A number of friends have recently asked me about Language Learning Resources, thus I decided to republish this post with edits, link audits and updates! This page will be maintained and always easily findable via the eLearning link in this blog's top navigation menubar.
This page was last updated on October 7, 2009
Language Learning Resources
Over the last several years my travels (business and pleasure) have taken me to
China, the Czech Republic, England, India, Poland, Switzerland… not
to mention many cities throughout the USA. What universally impresses
me on all of these travels is the number of languages my peers and
friends know. I am personally limited to English, and some college
French and German …. and a few words in Czech. By US standards even
this amount of knowledge might seem admirable, but it is not. When one
is doing business, or visiting friends in another country, the ability
to converse in the local language and understand cultural norms is not
only an advantage, rather if possible, it should be considered the
expectation.
Okay … now that you've read my sermon, here are resources to
assist in the task of learning another language. One neat smaller
company out of the United Kingdom, Eurotalk.
Although you will have to spend a few dollars to purchase their
training, the number of languages upon which they provide instruction
is amazing … and not just to and from English.
All right, I always seem to have suggestions for "free" content, and thus here goes … you will find three major buckets of resources (from the BBC, PBS, and eBooks)
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BBC Language Learning Resources (root page)
- Courses Covering:
- Other Resources:
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Annenberg / Corporation for Public Broadcasting Language Learning
It is one thing to take lessons, or use eLearning to learn a
language, but the best most optimal way to become fluent in any
language is to visit a given country. However, since that is not
always practical, Annenberg has a number of language learning video
series which are streamed free via the net where you follow an story
line acted our and presented by native speakers. If you are so
inclined, there are manuals available for purchase that correspond to
the series.
Important Note: A free registration is required to view this content.
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Language Learning eBooks
Obviously one can purchase language manuals and dictionaries from
Amazon or your local book store, however there are other free resources
available on the web. Here are some I have noted that will support
your language learning efforts:
It is often possible to use Google Book Search and WikiTexts
to access or create your own eBooks. Some examples are provided, along
with a tutorial explaining how to create and use your own Google eBooks.
Using Google Book Search to create your own eBooks:
Finally, it is one thing to learn the language. It's also good to
become familiar with a country's norms and background. An excellent
resource for this is the CIA World Fact Book.