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Lang-8.com Get Free Help with your Foreign Language Writing, including Spanish, French, Chinese and Many More
Posted: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:38:36 +0000
Summary
Lang-8 is a free, unique and popular website for learners of many languages to come together and correct one another's writing. Native speakers review writing submitted by learners who wish to improve. You can help and be helped!
The free tools provided in the interface are straightforward and tuned in such a way that it's quite easy to correct another user's writing, as well as to see exactly how others have corrected yours.
Lang-8's interface also provides social tools for interacting amongst users, including a way to find language matches to suit your needs.
Lang-8 has a large user community, coming from over 180 countries around the world, and together they provide access to help in some of the more exotic languages for which it's often hard to find resources, much less free help. Yes, there really are plenty of people out there willing to help you improve your writing for free! In turn, you can choose to help others as well.
Also available is a mobile version of the website.
From Website
Real Interactions
Learn from real native speakers excited to help you with the language that you are learning.
International Community
Community members from all over the world make Lang-8 a fun, social experience.
Keep Track
Tag and keep track of the things you learn from native speakers. Refer back and remember!
See Results
By using Lang-8 you will get better, make friends, and see real results. There’s no better help than native speakers.
Lang-8 Intro Video
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How to Learn Languages Online for Free, Video Screencast Part 1: General Introduction
Posted: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:14:07 +0000
Summary
This is our first humble effort to disseminate much of the good info found on this website via screencast videos that make it easy to get a picture of learning languages online for free while kicking back, watching and soaking it up rather than reading through loads of material.
With this video we offer a 10-minute intro to useful sites for learning languages online for free. The web tour covers essential resources for vocabulary, grammar, dictionaries, translation, verb conjugation, language exchange and more.
We have started a channel on YouTube for these screencasts: http://www.youtube.com/user/freelanguageorg - you can help us a lot by rating and commenting on these videos on YouTube
Please let us know what you would like to see in future videos, too. We have a series planned and will be releasing them here frequently - your input will be valued and appreciated!
Screencast Video
Links in this Screencast
http://quizlet.com
http://www.transparent.com/wotd
http://lingro.com
http://www.gutenberg.org
http://wikibooks.org
http://www.busuu.com
http://www.babbel.com
http://www.myhappyplanet.com
http://palabea.net
http://www.reverso.com
http://www.wordreference.com
http://www.google.com/translate
http://www.verbix.com
http://freelanguage.org/the-big-list -
A Round-Up of 45 Mac OSX Language Software Apps: GPL Software, Freeware, Shareware and Demos from Apple's Download Center
Posted: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:58:32 +0000
Summary
This (lengthy) article brings together a pile of Free Software (GNU GPL'd as Public Domain), freeware and shareware for language learning and reference for Mac OS X.
Software descriptions are taken from Apple Downloads. We will be adding more GPL applications soon.
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Polyglot Culture: Quick Wikipedia Tip for Multilingual Language Surfing Goodness
Posted: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:01:55 +0000
Summary
The now-ubiquitious Wikipedia.org has some multilingual gems tucked away in its folds. This article serves to point out one of the most powerful polyglot culture feaures that Wikipedia offers: the myriad articles in a multitude of languages at a single click away.
For instance, while browsing the topic "Language" on Wikipedia in English, down the left navigation bar you will find entries for the same topic in literally dozens of languages:
Afrikaans, Alemannisch, العربية, Aragonés, Arpetan, Asturianu, Avañe'ẽ, Aymar aru, Azərbaycan, Bamanankan, Bân-lâm-gú, Basa Banyumasan, Башҡорт, Беларуская, Беларуская (тарашкевіца), Boarisch, Brezhoneg, Български, Català, Чăвашла, Cebuano, Česky, Cymraeg, Dansk, Deitsch, Deutsch, Diné bizaad, Eesti, Ελληνικά, Español, Esperanto, Euskara, فارسی, Français, Frysk, Furlan, Gaeilge, Gàidhlig, Galego, ગુજરાતી, 한국어, हिन्दी, Hrvatski, Ido, Ilokano, Bahasa Indonesia, Interlingua, isiXhosa, Íslenska, Italiano, עברית, Basa Jawa, ქართული, Kernewek, Кыргызча, Kiswahili, Коми, Kongo, Kreyòl ayisyen, Kurdî / كوردی, Latina, Latviešu, Lëtzebuergesch, Lietuvių, Limburgs, Lingála, Lojban, Magyar, Македонски, Malagasy, मराठी, مَزِروني, Bahasa Melayu, Nederlands, 日本語, Нохчийн, Norfuk / Pitkern, Norsk (bokmål), Norsk (nynorsk), Nouormand, Occitan, پښتو, Polski, Português, Ripoarisch, Română, Romani, Runa Simi, Русский, Саха тыла, Sámegiella, Sardu, Scots, Seeltersk, Sicilianu, Simple English, Slovenčina, Slovenščina, Српски / Srpski, Suomi, Svenska, Tagalog, தமிழ், Tatarça/Татарча, ไทย, Tiếng Việt, Тоҷикӣ, Türkçe, Türkmen, Українська, Volapük, Võro, Walon, Winaray, ייִדיש, 粵語,Zazaki, Žemaitėška, 中文
This list discludes several languages for which this particular computer does not have fonts installed. Many of you will see font-related issues for some of the languages above. Find out more here if you do.
How to find the links.
This image shows how to find what other languages are available for a given topic on Wikipedia:
These are not translations.
Each entry is an organically-written encyclopedia article on the topic of "Language" in a language. The time and space for language and culture persists!
It's quite intriguing surfing Wikipedia for multilingual goodness. If you'd like to hear more on this topic or have something of value to share, please comment on this article!
Use these to learn!
This feature of Wikipedia can be used to learn and teach languages. Find a topic of interest and study up on the vocabulary in your target language, build a linguistic knowledge of specific interests, get materials for educating, compare entries in different languages to bring out cultural nuances and more. There are many ways to twist and tweak this vast maze of plurilingual content!
From Website
A language is a dynamic set of visual, auditory, or tactile symbols of communication and the elements used to manipulate them. Language can also refer to the use of such systems as a general phenomenon. Strictly speaking, language is considered to be an exclusively human mode of communication. Although other animals make use of quite sophisticated communicative systems, sometimes casually referred to as animal language, none of these are known to make use of all of the properties that linguists use to define language.
In Western Philosophy, language has long been closely associated with reason, which is also a uniquely human way of using symbols. In Ancient Greek philosophical terminology, the same word, logos, was used as a term for both language or speech and reason, and the philosopher Thomas Hobbes used the English word "speech" so that it similarly could refer to reason, as will be discussed below. More commonly though, the English word "language", derived ultimately from lingua, Latin for tongue, typically refers only to expressions of reason which can be understood by other people, most obviously by speaking.
Visit "Language" on Wikipedia in English and look at all the languages on the left navigation bar. Those are the languages for which the article you are viewing has equivalents.
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New iTunes U: Download Educational Podcast Courses to Learn Language with Audio and Video on your iPod for Mobile Learning
Posted: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:45:14 +0000
Summary
Apple recently released a new section of the wildly popular iTunes Store available through their iTunes software. This new section is called iTunes U, and collects podcasts from numerous universities and colleges to make them available for free download to your iPod or other mp3 player, mobile/cell phone, etc.
One of the sub-sections of iTunes U is (note: you need iTunes for this link to work) specifically for languages and language education - yay!
Currently there are 60 podcasts (probably more by the time you read this) available regarding both learning foreign languages as well as general topics regarding language in general. Many of these podcasts are called OpenCourseWare, considered Open Learning materials released in the Public Domain. This means they can be used truly freely by teachers and educators without worries about copyright issues - a big plus! Be sure to look at the license for each podcast to make sure of the licensing.
The podcast-based current courses available through iTunes U are English (Medieval and ESL), French, German, Greek, Japanese, Hebrew (various), Italian (Language and Theater), Romanian, Spanish (various) plus Language Technology and Lectures, Interviews, Clubs, Lectionary at Lunch and Storytelling Colombian Style. There are many more, too.
This is really exciting to see at this professional education level. Of couse, add this to the 982 language podcasts in the "regular" (non-iTunes U) iTunes store and that makes over a whopping 1,000 language-related podcasts for download through iTunes - all free. :)
Watch the iTunes U intro video below to learn more about this new feature:
From iTunes U
iTunes U puts the power of the iTunes Store to work for colleges and universities, so users can easily search, download, and play course content just like they do music, movies, and TV shows.
Always in session.
iTunes U delivers easy, 24/7 access to educational content from hundreds of top colleges, universities, and educationally focused organizations across the country. And it’s accessible to anyone with a Mac or PC.
Learning to go.
Students can sync iTunes U content with any iPod or iPhone, so they can go right on learning while they grab a meal, walk to class, or work out at the gym.
Keeps them motivated.
Engaging students on their home turf, iTunes U offers audio and video that make subjects more vivid than any printed page ever could.
Open-minded.
iTunes U lets schools open all or part of their content to the public, from parents to alumni to anyone with a love of learning.
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Learn That Language Now! ebook with Quick, Easy and Efficient Method for Learning Any Foreign Language
Posted: Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:37:33 +0000
Summary
Learn That Language Now! is a truly excellent, highly useful e-book for learners of any language - available for instant download to get you learning better right away. The study approach presented in the book is refreshing, exciting and even intoxicating, because it works so well once you start using it! Having personally learned six languages to varying degrees myself, I was pleasantly surprised to find many new tips and tricks that I'd never come across in over 15 years of studying and practicing foreign languages.
The author offers language learners perspective (earned through years of learning multiple languages) as well as practical methods you can start using right away to improve your language study flow and achieve fluency many times faster than with standardized methods.
This ebook provides essential information that will save you time and energy, helping you reach your goals faster and with more confidence. And with a price tag of only $29 USD - and instant delivery to your email - you will have a hard time finding a more valuable investment in your foreign language learning endeavors.
Finally, teachers will also benefit greatly from this book as it will give them insight into creating better study programs and stronger learning tools for their students.
Find out more about "Learn That Language Now!"
From Website
Learn That Language Now
What if I told you that you can become fluent in a foreign language in a matter of months, learn thousands of words without worrying about forgetting them, master grammar and do all of this in an enjoyable, painless manner. Sound too good to be true? Well, prepare to have your language learning experiences turned upside down. Read on to learn more...
What is “Learn That Language Now”?
Learn That Language Now is a comprehensive manual that will teach you the tips, tricks, techniques and method to achieve fluency in a foreign language with the goal of learning as quickly and fluently as possible with the least amount of effort.
Learn That Language Now was written because all other traditional methods of language learning, including classes, textbooks, audio courses and software programs, were slow, costly, inefficient and used language learning philosophies that were out-dated. Most language resources teach language along the same lines as languages were studied hundreds of years ago: endless grammar, syntactical rules and vocabulary lists.
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Verbix.com Verbix Free Verb Conjugation Website (WebVerbix), Verb Wiki and Windows Freeware (FreeVerbix) for 100+ Languages
Posted: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:16:10 +0000
Summary
Verbix is "an independent non-profit organization that aims to promote and protect linguistic diversity." The tools on their site "contain verb conjugations for hundreds of languages, ranging from national and international languages to regional and even extinct languages."
There are four main things to bring your attention to in this article:
1) WebVerbix, a great free online verb conjugator for over eighty languages.
2) WikiVerb, a wiki site dedicated to languages, verbs, and verb conjugation.
3) FreeVerbix, a freeware version of the Verbix Windows software which bumps the number of available languages to above one hundred.
4) The Verbix website, where all three of the above and more (including the $40 paid version of Verbix 2008 for Windows) are available. Your purchase will support the non-profit group and expand the Verbix non-profit organization and web presence.
Also of import is the list of supported languages for the above-mentioned free and commercial products and online services.
The free Verbix stuff (WebVerbix, FreeVerbix and WikiVerb) provides plenty to work with for language learners and educators alike. The free online version works great for conjugating an enormous amount of verbs instantly.
From Website
UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Verbix is an independent non-profit organization that aims to promote and protect linguistic diversity [UNESCO Observatory: Multilingualism]. This site contains verb conjugations for hundreds of languages, ranging from national and international languages to regional and even extinct languages.
FreeVerbix 7.3 is a universal Verb Conjugator that shows verb inflections in 100+ languages. It is based on Verbix language extension technology, so after installation of Verbix you can easily install any language extension to add more languages in Verbix.
WebVerbix is a free on-line verb conjugator. It contains a subset of Verbix for Windows features.
WikiVerb is a site dedicated to languages, verbs, and verb conjugation. It's not going to be a copy of information available in WikiPedia, but it will focus in verb conjugation. It won't replace www.verbix.com either, but it includes information and languages that are not available there.
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Byki Offers a Free Language Software Application for Learning 60+ Languages at Byki.com (Windows and Mac OS X)
Posted: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:06:40 +0000
Download Language Freeware
UPDATE: Byki now available for 74 languages! See list below.
Byki is freeware for learning [74] languages, including many less-taught languages for which learning materials are hard to find, such as Georgian, Mongolian and Icelandic. This is a gold mine for folks interested in learning the basics of over [seventy] languages - with no budget!
Along with the freeware, learners have free access to the Byki user community where other users share vocabulary lists for all the languages, instantly providing you with loads of new, free content.
They also offer a commercial upgrade for $49 USD, reasonable, and you get lots of extras with the upgrade.
The free version has been used both by folks at Free Language and friends of those folks. Beginners especially seem to get a lot out of this software.
Current Languages Available
Afrikaans, Albanian, Altai, Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Bashkir, Belorussian, Bengali, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Buriat, Chechen, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari, Dutch, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Luxembourgish, Macedonian, Malay, Mirandese, Mongolian, Norwegian, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (European), Romanian, Russian, Scottish, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog (Filipino), Tajiki, Thai, Turkish, Turkmen, Tuvan, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese and Zulu.
The folks at Byki are working hard to make more languages available in the near future.
Update from Byki!
As of September 5th, 2008, we’ve launched a whole new version of Byki (the artist formerly known as Before You Know It) with several new languages, and a beautiful new site. Be sure to check out the new ListCentral, with profile avatars). The new Byki has lots of great new stuff including new learning games and the new Byki blog.
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Linkua.com Linkua Online Distance Language Learning with Live Video Tutors, One-on-One Lessons and Web Classes
Posted: Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:22:53 +0000
Summary
Linkua will interest language instructors at least as much as it does language learners, if not more. Linkua is a place for language learners and educators to come together around an agreed hourly instruction price and engage in a secure language education environment. Learners can pay tutors to learn. Tutors can offer their services to a wide range of potential clients.
Linkua currently has hundreds of willing tutors for dozens of languages.
Have a look at the Linkua FAQ section for more information about exactly how this works for other learners and educators.
Below is some info from the Linkua website - be sure to read their take on why distance learning can be more advantageous than learning in person.
Also, be sure to check out this page for a free language lesson!
From Website
What is Linkua?
Linkua is a meeting point for people interested in teaching and learning languages. As a student you find language teachers from all around the world and learn from them from the comfort of your home. As a teacher you'll be able to connect with students and can teach them from home, with total flexibility.
Why distance learning is better than face to face learning?
You will get a stronger result by learning by telephone or VoIP than if you learn in person.
Many people are surprised when they first hear this but after you read these ten reasons you will be convinced!
#1 - Better Comprehension
When you are tutored by telephone you learn to hear voice. When you are taught face to face, about 30 percent of what you think you hear are the non-verbal gestures. People who are taught in person will finish a course of study, go to talk with someone on the phone, and freeze because they just lost 30 percent of their communications!
People who are taught on the telephone will do well on the telephone. They will also do great in person, because they get an additional 30 percent in the non-verbal gestures that they were not even accustomed to in normal learning process!#2 - Better Pronunciation
People typically talk about 10 to 15 percent more loudly on the phone than in person. To speak more loudly you need to open your mouth more widely, and we all know that opening your mouth widely is a prerequisite to developing good enunciation and pronunciation.
#3 - Better Concentration
As you are not influenced by the non-verbal gestures, you can concentrate more on what you are told and what you say. For instance, while you drive, don´t you have to concentrate more on what you say on the phone than what you say to the person next to you? Furthermore, using the phone quickly helps you get over the fear of speaking.
#4 - Leverage Your Time
Instead of spending your precious time driving to a school or to someone's home to take a language class, you can use that time to learn more.
#5 - Flexibility: Wherever You Are
If you do any traveling, you can stay consistent in your learning by simply picking up a telephone. It does not matter if you are in Spain, New Jersey, Australia, Mexico, Sudan or Germany. If you can get to a PC with internet, you can take your class.
#6 - Flexibility: Whenever It Is
If you have a schedule that is variable, you can schedule learning on an "as you go" basis. You do not need to lock into the same times every week. You can schedule as you go and around the clock. You will always be sure to get a learning time that meets your needs.
#7 - More Relaxed
You can go home from work, get relaxed and enjoy your learning from your favorite chair. It is a lot more fun taking learning in casual clothes than in dress clothes. If you have a cordless telephone, you can even do learning from your garden while you are enjoying the sunshine!
#8 - Prepared for Real Business World
Since you learn to deal with voice, you will be better prepared for the real business world where much of what we do is by telephone. Also, if someone happens to be out of your line of vision, you will be able to understand even if you cannot see him or her. As I have already mentioned, if you are trained in person, you will freeze when you get on the telephone. When you are trained by telephone, you do not become dependent on lipreading, gestures, etc.
#9- Consistency of Training
You can have learning more consistently for the same amount of money than you could by going to a school. Telephone learning sessions are tipically shorter (around half an hour) and sessions at most schools are at least one hour in length because they have to justify having an instructor come in.
A half-hour on the telephone twice a week is more consistent, and better, than having one onehour session a week. Of course, four half-hour sessions weekly are better than two one-hour sessions.
It is just like exercise. Which is better? Three or four times a week for a half-hour, or once or twice for an hour or two at a time? We all know that consistency is critical to the development of a new skill or habit. You'll feel like you have more attention for the same amount of time... and money!#10 - Higher Completion Rates
Our studies show conclusively that students who take their learning by telephone more consistently complete a full course of study. This is due to the fact that they learn better and that they learn in an environment that meets their needs from a logistical and scheduling standpoint.
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Directory List of International Foreign Language Schools and Language Study Abroad Programs
Posted: Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:49:47 +0000
Summary
It seems that the absolute best way to learn a language is to go to a country where it is spoken - live it and study it, simultaneously. This can be a challenging path to take, but the reward is instant progress, the fastest way from "I don't understand" to "As easy as falling off a log". Traveling, living and studying abroad is an exciting way to learn any language while broadening your cultural awareness.
All the theory, methods, etc., are excellent fodder for your intellectual mind and can lead to a deeper understanding of a language, it's writing system, grammar, pronunciation and the rest. But actually using it everyday as a necessity in a variety of practical social contexts (shopping, transportation, directions, restaurants...) - without interruption and noise from other languages you know - will quickly whip you into shape with the essentials! Supplement that with a number of hours per week spent studying the language with qualified educators, and you will acquire fluency more quickly than any other way.
This is an attempt to provide a small number of links that lead to multitudes of links regarding studying foreign languages abroad. The directories and the links they lead you to cover loads of languages, so this article is included in all the language sections on Free Language.
Foreign Language School and Study Abroad Directory List
Open Directory (DMOZ) Language Schools Directory
Open Directory (DMOZ) Study Abroad Directory
botw.org Language Schools Directory
botw.org Study Abroad Directory
Google Language Schools Directory
Google Study Abroad Directory
Yahoo Specific Languages Directory
Yahoo Language Schools Directory
Yahoo Study Abroad Directory
Directories and Lists of Language Schools on csun.edu
Selected Study Abroad Websites on umich.edu
Key Study Abroad Websites on Transitions Abroad
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