Most Fun Ways to Learn a Foreign Language With Technology

Looking to learn a foreign language? Going to live in another country is by far the best way to do that and is something that can help you to learn the language that you actually need to get by as well as the language that people actually speak (as opposed to what you learn in school).

But while going to live in another country might be the best option, it’s not necessarily always going to be the most affordable or practical choice. Not everyone has the luxury of just dropping everything and jetting off to live abroad…

Fortunately this is where technology comes in. Doing an online course is an excellent way to learn online and can give you the kind of one-to-one tuition and expert advice that you might pay thousands for at a university.

At the same time, you can also supplement this with some other fun and unique ways to learn new languages that technology make possible. Here are some examples…

Computer Games

These days a lot of people enjoy playing computer games and these actually offer the perfect opportunity to try your hand at a foreign language. The reason for this is that they are so visual with the dialogue normally taking a back seat to the onscreen action. What that means is that you can play a computer game with the language set to another region and you should be able to ascertain what’s going on by the action on the screen and with a little guesswork.

This is especially great for games like Mass Effect where conversation is actually a part of the game!

There are more ways that gamers can learn new languages too. Of course you can find websites with games designed around teaching you languages and helping you to remember your vocabulary (and these make an excellent supplement when you’re doing a course to learn French or apprenda Ingles). Or why not play a massively multiplayer game or go to a chatroom like Habbo Hotel where you can try speaking to foreign individuals for real?

Comics

Likewise, reading comics in foreign languages can similarly provide you with an opportunity try and marry what’s happening on the screen with your limited understanding of that language. There are many comic stores on the web like Comixology as well as apps to let you read them. By downloading your comics just in another language you’ll be able to muddle your way through the plot and pick up another language in an enjoyable and entertaining manner.

Video

Or why not watch videos in other languages? There are tons on YouTube and if you know how you can even change your region on Netflix. How about watching a favorite film in the language you’re trying to learn?

Pen Friends

Another great aspect of technology and the web is the fact that it lets you interact with people around the world and communicate in all manner of new and more convenient ways. This means you can have a pen friend living on the other side of the planet and communicate with them on a regular basis. This way you can spark up a new friendship and help each other to learn.

Using Skype or Face Time you can even do this in person and thereby communicate with someone who is miles away as though they were in the room with you. In the future Microsoft promise that you’ll be able to see live translations while having conversations on Skype which has clear and incredible applications for those learning a foreign language.

Google Translate

Google Translate is not a method of learning another language but rather a tool that can make any of the other methods much more workable. Obviously Google Translate lets you translate words you paste into the text box and this way you can check what people have said online or what you’ve read in comics and books. Just be a little careful as Google certainly isn’t infallible…