There are many different ways outside the classroom to improve your foreign language skills.
It´s nearly time for you to pack your bags, board that plane and finally live the dream. Travel to that awesome country you’ve always wanted to and mingle with the locals and their culture.
But there is only one little problem.. You can’t speak their language.
Once upon a time Esperanto was to be the Universal language but these days it is English that is used in it’s place. If you don’t speak English either, don’t worry. It isn’t a big issue if you are only visiting a country for a short period of time and obviously won’t have time to become fluent.
It’s considered polite to learn some basic words such as “Hello”, “Please”, “Thank you” and it always puts a smile on the locals face’s. (Either because they appreciate our effort or because we sound funny)
For other more complex needs such as”Where can I buy some food?” or “Can I please have a beer?” there is always body language which is universal and usually saves us from hunger, thirst and other survival type needs.
When I moved to Australia I already spoke fluent English and even though I truly believe language immersion is the most effective way to learn another language, I still admire those people brave enough to venture to a foreign country without knowing at least the basics.
Here is my list of 6 tools/resources for language learning aimed at those on a budget and are moving to another country permanently, temporarily or simply backpacking:
This is a brilliant website for language learning and it is free. Livemocha.com is a social networking language learning site where you learn through audio-visual lessons while other users can aid you leaving reviews or helpful comments. You can also comment on other user’s lessons. Lessons are provided in twenty seven different languages.
2. Audio Books/Kits
I didn’t quite believe in the power of these books until the beginning of this year when I started to learn Italian. I wanted to learn fast so I decided to give them a go. The Result? I swiped them all off of the library shelf and uploaded every single cd into my ipod. Some are great, some are not too good, find the one that suits you and your learning style. As language learning is based on repetition, if you listen
as often as your favourite song, it will soon become stuck into your head and will be easily accesible whenever you need.
3. Language Swap
This is another free and great deal. You don’t need to teach someone a language necessarily if there is no demand, but you can swap another skill such as singing or playin guitar, for example.
One way of going about this browsing thee skills swap section on GumTree or a similar website. If this is not common in your area you can try putting some ads up at cafes and bookshops and there will be people interested in no time.
4. Phrasebooks
As a tutor I’m not actually a big fan of phrasebooks. A few of my students have brought them to our classes but I often refuse to use them because you don’t learn the language as a whole. They can often confuse students more than helping in a classroom type situation. As a traveller, they are of much more use. Phrasebooks can help avoid ridiculous situation where you’d otherwise finding yourself miming in order to get by.
5. Social Networks
Try your hand at language applications and groups on social networks such as Facebook . Learn a Language with Luingo is one such example.
6. Songs, films and books (websites, newspapers, etc)
If you are a beginner and really have incredible patience or you are already learning and just want some improvement, using songs/films/books can be incredibly useful. As I said earlier, songs tend to get stuck in your head and can be a great way to enrich your vocabulary. Watching a dvd with the subtitles on (either on your language or the one you are trying to learn) can force your brain to absorb new information.
Are there any other tools that worked for you when trying to learn an new language? Let us know in the comments.
