People who call themselves “citizens of the world” are more than likely to have lived in multiple countries around the world; some can even speak more than a half dozen languages—fluently. But for the majority of us, becoming a Polyglot, speaking a second or third language is a goal yet to be achieved. If you belong in that category, check out some of these free resources to help you brush up on your foreign language skills.
This tool seems to be the most popular language learning service, mainly because it features an addictive level-up system based on points earned for completing the lessons. Users can then practice what they’ve learned by translating real-world documents. The only drawback is that it currently only teaches Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Dutch.
The program largely focuses on memorization and extends beyond vocabulary and language to things like history and science. It’s augmented with memory tricks, images and other useful tools to make learning fun and easy. Memrise currently supports Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
All you do is download its flashcard program and teach yourself the essential words and phrases in nearly every major language.
The website contains free video lessons as well as PDF vocabulary forms which are suitable for someone who’s looking to study a language over the course of several weeks.
Find links to universities and other professional academic resources which can give you access to language learning materials. You can also access them through iTunes U.
For advanced learners, this website allows you to write journal entries in the language you’re learning, which are periodically reviewed and corrected by a native speaker, meaning you not only get to practice the arguably most difficult part of a foreign language—the writing—but get feedback from a native speaker.
There are many other free resources out there that can help you become the Polyglot you want to be. All it takes is a little bit effort, dedication, and a habit of saying ‘no’ to the age old excuses.
If you’re interested in learning more about globalization, localization and translation, check out our website here.
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