Lately I’ve been looking for an online language-learning tool. They are quite easy to find, even the free ones. The quality varies a lot, but the internet seems to be populated with free online language learning. I’m trying to brush up on my Spanish, and that’s quite easy to find. If you’re looking for a less-common language, you may have a more challenging time, but classes like Mandarin, French and Spanish are fairly simple to arrange, and free. It’s amazing to me that we can learn world languages from native speakers without leaving the house.
I’ve tried out a number of online classes, but the site that intrigues me most is Livemocha. It’s a combination of social networking and language learning and would be appropriate for an older teenager, or a younger one if supervised.
To access Livemocha, you sign up for an account. This gives you access to a number of free courses. Not all of the courses are free, but if they are not free, they are reasonably priced. I’ve signed up for the free versions of Spanish, French, and Mandarin. Higher-level classes of the common languages are also free.
The courses combine writing, reading, and speaking. You need a good set of speakers or a headset so that your child can listen to the words and repeat them. There are quizzes at the end of each section. This means that you’re not simply repeating words, you’re actually building sentences and thinking about what you’re saying.
The intriguing part of Livemocha comes after you’ve completed your exercises. You can submit them to the larger community for a critique. This allows others who are native speakers to comment on your work and help you improve it. Your child can do the same with others’ work. If he is very proficient in English grammar, he can help edit others’ work and earn points toward free courses. Your child can also create and use flashcard sets of common languages.
The sharing on Livemocha intrigues me. I like the attempt to build community around language-learning, rather than simply taking an online class in a vacuum. While it isn’t the same as sitting in a classroom, Livemocha has been an interesting experience so far and is a good way for a teen to practice both English grammar and learn a new language.
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