Learning a new language from the comfort of your home
By: Vincent Tran
Published on: November 8th, 2024
Learning another language is beneficial to your life. It is a good idea for your career or personal life as it could open up many new job opportunities for you in the future.
In Canada, learning another language, specifically French, could help separate you in your job search. As Canada is a bilingual country, learning French could help you land a job and provide many employment opportunities.
Learning languages can be an essential aspect of your life and future. Read ahead for some ways to learn a new language at home and some things to be mindful of when learning a new language.
Applications
One way to learn a new language from home is through applications you can download on your computer or devices. You can begin learning new languages from your smartphone or tablet, and it is relatively easy to start.
There are free apps you can download on your phone or device, such as Duolingo, that can help you begin learning a new language. The delivery of this app turns learning into a mini-game. It is a great and fun way to learn a few phrases and increase your vocabulary.
Duolingo also provides a paid subscription called Super Duolingo that gives you an ad-free experience and unlimited access to the app. With this paid subscription, you can continue learning and not have to wait for more opportunities to come by. Super Duolingo will cost you $10 a month or $12.50 a month for the family option that allows up to six accounts.
Other apps that can be helpful when learning a language are translator apps such as Google Translate or the built-in Translate app on Apple devices. While these applications’ translation accuracy may not be perfect, they give users a general sense of what a word or sentence may mean.
Reference apps are also great if you want to understand a language further. Apps such as WordReference or Reverso Context are great when trying to expand your vocabulary or learn verb conjugations.
Online lessons
If you find language apps helpful and want to learn more, consider signing up for online language lessons or programs.
If you are in the right financial position to afford online language lessons, you should consider enrolling. Learning another language could be an excellent way to expand your knowledge and broaden your horizons and opportunities.
There are online programs with apps for learning languages, such as Babbel or Busuu, that are free to start. However, if you want to learn more, you must pay a subscription fee. These apps have in-depth language programs that will help you learn a new language for different reasons, such as for work or conversation.
You could even enroll for online lessons from a tutor or a university program. The University of Toronto, for example, offers many language learning programs for multiple languages. Being in an online class setting can help you learn even better, especially if an instructor is there to assess your work and assign tasks.
Through online lessons and the various language apps available, you will be able to speak and understand a new language in no time.
Media
A great way you can learn another language at home is by consuming media in another language. Whether it be movies, TV shows, news, or books, try to surround yourself with a language you want to learn as much as possible.
For example, if you want to learn French, you should try reading news articles or books in French. Even if you do not understand the language, reading can help you see how accurate words are spelled or understand how sentences are structured.
As you further progress and learn more, you can start incorporating other forms of media into your daily schedule. Doing things such as watching YouTube videos or listening to music in another language can help accelerate your learning and understanding of another language.
This can also help you listen to how native speakers speak the language and how to pronounce certain words or phrases. Consuming media in another language is a good step towards learning a new language. It will help you learn even faster and help you develop your knowledge and vocabulary.
Maintain your determination
When it comes to learning a new language, it may not be easy at first. It can take time to grasp new information or understand how a language makes sense to you. Still, an important tip to remember is to stay determined and try your hardest to learn a language to the best of your ability.
You will not be able to retain much knowledge of a new language if you do not practice or study it often. Try to keep learning as frequently as possible and apply your knowledge through reading, writing, or speaking.
A big part of learning a new language is sticking through it and continuing to learn whenever possible. Even if you have reached a level where you are comfortable with a language, you should always continue learning and try to gain more knowledge.