphabet, and you’re starting to wonder how anyone can be fluent in a year at this pace, right? Obviously, they can’t, but I still insist that this was the most important week you will have spent on the way to your goal. Everything else is just learning! Okay, okay, don’t panic. I’ve still got a lot of tricks up my sleeves to share with you. We’re definitely going to make it more interesting and fun.
Feb
Feb
The best free dictionary money can buy!
By now, you know how to pronounce words, and you’ve gotten started learning new words. But you probably don’t feel like you know anything really useful yet, and that’s not fun. So let’s change that.
Feb
Feb
Traveler phrasebooks are excellent learning tools
After you decide to learn a new language, it’s hard to know where to start. Classes and tutors can be expensive and inconvenient. Many books can be frustrating. And software solutions tend to be extremely expensive! I like to spend as little as possible on learning materials. In most cases, you can find something just as good for free on the internet. However, sometimes it’s just better to have something you can carry with you. A phrasebook is one of those things.
Feb
Feb
Use Google Reader to learn languages
I don’t like to do a lot of work when I’m learning a language — it requires too much time and effort, and it burns you out quickly. One thing that eats up a lot of time and feels like a lot of work is clicking around on a dozen web sites every day.
Mar
Mar
Fluent in one week? The Esperanto challenge!
While looking into the rudiments of Esperanto on a bit of a weekend whim, I tweeted, somewhat jestfully, that I could imagine someone being able to acheive fluency in Esperanto in one week. That remark was met with a friendly challenge and even a starting point, and so I’ve decided to give it a try.
Apr
Apr
What to do when the free lessons run out
At this point, depending on what language you have selected, some of you might be coming to the end of your LiveMocha programs. If that’s the case, you are now faced with the dilemma of finding new learning materials, and of keeping yourself motivated.
Apr
Apr
Busuu – another social tool for language learning
I have already shared several free online language learning resources in previous posts, but there are always more to try. Recently, someone pointed me to a new one which I hadn’t heard of yet, called Busuu. I tried it out, and today I want to share with you my thoughts.
Apr
Apr
A top-notch online German dictionary!
Category: General, German · Tags: dictionaries,learning materials,using the web,vocabulary
I am a big fan of WordReference, as most of you already know, but I saw this web site mentioned in a post by Benny after the first week of his three-month mission in Germany. After having a look, I thought it was a great tool to add to the language-learning arsenal, and worth a mention here.
May
May
The first book you read in a foreign language
If you’ve been doing the LiveMocha, it’s likely that you’ve finished by now. And if you haven’t been doing it — either because your language isn’t offered, or because you just don’t like LiveMocha — you’re even more likely to need some new materials. And if you’re not already done with LiveMocha at this point, it’s probably time to be done anyway. It’s an excellent free resource for getting you started in a language, but it’s not good enough to get you to the next level.