Home Add to Favorite Contact Submit  
             28 March, 2024
 

    
Category:  Articles » Reference & Education » Language

 

How The Internet Has Revolutionized Language Learning

Popularity:
         Views: 1747
2011-10-22 22:37:35     
Article by Ernest Wood

The Internet has changed the way we do a lot of things, making them easier, yet a bit more complicated. We can now shop from our own homes without waiting for catalogues, talk to our friends and family without waiting for the post, and do research without a lengthy trip to the library. We can meet people near and far, and we can learn to communicate in their language much, much easier now than at any point in history. Teaching ourselves new languages is more feasible than ever before, whereas you used to have to live in an area where the language was accessible to you if you didn’t want to put up the time and money for a class or language school that might get to you to a decent level of communication and reading after several years of work. With the Internet we can drastically cut down on the time and money needed to learn a language, and since language is the most natural thing a person possesses, anyone (I mean anyone) can learn a language if only you know the way that’s right for you. The Internet makes it all possible, allowing us to find websites that help us learn, shop online for the things we need to make it happen, find software, and even speak with native speakers, not matter how remote the language is. It’s a journey whose path is now more accessible than ever in history.

Let’s say you want to learn Japanese, which is a popular language right now for a variety of reasons. The best thing to do is search out websites that will either help you learn the language or purport to teach it themselves. You usually can’t get very far with free websites, although they’re good for getting a feel for the language, and also are excellent supplements and references, but there are some amazingly cheap alternatives that do a very good job of teaching you the language.

Some of them are audio-based and have thriving communities, whereas other websites function as online textbooks, giving you a great way to learn and study at your own pace. It’s very possible to get a good working knowledge (or better) of Japanese using such websites alone, so you can kiss university prices goodbye.

You can find hundreds of software as well, although if you want my personal recommendation, most of them are rip-offs and you should stick to websites and tangible goods. I’m sure there’s a few gems out there, but many of them are over-priced and don’t do much, but if that’s the way you learn, there’s a lot to choose from. They can run on virtually any computer, and if you get a good one, it will probably have some one-on-one support as well. The one big plus they have is their level of interactivity.
A very good way to learn is through shopping online. I don’t necessarily mean for physical textbooks, although they’re a nice thing to have, but for books and movies and such. Just listening to a foreign language is enough to physically change your brain, allowing it accept the sounds as being familiar instead of foreign, and understanding how people really speak and write is a huge step in learning, as textbooks tend to skip over slang and the way people speak face-to-face.

If not for the Internet, it would be very difficult to get native material. As far as Japanese goes, you would have had to find someone who had the tapes from Japan, and there was kind of an underground subculture surrounding it back in the day. Now you can find them easily and quickly without searching for a second-hand copy.

Finally, the Internet has linked us together in ways we could never have imagined. Forums, social networking, and language exchange websites have made it more than possible to interact with native speakers of virtually any tongue. You used to have to pay a native speaker to “teach” you by conversing, but you can easily do it for free by now just by posting messages on forums and websites and asking for corrections. It’s never been easier to find a native to talk to.

I, for one, am very happy to be seeing people eager and ready to learn languages without feeling the need to spend tons of money. Now, if only we could dispel the myth that languages are difficult or only easy for certain kinds of people, everyone could be learning new languages! This was just my thoughts on the Internet, and how it makes everything easier and more accessible, and I hope it enlightened you.

Specialized in: Internet - Language Learning
URL: http://primeessays.com
Print article      Bookmark this page
Related Articles 
Reasons to Pursue Hospitality Courses from Australia (Popularity: ): International students prefer to pursue higher studies in Australia. The island country has top-ranked universities and quality education system which help students to improve their career prospects. Training is offered on modern infrastructure with advanced curriculums to get the necessary education required to succeed in the chosen profession.Besides that, students get good experience studying in the large campuses of universities in Australia. Pleasant weather condition, friendly locals, scholarship, liberal society, ...
Italian Translation Into English Of The Seasons (Popularity: ): I have a great love for all things Italian. I work in a translation agency dealing with Italian English language combination projects, I am getting fat on Italian food and I am even marrying a fantastic Italian girl, who is also a translator.So I hope to bring to you in this article not only an Italian English translation of the text. But also, a feel of the Italian culture and ...
Very Useful German Phrases (Popularity: ): German language is the most prominent member of the Germanic sub class of the Indo-European languages. Germanic is the same sub class to which English also belongs. No surprise then that English has close affinity with German. German is spoken by about 125 Million people worldwide. It is primarily spoken in Germany and Austria but sizable native speakers also exist in Switzerland, Belgium, Czech Republic and Poland. It is one ...
Professional English Editing Services Offered by Editage (Popularity: ): English is the language of communication for those who want to reach a global audience. It is often difficult for nonnative speakers of English to produce a well-written document in English. This is why we at Editage offer English language editing. Editage's English editing service is just one click away. Editage has been offering English editing services for the past 7 years. Our editing team comprises 110 contractual editors and ...
Some Tricks Which Will Definitely Improve Your English Pronunciation (Popularity: ): Undoubtedly, if you landed here and reading this article, then it is probably all right to presume that you are not fully satisfied with your level of English and do not consider yourself fluent in it. Right?Getting a good command over English speaking skills can be a captivating and pleasing though, which offers you a new and different perception to view the world, moreover, opens doors to many new opportunities.However, ...


Related Business 
Language Learning Software (Popularity: ): Language learning software, Educational software, foreign language learning program, Redrock is a premier Language learning software distributor & retailer in Middle East/ Dubai, offers best collection of self learning software for kids.
Language Learning Academy (Popularity: ): The Language Learning Academy (LLA) website. LLA provides a personalized approach to language instruction for those who not only want to effectively learn a new language but also want to learn about the culture of the language. For many people, learning a new language may feel a little intimidating so our instructors take a caring approach by focusing on your individual needs, concerns, and aspirations.
European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL) (Popularity: ): Association of language teaching professionals interested in all aspects of the use of technology for language learning. Membership information, events and publications.
AME Learning (Popularity: ): AME Learning provides innovative Financial Training for Corporations & Academic Institutions. Our award winning programs are customized based on your needs & produce tangible financial results. AME Learning's suite of innovative accounting curriculum and technology has revolutionized the teaching and learning of accounting for thousands of post-secondary students and instructors.
Learn Mandarin Online (Popularity: ): Oz Chinese Learning is an Australian based company hiring the best Chinese language teachers for students and schools. The internet has revolutionised online learning and Oz Chinese Learning (OCL) is at the forefront of this change. We recommend learning Chinese online with our teachers from China; it is the next best thing to actually living in China. Oz Chinese Learning is Australia’s leading online learning academy – we specialise in ...
Transparent Language (Popularity: ): Develops and markets computer-aided language learning, foreign language reference and language translation products for the consumer, education, government and corporate markets
Berlitz Language Courses (Popularity: ): Berlitz is a language school that offers language courses for adults and children, language courses online, training and translation services for companies throughout Italy. All language courses are based on the Berlitz Method, which emphasizes the active learning techniques and allows you to learn a language in an effective and fun.
Busuu Ltd. (Popularity: ): Busuu provide free online language learning in 12 languages, including English, Italian, French, Spanish, German & Portuguese. Click here to improve your language learning with our interactive online languages programs. We have personally suffered from the traditional way to learn a new language which we always found expensive, difficult and boring.
CfBT Multimedia Education (Popularity: ): Multimedia-led language learning centre with English language-learning software combined and modern teaching methods.
Japanese Language Learning for Mobile Phones (Popularity: ): Japanese-language learning for small screen devices, as well as computers. Also enables students to create their own lists of kanji and vocabulary for study via a database.