Learning a language

[JamesL]

Is anyone aware of any web pages that offer foreign language instruction on web pages for free ? I saw the German TV channel Deutsche Welle offers German instruction on its web page. Are there any others ?
I've noticed there are many here who speak more than one language so I thought someone might be aware of other web pages.
I had French in college and thought brushing up on that would be interesting. I also wouldn't mind learning Spanish. I haven't tried the Deutche Welle web page yet but I've heard about it.
I'm aware I can pay for foreign language instruction but I'd rather not pay for it just in case I'm not as interested as I thought.
JamesL

 

[trencherman]

Check this page out:

http://www.openculture.com/freelanguagelessons

I'm actually downloading free dialogs from three different outfits to learn Mandarin.

Please DO NOT direct link to outside sites, either use the CODE wrap or anonym.to

Shadow

s/moderator

 

[Quietus666]

listen, listen, listen
read, read, read
speak, speak, speak

 

[richym]

I have been using

www.livemocha.com

It is not too bad and free.


Please DO NOT direct link to outside sites, either use the CODE wrap or anonym.to

Shadow

s/moderator

 

[SimplyJakeAndAlex]

Is anyone aware of any web pages that offer foreign language instruction on web pages for free ? I saw the German TV channel Deutsche Welle offers German instruction on its web page. Are there any others ?
I've noticed there are many here who speak more than one language so I thought someone might be aware of other web pages.
I had French in college and thought brushing up on that would be interesting. I also wouldn't mind learning Spanish. I haven't tried the Deutche Welle web page yet but I've heard about it.
I'm aware I can pay for foreign language instruction but I'd rather not pay for it just in case I'm not as interested as I thought.
JamesL

Pay??? Why paying indeed you want cheap learning for cheap results get some cheap solutions. Less cheap would be to make friends in the language of your choice and learn the colloquial version of their mothertongue. Quick learner... don't wanna pay for a course but would risk a month of travelling well than just visit the country you want to learn the language from. There's nothing better than being immerged in the language to learn it. Either way dude... you'll end up paying, perhaps even against your will, a trip to hospital for saying something that a native didn't like :rofl: which you could have avoid by being less cheap LOL

 

[RuG]

i am learning mandarin at a language institution recognized by the government. while this institution provides you with basic grammar, sentence structures, words, and some common phrase, the real practice and challenge is to go out there and actually speak to the locals. when you do, no amount of money or training will matter anymore because you really have to practice, practice, and practice to master a language.

 

[Sinnerr]

If you want to learn any language you'll need a teacher at least in the begining. Because you need someone who is able to give you thoughts about gramatics, pronunciation, vocabulary and so on, but also control your thoughts to give you feedback. Correct yours mistakes and inaccuracies. So I advise everybody who wants to learn any languge, first year visit language school (if you aren't student who is learning language in school), afterthat if you'll have good basics you can grow it by you own.

 

[trencherman]

My experience in acquiring a new language is that regardless of how you learned the basic stuff, your fluency in it depends largely on the social openness of the native speakers of that language. For example, French is the first language I studied but all I can show for my considerable efforts (four levels in Glendon College and four levels in Alliance Française) is literacy in it. On the other hand, from just free rudimentary lessons obtained from the internet, I gained fluency in Brazilian Portuguese and Italian rapidly because brazilians and italians are so encouraging and welcoming. They are all open arms as soon as they hear you attempt to say anything in their language whereas a frenchman’s reaction to your French is to correct you in an all too insulting way. The Alliance Française instructors are the rudest and the worsts.

 

[lovetosuckcock]

I learned German by interacting with the people in Germany. I usually found that they were very helpful when I didn't know a proper pronunciation or phrase. I did find though, that I was lacking some information in proper grammar and verb conjugation so I bought some cassette tapes with lessons on them as well as the companion book and my learning accelerated. It also helps that English is a Germanic language so with a little imagination I was usually able to figure out more of the language on my own.

...On the other hand, from just free rudimentary lessons obtained from the internet, I gained fluency in Brazilian Portuguese and Italian rapidly because brazilians and italians are so encouraging and welcoming. They are all open arms as soon as they hear you attempt to say anything in their language...

I agree with about the openness and helpfulness of Italians. I was in Italy for a very short time and the Italians that I met were more than happy to try to help me when I attempted any words or phrases in Italian.

 

[JamesL]

Thanks guys for all your responses. I will check out the one site that had a link.
Yes, speaking to natives is the best way to learn a language but flying to France for 6 months is a little beyond my budget. I do have some friends who speak Italian and Spanish so they might help.
Years ago (30) I had an Atari computer that had an tape recorder that worked with it, on the tapes were recorded the language you were learning so the tape recorder served as a language lab. It worked very well although you did have to pay attention to make sure you were saying the words correctly. With the low cost of storage I had hoped there was a web page that had that kind of language lab feature on it.
Even before that I had a French book and record that I used to learn French but people would get drunk and try to dance to the record at parties and it got so wine soaked and scratched I had to throw it out.
Thanks for all your suggestions, I will keep an eye on this topic in case someone provides additional information.
JamesL

 

[bigsal]

listen, listen, listen
read, read, read
speak, speak, speak

Good point.
But,

write, is can, as well as read, having little difficulty in correcting;

listen, just follow interettavi or other courses or films in original language.

These two things you can do them alone.

But to speak must be at least two people, one of them must know the language spoken, and be able to correct the words uttered im wrong way.

 

[JamesL]

Ok, thanks. I may have to do the best I can. I appreciate your comments.
JamesL

 

[jeansGuyOZ]

I admire anyone who tries to learn a new language. Too many people - especially English speakers - take the attitude that it's the other person's responsibility to learn THEIR language.

I am sure these online language resources would do you no harm. Alternatively try your local library, where you may find some basic instruction kits consisting of a booklet and/or a CD.

Of course as a learning tool nothing beats actually speaking the language.

I'm not a believer in the total immersion method where you go in cold, by going to the country in question and "picking it up". I think a small amount of study first speeds the learning process when you eventually have to speak to the natives. You don't memorise phrase books off by heart. What happens is, you hear an unfamiliar word being spoken a few time, and suddenly you remember "Oh yes, that's the word for house". It help a great deal to have learnt the structure of the grammar first, in order to make sense of what you are hearing. Little things, like knowing that the Latin languages, especially French, tend to put the adjective AFTER the noun.

The other thing I have learned, having travelled quite a bit in countries where English is not spoken, is that a prerequisite for conversation is that each party WANTS to communicate with the other. No amount of consulting of phrase books can help if the other person has decided "Oh this person's a foreigner, I'm not interested in trying to talk."

-------------------------------------------

I had a most bizarre conversation on the Trans-Siberian train with a young guy who was Russian or from one of the former Soviet republics. Neither of us spoke a word of the other's language. We talked via my Russian/English phrasebook; each of us would find the phrase they wanted to use, and point to it.

I am quite certain he wanted to have sex. At one point he pointed to the phrase "Are you married (to a man)?", all the while fixing me with the most amazing stare. Unfortunately sex was out of the question, it was a shared compartment with four other people present. I suppose we could have tried using the toilets, but they tended to be pretty filthy.

 

[bluemount]

http://anonym.to/?http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/
Over 40 basics plus more

 

[teledata]

I am sure these online language resources would do you no harm. Alternatively try your local library, where you may find some basic instruction kits consisting of a booklet and/or a CD.

 

[jeansGuyOZ]

I am sure these online language resources would do you no harm. Alternatively try your local library, where you may find some basic instruction kits consisting of a booklet and/or a CD.

(coughs)
I expect a royalty cheque soon in the mail.

 

[kanwelt]

Pay??? Why paying indeed you want cheap learning for cheap results get some cheap solutions. Less cheap would be to make friends in the language of your choice and learn the colloquial version of their mothertongue. Quick learner... don't wanna pay for a course but would risk a month of travelling well than just visit the country you want to learn the language from. There's nothing better than being immerged in the language to learn it. Either way dude... you'll end up paying, perhaps even against your will, a trip to hospital for saying something that a native didn't like :rofl: which you could have avoid by being less cheap LOL

good