Ciao! Bonjour! Hola!
It’s European Day of Languages, a brilliant opportunity to celebrate linguistic diversity and focus in on the importance of learning new languages.
Learning foreign languages from an early age has numerous benefits, from giving children confidence when travelling abroad and increasing their cultural awareness, to providing job opportunities later in life.
But did you know that learning languages doesn’t just need to be confined to the classroom? In fact, a few minutes each day spent practising your French can hugely help your child’s grades in school.
Here are a few FREE ways to learn languages outside of school:
Duolingo
There are paid versions, but the free version is enough to start learning your first few words and sentences. Duolingo gamifies language learning with daily streaks, rewards, and challenges, making it engaging and rewarding for both teenagers and adults. Just 5-10 minutes a day will help build momentum – get that streak going 💪
TIP: If you want to purchase the pro version, they offer a family plan so that everyone can learn together. Perfect if you’ve got a family holiday coming up!
Beginner’s language podcasts
There are hundreds of podcasts out there to help with your language learning! These can explain grammatical concepts, introduce daily life in another culture, or even slowly discuss a story, translating afterwards into English. Super easy to listen to on the school bus, or on the way to work.
TIP: Our favourite for beginners is “News in Slow French” 🇫🇷 but if you’re finding the speed a little difficult, many podcast players offer the opportunity to play podcasts at a slower speed.
YouTube
If you’re a visual learner, YouTube is the perfect place for you! It’s a brilliant place to watch native speakers, and there are countless teaching channels to help explain grammatical concepts or help you perfect your pronunciation 📹
TIP: ¿Hablas Espanol? “Spanish with Paul” describes his channel as “the easiest Spanish lessons on the internet”, and those of you learning German will love GermanPod101.
Libraries
Not just for novels and biographies – local libraries are a treasure trove for language learners. Check yours out for foreign dictionaries, storybooks and even free audio tutorials in foreign languages 📕
TIP: If your local library has a community notice board, have a look to see if anybody is offering language exchange conversations, where you help them learn English, and they help you learn their native language.
The bonus option, if you’re already paying for Netflix…
Your Netflix subscription can help you continue your learning, even during your downtime! Try subtitles in a foreign language to start matching up a few words, or even better, try a foreign TV show with English subtitles to better understand pronunciations and accents. As Francophiles, we’re loving “The Parisian Agency” right now, and Money Heist is a must-watch for Spanish learners 👀
With so many free tools available, learning a new language has never been easier… or more fun!
It doesn’t matter if you and the kids are hoping to master a few words for your next holiday or aiming for full fluency, give these a try, and let us know how you get on. Bonne chance et à bientôt.
Happy European Day of Languages! 🌍
