100 Free Foreign Language Classes Online March 1st, 2010 If you have always wanted to learn a language but were too put off by the high cost associated with most classes, then take a look at all these great opportunities to learn a foreign language online, at no cost to you. With so many learning opportunities online, it is a shame not to take advantage of all that you can, so be sure to spend some time with these classes. Whether you want to learn one of the major world languages or want something a little less popular, there are sure to be lessons here to help you start to speak whatever language you are interested in learning. French If you want to learn French, no matter your experience level, then check out these free classes. BBC Languages French. Spanish From the basics to more advanced college courses in Spanish, see what is available in this listing. Learn Spanish. German Learn German from these free classes. BBC Languages German. Italian Italian Language Course. Portuguese BBC Languages Portuguese. Japanese Chinese Chinese I.
RhinoSpike : Foreign Language Audio on Demand! 75 Free Language Learning Resources Online Whether you’re trying to learn English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Italian –you get the picture – it’s good to get free help along the way. Luckily, there are tons of free online resources out there. Here are 75 to get you started … 1. 101Languages.net – Learn basics like vowels, consonants, phrases and vocabulary for various languages like Arabic, Bambara, Cebuano, Estonian, Icelandic, Latvian and Serbian. 2. 123TeachMe.com – 123TeachMe offers free learning materials, including games, quizzes, vocabulary builders, mp3 study lists, RSS vocabulary lists and more for adults and children. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. eLanguage.com – While the site isn’t completely free, it does offer free resources for various languages, including grammar guides. 17. eLanguageSchool.net – A huge resource for learning multiple languages, including Dutch, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Korean and German. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 31. 32. 34. 35.
Any phonetic script can be learned in just a few hours | Fluent If you liked my association technique mentioned below, you would also enjoy my tips on using imagination to memorize vocabulary, which are discussed in great detail with many other hacks in the Language Hacking Guide. See the most popular posts on the right below for other interesting topics. For those curious, this post discusses Thai, but the ideas can equally be applied to other phonetic scripts such as Japanese (but not as well for Chinese). Just one week into the challenge of reading/speaking Thai in 8 weeks (actually only about 5 hours total, since I’ve been quite busy since I arrived, but I’ve made time to learn on the skytrain/in restaurants/taxis etc.) and I’ve reached the first major milestone already. I can read Thai. The major thing still missing is tones, which admittedly are an extremely important part of this language that cannot be ignored and I will get to shortly (Edit: Done! It was actually way easier than I expected. From squiggly symbols to new letters า ท Challenges ร
Glottopedia Ten Most Difficult Words to Translate Sometimes even the finest translators come up against words that defy translation. Many languages include words that don’t have a simple counterpart in another language. When translators come across such a word, they usually describe it so that it makes sense in the target language. Mamihlapinatapei From Yagan, the indigenous language of the Tierra del Fuego region of South America. Jayus From Indonesian, meaning a joke so poorly told and so unfunny that one cannot help but laugh. Prozvonit In both Czech and Slovak language, this word means to call a mobile phone only to have it ring once so that the other person would call back, allowing the caller not to spend money on minutes. Kyoikumama In Japanese, this word refers to a mother who relentlessly pushes her children toward academic achievement. Tartle A Scottish verb meaning to hesitate while introducing someone due to having forgotten his/her name. Iktsuarpok From the Inuit, meaning to go outside to check if anyone is coming.