15 Language Learning Resources at Your Fingertips
10. Visit a foreign language chat room
Visiting a foreign language chat room provides a more immediate
opportunity to practice your language skills than a bulletin board,
because a chat room engages speakers in synchronous or live communication.
There are free text chat and, increasingly, also voice chat sites
available for language learners. Text chat rooms exist for learners
and speakers of ESL,
Spanish, Italian,
French,
German,
Japanese,
Thai,
Cantonese,
Arabic,
and Persian,
among others. There are voice chat rooms for Greek
and Cambodian.
Some general language sites help you find chat partners and/or provide
a venue for live communication. The Language
Trade facilitates voice chat with a native speaker at no charge.
UniLang
Chatbox is a place you can meet others interested in languages,
or where a prearranged online language encounter could be held.
11. Plan a trip
Plan a trip to a country or region where the language is spoken.
Not only will you get the chance to practice your language skills,
but you'll also get to experience the culture and customs first-hand,
from simple human interactions to eating habits, from daily routines
to architecture.
While traveling to a place where the native language is a dominant
and official language allows you to surround yourself with the language
and culture, you might be surprised to find immersion opportunities
closer to home. If you're learning French and cannot plan a trip
to Europe or Africa, you still might be able to travel to Quebec.
If you're learning Persian and a trip to Iran is not feasible, try
visiting Los Angeles County, where more than a million Persian-speakers
reside. Are you learning Chinese, but can't afford a trip to China?
Try visiting one of the many Chinatown quarters of large American
cities, such as New York or San Francisco. Such large cities often
have ethnic quarters where you can immerse yourself the language
and the culture of the people who speak it.
12. Study abroad
The absolute best way to get to know a language and culture like
a native speaker is to live like one. Studying
abroad for a semester or, even better, for a year allows you
to be fully immersed in the target cultural and linguistic environment.
You can get to know the ins-and-outs of daily life, learn first-hand
how to negotiate common situations (shopping, taking the bus, mailing
a letter, ordering at a restaurant, etc.), and gain an insider's
perspective on the educational system. There are a myriad of possibilities,
from short-term or summer study to year-long programs. If a formal
study program won't work for you, you might choose instead to work
abroad in an internship or work program. See our career
resources pages for tips and ideas.
There are many common myths about studying abroad, and many people
believe that it's not an option for them. It's not as hard as you
might think! Check out our study
abroad pages for tips and information. Whatever your situation,
there is a way you can make your dream of living and studying in
another country a reality.
TIP: Essential books for those intending to study abroad:
Study Abroad 101, by Wendy Williamson, 196 p. (2004)101 questions and answers about study abroad, from before you apply to after you return home. Covers such topics as: Narrowing Down the Options, Planning your Trip, Health and Safety Concerns, Managing Money Abroad, Life in Another Country, Living with the Locals, Keeping in Touch with Home, Life After Study Abroad, Top Secrets You Should Know.
Study Abroad: How to Get the Most Out of Your Experience, by Michele-Marie Dowell, Kelly P. Mirsky, 208 p. (2002)
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See also specific language pages for additional resources:
French - German - Italian - Japanese - Spanish
