6 REASONS WHY THE INTERNET IS A LANGUAGE LEARNER’S BEST FRIEND

Dogs may be man’s best friend, but even your pooch knows the internet is an amazing resource.

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REASON #1:

TWITTER

Tweet your heart out.

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Follow prominent figures who Tweet in the language. Musicians – Politicians – News Agencies – Actors – Athletes – Activists

Follow regular users who speak the language natively. Tweet them! They’re a lot more likely to respond than celebs.

Use hashtags to find partners. #penpals #languageexchange

Follow language learning accounts. We’ve got a few of those right here.

WHY IS TWITTER YOUR FRIEND?

- REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION

- AUTHENTIC LANGUAGE USE

- EXPOSURE TO ABBREVIATED SPEECH

- FREE!

REASON #2:

YOUTUBE

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Watch and learn.

Search for music. Rock out until you understand what they’re saying. Then continue rocking out.

Search for answers. After all, YouTube is the 2nd most popular search engine after Google. If they can’t

answer you, nobody can.

Search for channels. Subscribe to channels that put out language lessons. It’s like going to class, but you

don’t actually need to show up on time (or at all).

Search for culture. Language and culture go hand in hand. Not to mention how watching travel videos is

some serious motivation to keep learning.

WHY IS YOUTUBE YOUR FRIEND?

- 1,000,000 NEW VIDEOS PER HOUR

- FREE VIDEO LESSONS FROM NATIVE SPEAKERS

- FOREIGN LANGUAGE MUSIC

- TRAVEL VIDEOS

- ENGAGES MORE SENSES AND SKILLS

REASON #3:

BLOGS

Read into it.

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Read subject blogs. Interested in gardening? Try to find a gardening blog in the language you’re studying.

Read language learning blogs. So you really want to get into the nitty gritty? Find blogs that teach the language.

We’ve got a bunch of those over here.

Leave comments. You can do more than just read a blog. Leave comments to interact with the author

and your fellow readers. Trust us, bloggers love comments.

WHY ARE BLOGS YOUR FRIENDS?

- INTRODUCE SUBJECT-SPECIFIC VOCABULARY

- USE CURRENT AND NATURAL LANGUAGE

- ALLOW FOR INTERACTION WITH PASSIONATE LANGUAGE PROFESSIONALS

REASON #3:

SLIDESHARE

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Next slide, please.

Flip through classroom-style lessons. No more listening to someone read their own slides. Give their presentation to

yourself.

Find language learning advice. Slideshare is a also great place to find out how and why to learn a language. We’ve got

some tips and tricks for you on our channel.

WHY IS SLIDESHARE YOUR FRIEND?

- SELF-GUIDED, COURSE-STYLE PRESENTATIONS

- LANGUAGE LEARNING TIPS AND TRICKS

- VISUALLY STIMULATING

REASON #4:

TEDTALKS

Ideas worth spreading.

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Spread ideas in 40+ languages. Did you know TED translates their talks into 40+ languages? Follow along with subtitles

and a transcript of the talks.

Learn something new, in a new language. Select a language and a topic. Prepare for your mind to be blown.

WHY IS TED YOUR FRIEND?

- INNOVATIVE AND INTERESTING SUBJECTS NOT FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE

- ADVANCED, SUBJECT-SPECIFIC VOCABULARY

- MIND BLOWING

REASON #5:

PINTEREST

Pin now, read later.

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Create your own language boards. Search for language related pins and store them for later!

Pin vocabulary.

Pin quotes and expressions.

Pin grammar. These pins are often links to longer lessons, too!

Pin videos. Remember how awesome YouTube is for language learning? Now you can store your

favorite videos on your board for later use!

Pin culture. History, geography, recipes, songs, etc. It’s all there.

Pin motivation. The internet is full of temptations to distract you from studying. Distract yourself with

a motivation board, then get back to studying! It’s like reverse psychology.

Follow other users’ boards. Don’t feel like searching for pins on your own? Follow another user’s board.

WHY IS PINTEREST YOUR FRIEND?

- STORE RESOURCES FOR LATER

- VISUALLY STIMULATING

- HIGHLY ORGANIZED

- DIVERSE LANGUAGE & CULTURE RESOURCES

- FUN & ADDICTING

REASON #6:

LIVE INSTRUCTION

Who says you have to go to class?

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Take a class. Sometimes you just want some good, old-fashioned classroom time. The benefit of

online live-instruction? Your classroom is wherever you want it to be.

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WHY IS LIVE ONLINE INSTRUCTION YOUR FRIEND?

- ALL OF THE BENEFITS OF TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM

TEACHING

- PROFESSIONAL TEACHER AT YOUR DISPOSAL

- CONVENIENCE

- INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP SESSIONS

“The limits of my language are the limits of my world.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

Don’t limit yourself to traditional resources. Incorporate these online resources to make your learning experience a great one. After all, that’s what friends are for!

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