Whenever I’m planning to travel to somewhere new, I always intend to learn the language, but never do! If like me, you struggle to find the time to learn a new language, our handy guide is for you. We’ve collated the top courses and apps to spur you on! Get on the road to learning the lingo. Have a chat with the locals, they’ll love you for it.
Need more help learning a language? Why not take a look at more tips to help you master a new language.
First up is the good old BBC …
Hopefully the forthcoming changes to the BBC will not affect the abundance of information that’s available at a click of a button.
It’s a brilliant place to start learning a new language. There are 40 different languages to choose from. They include lessons, phrases, audio and video, even slang.
Best of the free language apps
Duolingo
Over 70 million people have registered for this app so far. It’s really well designed and easy to master, covering basic grammar and vocabulary. It’s just like any computer game, with different levels to complete before advancing. (It’s certainly a better use of time than Candy Crush Saga!) There’s a good selection of languages to choose from including all the European languages and Russian. Sadly there’s no Asian languages or Arabic.
Google Translate
I bet there isn’t anyone out there who hasn’t yet used this! It’s very popular in browser, but the app is a real godsend.
Photo by: Tupungato/Fotolia
The super cool bit is that you can now translate text, simply by hovering your smart phone over it; truly amazing! Choose the language you wish to translate to then tap the camera icon. It’s also available offline, so you can take a picture and translate the text this too! Try the two way automatic speech translation which allows you to have a proper conversation with someone.
This is a must have on your smart phone. It certainly helps when translating that all important menu!
Chinese skill
No article on language apps would be complete without Mandarin Chinese. As China is becoming a big player on the world stage, maybe we should all learn a little Mandarin?
Photo by: eikotsuttiy/Fotolia
Notoriously difficult to learn, there are numerous Chinese characters, tones, measure words, elaborate writing system, function words, syntax and grammar to get to grips with! The promise is to help you master Mandarin to a useful level, even if you begin with no Mandarin basics. At the time of writing I have no personal experience. However, this is another game based tool optimised for English speaking beginners.
If any of you have tried it, please let us know how you got on, preferably in English!
Memrise
Memrise will help you learn virtually every language out there. Always wanted to master Latin? Now’s your chance! On a serious note, Memrise has invested time in understanding the science behind teaching people a new language. They also inject some fun into it too! Combined with the input of their community, this is certainly a unique way to learn a new language.
Ready to get started?
Once you’ve mastered a few words and phrases, you really can’t beat just mixing with the locals and giving it a go! We would love to know your best approach to learning the lingo and any apps that you would recommend, please share your experiences below.
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Written by Pam Sexton.
