Nowadays learning something isn’t as challenging as it was years back. With the evolution in science and the innovation in technology, the Internet can definitely be considered an indispensable source of information and knowledge. If you haven’t tapped into the Internet’s unlimited power, then you definitely need to read this through.
There are some languages that have similar grammar rules thus making them easier to master while others are more challenging and might take time to learn. If you’re just curious and only want to see how learning a new language works, then you most probably have tried searching for free lessons online, many of which cover the basics of your chosen language. However, if you are a more serious learner and have considered acquiring a new language for travel, academics or business, you may need more than what free lessons can offer and may require an actual language teacher for a minimal fee. For this purpose you might want to search for schools that offer formal lessons online on learning a new language. A great resource for verb conjugations for many different languages include www.verbix.com and a good website for grammar tips, phrases and even audio files is www.mylanguages.org.
One of the many aspects of language skills is a rich and wide vocabulary. You need to make sure that you choose the right words when you are speaking or writing to ensure that you ‘blend in’ with native speakers. Word choice is a something that differentiates a native speaker from a non-native one – you may be using the same words but the context may mean differently. This is why in addition to your actual language lessons, you should enhance your vocabulary using online resources and dictionaries. Examples of useful online dictionaries include http://www.omniglot.com/links/dictionaries.htm and http://www.allwords.com/
Correct pronunciation and intonation should not be forgotten when learning a new language. This is when a good set of headphones or earphones (with or without a microphone) become handy, plus YouTube (www.youtube.com). YouTube is a great source of pronunciation and intonation guides because of the audio and video components it offers. You can easily search a good audio or video recording of your chosen language and then you can listen to it and mimic the way the words are pronounced. You can also record your own pronunciation and listen to it afterwards so you can hear yourself and assess if your pronunciation is good enough or you can ask a friend who knows your chosen language to listen to you for feedback.
As you can see, there are a lot of possibilities from the Internet when it comes to improving your language skills. All you’ll need is patience and dedication and you’re well on your way to honing your language skills to the fullest. However if you are looking to improve your language skills fast the best it is to attend private or group classes and use the guidance of a real teacher. The Language class is in London and it offers lessons in the following languages: Italian, French, English, Spanish and German.
