How to Keep Language Learning Cheap but Still Receive Quality and Efficacy

This article is sponsored by Preply

 

Learning a second language can enrich your life in ways you wouldn’t imagine. Your international travel becomes easier, you become more marketable as a potential employee, it can play a role in getting you get into college, and help you meet new people.

However, learning a foreign language can also be intimidating, especially for adults.

Not to mention, learning a new language can be expensive, too. There are many costlier options, from night schools to full college or university courses and software.

However, you don’t have to part with large sums of money to learn another language. There are cheap ways to reach your language goals as well!

Here are a few of the most affordable ways to learn foreign languages but still receive quality and efficacy.

 

Online language learning lessons

Online lessons are probably the best way to learn a language digitally.

Cheap, intensive lessons are relatively fast and usually effective. All you need to do is find a capable language tutor and learn at your own convenience.

Why take an intensive online course?

• Convenience – learning a new language online can allow you to take classes any time you want. You can take classes anywhere; from the comfort of your own personal zone, at the cafeteria during lunchtime, in your office or even during a flight. You only need a strong internet connection to communicate with your online tutor.
• Flexibility – unlike traditional classes, there isn’t always a fixed schedule when learning online. In a traditional class setting, there are almost always fixed timetables which students have to follow. It is therefore difficult to balance between school, work, and family. This is not the case with online language lessons. You choose the time that suits you best.

 

Learn with mobile apps

How much time do you spend on your phone daily? How about you use that time learning a new language for free. There are several language apps with which you can learn many different languages for free. Some mobile apps have well-organized language learning courses focused on writing, listening, and reading.

Check out these mobile apps where you can learn different languages for free:

Preply

An online language learning platform, this website connects you with certified native speaking English tutors to practice with one-on-one lessons. Preply has native apps for both iOS and Android operating systems where you can find a teacher, book a lesson (or take a package of lessons), and begin the lesson right inside the app via Preply Space.

Duolingo

A free and effective way of learning languages, Duolingo is fun and addictive. It provides a game-like approach and is available on iOS, and Android devices as well as a desktop browser version. If you have some basic knowledge of your target language, you can do a test to move to a more advanced level; otherwise, you start with a beginner’s course.

Open Culture

Looking for one of the cheapest ways to learn Spanish? Download the Open Culture mobile app on your phone. Apart from Spanish, you can also learn 47 other languages, including English, French, and Italian.

 

Babbel

You can check out 14 languages with this language app, including Turkish, Spanish, English, German, and Portuguese. While many languages focus on speech, Babbel teaches to write, speak, and write in the language of your choice.

 

Mango Languages

Mango Languages was the first film-based languages and culture learning platform. You can learn over 60 languages, including Icelandic, Spanish, Swahili and more.

 

Transparent Languages

Transparent Languages offers over 100 different languages. It is not completely free, but it offers a free trial. You should give it a try.

 

Livemocha

Back from the dead following a long stint, Livemocha offers free lessons a very wide selection of languages. It also provides a platform where students can connect with each other to practice, which is essential!

 

Busuu

Busuu is one of the most popular language-learning apps, with over 50 million native language users. It has a unique approach where you become part of a social community that enables you to learn a foreign language from others.

 

Read online newspapers

The internet has unlimited resources, and reading online newspapers is one of the cheapest ways to learn languages. Let’s say you want to learn Spanish; there are several Spanish language online newspapers that you should check out daily. It is a great way to learn about current events in Spanish-speaking countries. If you come across a difficult word, you can easily look it up on an online dictionary such as Word Reference.

 

Link up with other learners

There are millions of people learning foreign languages all over the world. There are several online platforms where such learners can link up with each other, including social media platforms such as Facebook.

If you are learning English as a second language, you can search for forums where you link up with fellow ESL students through webcam or phone.

 

Watch movies with subtitles

If you are learning a foreign language, watching movies in your target language is an effective way to master that language. However, sometimes phrases do not translate literally, and this where subtitles come in.

When watching movies in a foreign language, you  should always turn on the subtitles. Watching movies in a foreign language and reading the subtitles in your native language helps you get used to hearing native pronunciation.

 

Immerse yourself

Once you have acquired some basic knowledge of a foreign language, it is time to immerse yourself in their culture. But wouldn’t flights and hotel bookings be expensive? Of course, it would be a costly experience. However, you don’t have to travel to immerse yourself in their culture. Reading online magazines, listening to their music, and following their current events is a great way to immerse yourself in their culture.

 

Meet real people

Finding an online conversation buddy is all well and good, but meeting and chatting with real people can really increase your confidence in the language you are learning. There are several language-specific meet-ups across Europe and North America, particularly if you live near a city. Online platforms such as meetup.com have language groups that meet regularly, including learners and native speakers.

There you have them, cheap ways to learn languages online. You no longer have to be intimidated by costly night classes or full college courses. Find an online tutor at Preply or download an effective language learning app and master a foreign language.

Want to learn English faster? Take intensive English lessons online at Preply and make faster progress at a lower price.

 

Header image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Author image and Preply logo used with express permission of Preply.