Why do we humans need a language?
What is the basic function of a language?
Why do we humans need a language? What is the basic function of a language? Whenever we stop to think of such questions, we realise that the answer to these questions is quite simple. We need a language to communicate with fellow humans, to let our ideas out, to feel the emotions of other people, to connect. Now that we have reached this conclusion that a language is primarily required for communication, we need to accept that fact that a monolinguistic approach (knowing or using only one language) is almost impractical in this post-modern world. Business, globalization, job opportunities in different countries or just the urge of keeping up with the world (and I’m not talking about FOMO here. Being updated is a necessity) makes it important for us to be able to comprehend, if not speak more than two languages.
Stating the fact that being multilingual is important, and being or trying to be multilingual are two different things. No matter how much we want it, we can’t take out time from our busy schedules to join a language learning class just for the sake of it. And when you’re stuck in such a situation when you want to do something but can’t because of the lack of time or resources, Fuzia steps in! (We remember the promise we made when you first visited us). So to save your time and give you a chance to grow in spite of your busy schedule, we are here to let you know of simple ways of learning a language online. Let’s start with the technological help (yes, we’re talking about language learning applications and websites) that might be of use when trying to learn a new language :
1. Duolingo
Duolingo has both, a website, as well as an app. It also includes a digital language proficiency assessment exam. It is free, although it provides a premium service for a fee. Duolingo was launched in 2012 and has been popular among users since then. The language learning features here are free of charge, but the website and the app use periodic advertising which can be removed by paying a subscription fee.
Duolingo has a game-like approach to learning and is fun and addictive. There is a reward system in which users acquire “lingots”, an in-game currency that can be spent on features such as character customizations or bonus levels (available on the mobile app only). There are public leaderboards in which people can compete against their friends or see how they stack up against the rest of the world. You can also earn badges on completion of specific challenges assigned. To get started, you create a profile and either launch a beginner’s course or take a test to move into an advanced lesson (if you already know the basics). Duolingo is one of the “pure” free services that promises it’ll be free forever.
2. Open Culture
Open Culture is an online platform that provides cultural and educational media and resources. It provides its users with authentic study materials like movies, eBooks, audiobooks, theatre, literature, musical compositions etc. and brings together high-quality cultural & educational media for the worldwide lifelong learning community. This platform not only includes language learning, but it also provides online courses for learning biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, etc. It offers certificate courses too. Many languages are available here, often as free mp3 downloads that you can load up and listen to later. It was founded in 2006 and has been providing the best free cultural & educational media on the web since then.
3. Learn a language
Created by the U.S. Institute of Languages to help people bridge communication gaps caused by differences in language, it’s based on the Visual Link teaching methodology developed by David S. Clark. It involves and teaches its users through hundreds of free language-learning lessons, games and activities and ensures a fun-learning experience. It uses the basic LSRW concept of language learning- listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It allows speaking to native speakers and listen to them, thereby making a conversion in real-life and native situations of that language. It also provides written material and original literature and allows having a written correspondence with people across the globe. In addition to this, it makes the learner know about the culture and tradition of a particular language, thereby making the learner imbibe the language in its entirety. If a simple learning experience is what you want, Learn a Language is the best option!
4. Babbel
With the introductory line of “You feel like an alien when you don’t speak the local language”, Babbel aims at teaching one everyday, real-life conversations. It lets one choose the lesson topics that one might be interested in and feels important to study. With the lessons being of short durations like 15-minutes, you don’t chicken out or laze around and find time to learn something every day. It includes the basic and advanced vocabulary with 2000–3000 words for each learning language and the lessons are presented audio-visually, i.e. spoken out by native speakers and supported with pictures or graphic illustrations. With Babbel, you can learn 14 new languages, including English, French, German, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish and more. It has beginner courses available for free, while the advanced courses are to be accessed after paying a nominal fee.
5. Mango Languages
It was the first film based language and culture learning system that was introduced into the market and that is why it is unique. It has a massive repository of language lessons for over 70 languages including Spanish, Swahili, Punjabi, Icelandic and more. It has been centred around an individual and is adaptable to one’s individual needs. Every self-paced language course introduces the learner to cultural insights and grammatical nuances specific to their language of choice, delivered through native speaker dialogue, and created with each learner in mind. It has been engineered to evolve with an individual’s learning habits and behaviour. With both a web-based system and app availability, you can learn from home, the office, or while on the go. You can purchase Mango for $20 a month, or access it for free at any public library in the United States or Canada.
6. Busuu
It is an Artificial Intelligence-powered language learning platform which allows users to interact with native speakers across the world. Currently, it offers 12 language courses -English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Turkish, Russian, and Arabic. It is unique because you will become part of a social community that allows you to learn languages from others. The lessons include studying vocabulary and grammar. At the end of each lesson, learners can practise with native speakers of the language they are learning, in written or spoken conversation. It is one of the most popular platforms and boasts over 50 million native users.
7. Transparent language
This platform is paid but it comes with a free trial. It also has an option of signing up to get free language learning resources via Email. It gives individual lessons to the learners and has been offering its services to individual customers since 1991. In the past decade, it has grown to provide services for educational institutions and government agencies, ranging from MIT to the Department of Defence. This covers around 100 languages. Transparent Language programs track learning and employ an algorithm to repeat vocabulary at the appropriate intervals to ensure memorization, a practice known as spaced repetition. In this, a word is learnt and repeated several times to enter into one’s memory. This word is later revised and becomes a permanent part of his memory. Thus, it works more on the vocabulary than grammar. Transparent Language also offers free support to organizations to create software programs for less commonly taught or endangered languages.
8. Rosetta stone
It is a language learning platform which aims at an all-round acquisition of a language. It has 4.8 out of 5-star rating and is used by institutions like NASA, Calvin Klein and TripAdvisor. It focuses on real-life conversations and has various features like TruAccent, a speech recognition feature which perfects one’s pronunciation right from the very start. It also works on famous phrases of a language and uses a real object scanner to increase vocabulary. It also helps one record one’s lessons to compare it with the native speakers. The most interesting aspect is that it is also available when offline!
These were the best options for learning a language online. But we have to keep in mind the fact that nothing can be achieved in isolation. When we notice language acquisition in children, we notice that he first listens, then learns to speak and it is much later that he learns to write or read. Because this is the natural method of acquiring a language, a language acquired in this matter nears perfection. To be able to get the minute details about a language, you need to be exposed to it in real-life situations and for that, you need to interact. Fuzia is a global community and our users are from many countries, proficient in their native languages, of course. You can make friends on Fuzia and talk to them to learn the intricacies of the language you are aiming to learn. In addition to it, you can interact on various channels and practice your newly acquired skills there.
In addition to these conversations and interactions, watching movies and listening to songs in the target language is of great help too. These activities create an almost natural environment and stimulate your brain to interact in that language.
So what are you waiting for? Put your reading specs on, download the app and start learning the language you have always wanted to.