Learning Korean: 3 Hot Tips for Mastering the Korean Language

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Because it uses an alphabet much different than our own, called Hangul, the Korean language can be challenging to learn. Like all languages, however, if you learn how to learn, and then make a good learning strategy, prior to hitting the books, you can pick up the language quickly and easily. This article is going to give you three very important tips that you should follow when learning the Korean language.

Tip 1: Define Your Korean Fluency Goals

One does not sit down and learn a language. One sits down and learns pieces of a language. For example, most language textbooks are divided into sections, such as shopping, eating, family, and transportation. Before you sit down and start studying, decide which part of the language is most important to you. If you are going to Korea to be an English teacher, your first goal could be to learn “classroom Korean.” If you are going to Korea on business, start with basic business Korean. If you’re traveling, learn travel phrases. Set small but important fluency goals and your learning will move along swiftly and smoothly.

Tip 2: Have Structure From the Beginning

When learning the Korean language it is important to have structure. You must first learn how to pronounce the letters of a new and unfamiliar alphabet. Then you must gain an understanding of Korean sentence structure and grammar, which is very different than it is in English. Then you can start to memorize vocabulary words, phrases, and, eventually, complete sentences. Failure to follow this structured approach will cause frustration and poor learning progress. Get it right from the beginning, on the other hand, and you’ll progress nicely.

Tip 3: Be Consistent With Your Studying

Consistency is an important part of learning any language; studying for five hours one day and then skipping the next four days is not nearly as effective as studying for one hour each day for five days in a row. This you probably already know. It is worth noting again, however, because this consistency is particularly important when studying a language that has an alphabet that is unfamiliar to you.

The reason is because you have to not only learn new words and phrases, but you also have to remember how to pronounce a whole new set of characters, characters that you cannot sound out, as you could if learning, for example, Spanish.

Final Thoughts

Learning Korean can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Define your Korean language fluency goals, create a structured learning plan, and be consistent with your studies, and you’ll pick up the Korean language quickly and easily.

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Ten Tips To Learn Foreign Languages Quickly

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Languages are the best way to communicate with different people around the world. In order to interact with the people in our everyday lives, we need to learn and understand foreign Languages. With the growing importance and influence of the global economy, it is very necessary to learn Foreign Languages for business purposes. So, if you are planning to study abroad, or going abroad for business purposes or traveling in a foreign country, you need to learn the local language so that, you can easily communicate with people.

The most popular foreign languages in the world are English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese and Chinese. So, if you would like to learn foreign languages quickly, follow these tips.

1. Join Any Coaching Institute: It is preferred to join any coaching institute to learn a foreign language. So that, you can learn any language professionally, also its gives you an environment to study and learn.

2. Start from Basic: If you wanted to learn any language, start learning and basic words, most common phrases, greeting, counting etc.

3. Reading Basic books: Start reading some school textbooks, will help you to learn basic things like colors name, fruit and vegetable name, the name of months and days etc.

4. Reading Newspaper: Reading a newspaper will help you to read the words, and improve your reading and speaking skills. It will also help you to improve your vocabulary.

5. Reading Novels & Literature books: Reading novels and literature books will also help you to learn different words and improve you speaking. It will also let you know about the culture and civilizations of the country.

6. Listen to the Audio Songs: Audio songs will help your listing skills and you can also listen to audio tutorials available on different websites.

7. Watch Movies & TV Shows: Movies and TV soaps are also good media to learn foreign languages. You can learn different words without getting bored.

8. Writing Small Phrases: Writing small phrases will improve your writing skills. Some languages use different scripts for writing and speaking.

9. Group Discussion: Group discussion will remove your hesitation and give you the confidence, to speak in public. Speaking in front of a mirror will also boost your confidence.

10 Use YouTube & Google: If you have any problems, you can watch lots of tutorials videos on YouTube. Google is the best search engine to find meaning and correct pronunciation of any word.

Tips On How To Easily Learn A Foreign Language

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Learning a foreign language not only opens many job doors for you and makes you feel good about yourself, but it also makes you look sophisticated. While many people find it hard to learn a second language, there are some that fluently speak up to 10 different languages. If you would be interested in learning an additional language, here are tips you should follow:

Have a reason

Just like in any other sphere of your life, you can’t put a lot of effort into something if you don’t have a good reason as to why you are doing it. If you don’t have a good reason why you are learning a different language, you will most likely fall off within a short time.

To stay motivated, have the end in your mind. For example, you can start learning a language if you are confident that it will give you a new and exciting job. You can also learn the language if you are interested in knowing another person better in the native language.

Have someone you are liable to

This is someone who acts as a mentor. While he/she might be at the same level as you, you will be reporting to him/her of your progress. This has been shown to be highly effective as you are less likely to fall off. In addition to the partner encouraging you, he/she ensures that you stick to the classes.

Have fun

You will agree with me that you are less likely to stick to something that you don’t enjoy. When you attend class, have a good time by composing interesting songs. If learning it at home, you can make a radio play. You can also draw a comic strip, write a poem, or just choose interesting words that are easy and you can throw them in your sentences.

Be like a child

Studies show that there isn’t a direct link between age and ability to learn. The studies show that the ease at which you learn something is all dependent on your attitude. To learn the new language, you should behave like a child. This is where you lose your self-consciousness and play with the new style. As rule of thumb don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Conclusion

These are tips that will help you in easily learning a new language. Have a good reason why you are doing it, act like a child, and you will definitely learn the language.

Japanese Language Learning Tips – Proper Use of "-San"

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In this Japanese language learning tips article, I will explain the proper use of “-San” in Japanese. “-San” is frequently misused by beginning learners of Japanese, but there is a simple rule you can follow that will ensure you get it right every time.

When to Use the “-San” Form of Address in Japanese

“-San,” as in Tanaka-san or Smith-san, is a form of Japanese address that just about everyone is familiar with, whether or not they are a learner of the language. “-San” is used to address someone in a polite, somewhat formal manner. 

Just as in English we would address someone we don’t know that well or someone with a somewhat higher status than us as “Mr.” or Ms.,” in Japanese we would use “-San” in much the same way, with one important difference: in Japan, there is a much greater emphasis on formality and politeness, so unless the person you are communicating with is a very close friend or intimate, you should ALWAYS use the “-San” form of address.

In the West, where we tend to be much more informal, we may initially address a person we have just met as “Mr.” or “Ms.” and then after a few minutes take the liberty of addressing that person by their first name. In Japan, this is a big no-no. Never eliminate the “-san” form of address when speaking to a Japanese person unless specifically invited to do so by that person. 

The Most Important Rule on Using “-San” in Japanese

In addition to the above advice, there is one essential rule you must follow regarding the use of “-San” in Japanese. When introducing or referring to yourself, NEVER call yourself “XX-San.” So if your name is Mary and you’re introducing yourself in Japanese, or even to a Japanese person speaking English, you must never say “I’m Mary-San.” In Japanese, you simply never refer to yourself using “-San.” 

Similarly, and this becomes a bit more complicated, you never address members of your own group using “-San” when speaking to persons outside of your own group. For example, when interacting with a business client or counterpart from another company using “-San,” you would never address yourself or someone from your own company as “XXX-San!” 

Forms of address in Japanese are actually quite complex and there is much more to the story, so I’ll go into more depth in another article. For now, just remember this basic advice on the use of “-San” and you’ll be assured of impressing your Japanese counterparts as a well-informed and well-mannered gaijin! 

Tips on How to Motivate Your English Language Learners to Study ESL

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Rod Ellis defines motivation as referring to “the efforts which learners put into learning an L2 as a result of their need or desire to learn” (1995).

The two main types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic, can affect the learning process. Intrinsic motivation is task motivation that derives from an inherent interest in the learning tasks while extrinsic motivation refers to the external influences that affect the strength of learner’s motivation such as that which comes from teachers and parents.

While some students have their own intrinsic motivation or external motivation, other students need to be motivated to learn. There are many things that you can do as a teacher in order to motivate students to learn. These strategies are based on various articles I have read below.

Students are more likely to want to learn when they appreciate the value of the classroom activities, and when they believe that they will succeed if they apply reasonable effort. Hence, “student motivation to learn is an acquired competence developed through general experiences but stimulated most directly through modeling, communication of expectations, and direct instruction or socialization by significant others – especially teachers and parents” (Brophy, p.40) When it comes to lower performing learners, teachers realize that such learners are accustomed to experiencing failure, hence, the teacher’s task is to help them experience success.

Here are some strategies and tips that may motivate students and stimulate them to learn.

  • Provide a supportive environment and establish a trusting bond. “Motivation is the feeling nurtured primarily by the teacher in the learning situation” (Ellis, 1994). Greet your students, interact with them, indicate a personal concern about them as individuals.
  • Cater levels of activity to students’ level – try and make sure that the learning tasks pose a reasonable challenge to the students – neither too difficult nor too easy.
  • Help students recognize links between effort outcome – learning is a long term plan of effort and investment.
  • Break down learning steps into digestable pieces.
  • Minimize student’s performance anxiety during learning activities.

Articles on Motivating Students

Brophy, J. Synthesis of Research for Motivating Students to Learn. Educational Leadership, Oct. 1987. p.40-48. (article summary)

Ellis, R. (1994) The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Primary English Education Policy 2001 in China

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China’s Ministry of Education created a foreign language policy in 2001 The policy is entitled, “The Ministry of Education Guidelines for Vigorously Promoting the Teaching of English in Primary Schools.”

This policy has so many positive and negative effects on the society of china. An analysis of policy is given below please read.

The policy states that primary school students are required to start learning English in the third grade. This marked the implementation of a new foreign language policy in the country. The policy included a plan implementation schedule, curriculum design guidelines, textbook selections, training teachers and governing structures. There have been several concerns about the implementation of this policy and for a country with the largest primary school population, the practicality of the policy’s implementation raised several eyebrows. One of the concerns were whether the policy was only geared towards gaining the favor of hosting the 2008 Summer Olympic games or whether the policy promoted education equality in the country. Learning English has become high importance for internal and external examinations within the school systems.

n China, there is an exam for students to take to enter into college, called the National University Entrance Qualifying Exam. This exam requires students to test in three subjects: Chinese, English, and Math. Some parents in China find learning English so necessary, they hire tutors to start teaching their children English before they are taught in school

The English language has evidently shown linguistic impacts to all parts of the world. The effects do not only transpire in the micro socio-political lens, but it already holds a significant role that fuelled both the political and social development of societies. These developments then result to the involvement and transpiration of policy efforts and the discussions of language planning as part of the pedagogical component of national educational systems. One interesting case is that of the English Language Teaching (ELT) policy in the People’s Republic of China.

It is noted that China’s educational system has suffered from its unstable policies in foreign language education during the 1950s to 1990s – after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. In other words, the English Language Teaching in China was influenced by differing political, economic, social, and educational needs at different times.

Also, the massive drive in the expansion of English proficiency in formal education has in Hertling’s words “the most ambitious language-learning campaign in history”

Learning Languages ​​for Hopelessly Busy People

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When you were younger life was devoted to school and its associated student responsibilities. There weren't many constraints to deal with, such as a job, children, home keeping, and other grown-up obligations. As an adult you still have goals and interests, and speaking a foreign language might be one of them. It takes around 1000 hours of study to be considered fluent in most languages ​​so, with all the time required, how can one realistically speak a new language when your schedule is already full?

A productive way to learn a language and strengthen skills when time is limited is to make use of idle moments, down time, travel time, and waiting time . While traveling or commuting to work, use those minutes for listening to podcasts or music in the language you're studying. If you're at an advanced level, listen to an audio book in that language. Even if you're passively listening to music in another language, you are learning new vocabulary, and music is a wonderful memory aid. While waiting for an appointment or standing in line, use a language-learning app on your smart phone or tablet to pass the time. Brief periods of study are small reinforcements that boost your memory tremendously.

Read 15 minutes each day. If there is a book that you like in English, try reading it in your foreign language. You don't need to read it word for word; Understanding the basic storyline and becoming familiar with the sentence structures and new vocabulary will have an impact. Besides, you'll have great satisfaction and confidence after achieving such an impressive goal. Of course reading a novel is one suggestion. The important thing is to read something, anything that interests you: magazines, comic books, romance novels, whatever will motivate you to read every day. In fact, reading 15 minutes each day exposes you to over 1,000,000 words each year .

If rereading a book doesn't interest you, watch a favorite movie in the language you're studying . You will already know the plot so this time you can follow the dialogue with better understanding. Use subtitles if you wish. Games and puzzles are a productive use of time as well, and there are limitless options available on the web. How about participating in a foreign language chat room ? Not only do they provide practical conversation experience, they're also a wonderful source for potential foreign friends.The objective here is to squeeze some language learning into your relaxation time.

Have you ever tried incorporating the five senses into your language learning ? This can be done wherever you are. Whenever you taste, smell, touch, hear, or see something new or interesting, think about these sensations in your new language. By engaging with your senses you will train yourself to think more in the new language, not your dominant language. This is why so many language learners advance quickly when they travel to foreign countries. They start to hear and see more foreign words than they do words in their own language. Eventually their brains stop translating into their own language and start thinking in the new language. When brushing your teeth, for example, talk to yourself (silently or aloud) about the minty taste of the toothpaste, how fresh your mouth feels, the color of your toothbrush, how the bristles feel on your gums, how smooth your teeth feel, how foamy the toothpaste becomes, the water, and the brushing sound. Involve your senses in simple tasks while thinking in the language you're learning. Don't worry about making mistakes. Think in words and sentences and let you mind be free.

To supplement language learning during your busy day practice these achievable approaches that will keep you on the path to fluency. You can do it! Having an interest in foreign languages ​​is rewarding and opens your world to new possibilities so don't let time constraints limit your potential to speak a new language.

Grammar Teaching: Implicit or Explicit?

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Based on my 15 years of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teaching experience, the statement “grammar teaching should be implicit, not explicit” could be argued both for and against. Whether to teach grammar as an extracted focus of ELT (English Language Teaching) or more passively as an inductive, integral topic has been the theme of countless debates on the part of institutions, professors, grammarians and language researchers for decades. Grammar is the branch of linguistics dealing with the form and structure of words or morphology, and their interrelation in sentences, called syntax. The study of grammar reveals how language works, an important aspect in both English acquisition and learning.

In the early 20th century grammarians like the German-American anthropologist Franz Boas and the Danish linguist Otto Jespersen began to describe languages and Boas’ work formed the basis of various types of American descriptive grammar study. Jespersen’s work was the fore-runner of such current approaches to linguistic theory such as Noam Chomsky’s Transformational Generative Grammar.

Chomsky, who studied structural linguistics, sought to analyze the syntax of English in a structural grammar. This led him to view grammar as a theory of language structure rather than a description of actual sentences. His idea of grammar is that it is a device for producing the structure, not of a particular language, but of the ability to produce and understand sentences in any and all languages. Since grammar is the means by which we can understand how a language “works”, a definitive study of language grammar is essential to language study.

Strictly explicit grammar study however, and even grammar-focused lessons are often not communicatively based. They can therefore be boring, cumbersome and difficult for students to assimilate. The strict teaching of grammar / structure, except with students of the Logical – Mathematical or Verbal – Linguistic multiple intelligences, can be frustrating and highly ineffective.

Grammar teaching should be implicit

In the early 20th century, Jespersen, like Boas, thought grammar should be studied by examining living speech rather than by analyzing written documents. By providing grammar in context, in an implicit manner, we can expose students to substantial doses of grammar study without alienating them to the learning of English or other foreign language. I also agree with this implicit approach of teaching grammar. The principal manner in which I accomplish this is by teaching short grammar-based sessions immediately followed by additional function-based lessons in which the new grammar / structure is applied in context.

The hypothesis is that adult language students have two distinct ways of developing skills and knowledge in a second language, acquisition and learning. Acquiring a language is “picking it up”, i.e., developing ability in a language by using it in natural, communicative situations. Learning language differs in that it is “knowing the rules” and having a conscious knowledge of grammar / structure. Adults acquire language, although usually not as easily or as well as children. Acquisition, however, is the most important means for gaining linguistic skills. A person’s first language (L1) is primarily learned in this way. This manner of developing language skills typically employs implicit grammar teaching and learning.

Grammar teaching should be explicit

This does not exclude explicit grammar-teaching entirely, however. Some basic features of English language grammar structure are illogical or dissimilar to speakers of other languages and do not readily lend themselves to being well understood, even in context. In cases where features of English grammar are diametrically opposed or in some other way radically different from the manner of expression in the student’s L1, explicit teaching may be required.

Aspects of English language grammar that may offer exceptional challenge to EFL students include use of word order, determiners (this, that, these, those, a, an, the), prepositions (in, on, at, by, for, from, of), auxiliaries (do, be, have), conjunctions (but, so, however, therefore, though, although), interrogatives, intensifiers (some, any, few, more, too) and distinctions between modal verbs (can, could, would, should, may, might, must). Phrasal verbs also present considerable difficulty to Spanish speakers learning communicative English.

Some students also are logical or linguistically-biased thinkers who respond well to structured presentation of new material. Logical-Mathematical and Verbal-Linguistic intelligence learners are prime examples of those that would respond well to explicit grammar teaching in many cases.

Based on my English language teaching and on my second and third foreign language learning (L2, L3) experience, an exclusive approach using either implicit or explicit methodologies is not as effective as utilizing one or the other of these approaches as required. Although it is essential to teach elements of language and develop communicative abilities in our students, there is no one best way to introduce and provide practice in them. Young learners have more natural facility in acquisition, while adults may benefit substantially from more “formal” language learning. Learning styles and intelligence strengths are also a significant factor.

There are many generally accepted ways of introducing the sounds, structure and vocabulary of English, including colloquial forms of conversation and the four basic communication skills. Grammar provides for “communicative economy”. Grammar teaching should be implicit, or explicit, as teaching / learning conditions may dictate helping to minimize the student response teachers fear most, “Teacher, I don’t understand.”

Note: Academic references for this article are available on request.

Related language learning and teaching articles in this series available online include:

“Learning a Language: 6 Effective Ways to Use the Internet”

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=76453

“Six Quick Tricks for Learning a Language”

http://EzineArticles.com/?id=72718

“What’s the Strangest Thing you’ve Ever Eaten?”

http://EzineArticles.com/?id=81349

“What Makes a Person Intelligent?”

http://EzineArticles.com/?id=81350

Teach English in Colombia: Grappling with Grammar, Gold, Guns, and Guayaba

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=85995

Try This for Perfecting Past Tense Pronunciation Practice

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=86780

7 Steps to Better Business English: Choosing a Business English Training Program

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=81697

English Only in the EFL Classroom: Worth the Hassle?

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=89180

Learning a Language in School This Year?

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It's that time of year when so many of us are getting ready to go back to school. If you are going to be studying a language this year, either as a new subject or as part of a continuing series, there are many things you can do outside the classroom that can seriously improve your grades.

You can take responsibility for your own learning and take charge of the direction your language study is going in. Start doing a little extra work outside the classroom, but be sure it is something different from what you do in class. Look for complementary resources to learn from and new ways to use what you are learning.

Get a language course. It can be a little tricky to get one that meshes well with the course you are taking in class, but if you can get the right kind of course for yourself, you can really complement your classroom learning and get ahead in class.

Join a language community. There are dozens of language communities on the internet that can help you learn a language in a lot of ways. You can study vocabulary, grammar, practice dialogues, read articles and listen to unique content. You can even participate in email exchanges, text chats and voice chats, all in the language you are studying. The best part is that you can find most, if not all, of these features for free on the internet.

Read websites and blogs. There are tons of free resources and content on the internet to learn a new language. Some in the language you are learning is simple enough that even a beginner can get a lot of use out of it. But, there are also lots of other resources just for learners.

Listen to podcasts. Just like websites and blogs, you can find lots of podcasts to listen to, both in the language you're learning and some really great ones specifically for learning that language.

Listen to music, watch movies and play games. Don't limit yourself to just 'learning materials.' Try doing things just for fun. Even if this is the only extra study you do outside the classroom, this can take you a long way toward really learning and absorbing the language.

By using a few of these simple ideas, you can vastly improve your ability to read and understand your target language. And if you go a little further and put in just a little extra effort, your ability to write and speak the language will improve by leaps and bounds. You will get more than just a 'leg up' on your competition and improve your grades, you will blow away your fellow students and your teacher!

Learning a Language: 6 Effective Ways to Use the Internet

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There are many ways to learn a new language: you can go live in a country where the language is spoken, attend a formal language class, get a private language tutor or use books and written materials. Other ways to learn a foreign language are to listen to CDs or audiocassette tapes, watch TV, movies and video programs, memorize phrase books, use the Internet or employ a combination of all the above.

But not everyone can arrange to live in a foreign country. Native speakers of the language may not be available. Written or recorded commercial materials may not be available in the language you’re interested in (Cochimi, Cibemba or Kukapa, anyone?) True, many major languages like Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese broadcast TV programs via cable. Even Korean, Catalan, Arabic and Japanese have venues available in cosmopolitan areas worldwide; but the vast majority of the world’s thousands of spoken tongues are simply not at large outside of their local areas. So what’s a prospective polyglot to do?

One answer of course, is the internet. Plug “foreign language courses” into an internet search engine like Google or Yahoo and more than 62 million hits instantly come up. From Afrikaans to Punjabi, and Hebrew to Zulu, thousands of listings lay before you only a mouse click away. How exactly then, can the internet be used to tackle learning a foreign language? Start off effectively by using these six ways:

1. Do an initial evaluation

The first thing you may want to know is where you are in the scheme of learning the language. An initial language skills evaluation is in order; are you a raw beginner? False beginner? Intermediate level? Higher? Let’s take English as a second or foreign language as an example. English proficiency diagnostics tests are free online at:

• General English Test with instant results

http://nll.co.uk/test/english.shtml

• Parlo http://parlo.com/

(diagnostic tests in English, Spanish, and French)

• Upper Intermediate Test

http://www.wordskills.com/level/caeform.html

If you score above 80% in this test, you should take the next one and also show your teacher or tutor a copy of the results.

2. Become familiar with language learning strategies

How do YOU learn? Knowing this can make the daunting task of foreign language learning less like study and more like play. Are you a Visual – Spatial learner who likes pictures, drawings, graphics and extensive use of color? A Musical – Rhythmic type that would benefit from having your lessons and materials set to music, rhythm or rhyme? Perhaps you’re the athletic type who’d derive more success with learning by motion, movement, mime or even dance? Playing the works of Mozart in the background while studying has been shown to enhance learning in a number of areas. To find out more about your manner of learning visit these sites for starters:

• Learning Styles Explanation [http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm]

• Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire [http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/ilsweb.html]

• The Success Types Learning Style Indicator [http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Success/LSTIntro.htm]

3. Practice reading skills

Literacy is one of the 21st century’s most innately valuable compound skills. After all, you’re reading THIS now, aren’t you? Few would wish to be illiterate in their new foreign language so practice of reading skills is paramount. Online newspapers, magazines, newsletters and blogs can provide the needed practice and learning materials. Check out these reading comprehension skills sites:

• How to Read Your Textbook More Efficiently

[http://www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/lrnres/handouts/1422.html]

• Self-study reading lessons http://www.english-to-go.com/

• Read the article in the following address:

[http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/quiz/read1a.html]

In the address that follows, take the quiz to verify your

understanding of the reading passage:

[http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/quiz/read1b.html]

4. Help in developing listening skills

Considered to be the most difficult of the language skills to develop, listening cannot be taught. Rather, you must practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. Every week, twice a week I passed a street vendor at the same spot, absolutely clueless as to what he was saying. I knew what he was selling – I just peeked over at his wares. But his entreaties in street Spanish fell on my language-clogged ears for months. Then one evening, without warning, it happened. Just two days before, his cries were the same incomprehensible slur they’d been for months. That one evening however, when he launched into his huckster’s spiel I suddenly understood every word. My listening comprehension skills had clicked in. Why then? No one knows. Especially not me, and I’m a post-graduate-degreed Language Education Specialist!

Practice your listening skills with radio programs in your target language for a change at http://www.live365.com which has live global feeds 24 hours a day in multiple languages.

Foreign language internet radio and foreign news radio in 27 European, 4 Middle Eastern, 9 Asian languages and audio feeds from 19 African countries are broadcast on: http://www.multilingualbooks.com/online-radio.html

5. Playing games and having fun

Vocabulary is often referred to as the building blocks of language. Knowledge of vocabulary is one aspect that separates the language learning levels. The more vocabulary you know, the more communicative you are. Here are some unique linguistic sites that help build your language as you “play”:

• The http://www.manythings.org/ site offers “interesting things for ESL students” like songs, jokes, quizzes, word games, puzzles, slang and even podcasts to help stimulate English language acquisition.

• The foreign language course site at:

http://www.foreignlanguagehome.com/topics/courses/index.htm

has activities in 27 languages including Finnish, Mandarin and Quechua.

• At the Transparent Language site you can play games in any one of more than 100 languages from Afrikaans to Farsi or Guarani to Yoruba. And yes, they have Zulu too. Check out all their listings here: http://www.transparent.com/games/

6. So what language tickles your fancy?

While the selection of language courses, tutorials, news feeds, music and other audio – visual materials online is extensive, ALL the world’s languages simply aren’t available. Sorry. But many are and here’s how to find yours if it’s online.

• 108 FREE online foreign language courses are posted at: http://www.word2word.com/coursead.html

• The PARLO language website offers courses in English, Spanish French and Italian at: [http://www.parlo.com/parlo21/home/courselist/courselist_en.asp]

• The E. L. Easton Language Institute offers 14 languages online from Albanian to Japanese, Latin to Croatian to Russian and Spanish. The site is online at: http://eleaston.com/languages.html

• A plethora of language learning activities for the world wide web are online for practice activities from the University of Hawaii here: [http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/lss/lang/nflrc.html]

Although the internet may not be the complete answer to all your foreign language learning needs it nonetheless can be a tremendous resource in your efforts to habla español, parlez francaise, or sprechenze Deutcsh. The prestige, financial gains, personal satisfaction, envy and opportunities that frequently follow with knowledge of a foreign language are without equal. Why don’t you start today trying out some of these effective ways to use the Internet to learn a language. Be sure to read the companion article “Six Quick Tricks for Learning a Language” at: http://EzineArticles.com/?id=72718 By the way, if you do find Cochimi, Cibemba or Kukapa, please let me know – I’m still looking.