Foreign Language Basics Online
Author: admin
Sometimes, it only takes a few words in a foreign tongue for a traveler to endear themselves to local people. At the very least, knowing how to count in the language of the country you are visiting can help with bargaining for goods or, perhaps, an un-metered taxi ride.
There are some good resources on the internet for learning the basic structures of a language. Here are my humble recommendations:
Online: UCLA's Language Project offers profiles of pretty much every major language in the world. Have a list of study materials available. The National Translation Service offers a similar site, only with cooler design and simpler navigation. Omniglot gives a brief summary of languages, including a decent amount of coverage of various writing systems, and links to leaning materials. With a little exploration, it is possible to get the basics of a language without having to run up your credit card bill on Amazon (or, if you are old-school like myself, at the local bookstore).
June 1st, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Another great way to learn languages online is to combine language learning materials with language exchange, ie practicing with a native speaker. http://italki.com has done just that. Not only does the site provide extensive content for learning numerous languages, it also has a quarter million users who speak more than 90 languages. This allows ample opportunity to practice the language you are learning using the built-in voice and text chat function.