9 Free Resources to Enhance Your Language Learning Journey

Learning a new language can be challenging, entertaining, exhilarating and so much more! Additionally, it’s no secret that there are multiple benefits to learning a new language; whether it’s diving deep into a foreign culture or making your way through a different country.

While it is an exciting journey, learning a new language can also be a tough task to master. So, here are 9 resources and platforms that will support your language learning journey, improve your vocabulary and much more, all for absolutely no cost!

1. TED-Ed

An initiative supporting and promoting education, TED-Ed aims to encourage English language learning by providing learners with video content created by over 250,000 teachers from around the world. The content of the videos ranges from answering everyday questions to tickling the mind with interesting and novel facts. The learner gets to practice their English language vocabulary as well as enhance their general knowledge through entertaining, video-based learning.

2. Story Wars

Story Wars gives learners a platform to practice their English language skill through the simple creation of stories. You can start writing a story, stop at a certain point and another writer continues weaving the story from that point ; exactly like a relay race! The objective is to practice your English language skills by developing your writing and learning skills with the help of other writers. Additionally, it makes for some excellent and entertaining reading material!

3. BaBa Dum

BaBa Dum is a website that allows the user to play up to 5 games in 21 languages to improve and practice their foreign language skills. The resource consists of fun and unique visuals and audio that compliments it all. Learning via gamification at its best.

4. Player FM

Gone are the days when you had to shell out money and buy audio-books to practice your listening skills and it’s all thanks to technology. Player FM allows you to practice your listening skills through the use of podcasts at absolutely no cost. The learner can choose from various categories, business to travel to technology, and learn the nuances of the spoken language effortlessly. The aim is to familiarize the learner with the accent and diction used by native language speakers.

5. LingQ

LingQ is a library of extensive audio content in 18 different languages! It provides the learner with hours of audio, alongside a transcript, and also offers them an opportunity to expand their vocabulary while tracking their progress. But wait, there’s more! You can join in live conversations with a community of language learners to learn from one another.

6. Study Stack

Ever used flashcards back in school to remember those mind boggling definitions and key terms? Well, you can use technology to do the same now! Study Stack allows you to create flashcards that can be used in multiple ways.

Apart from flipping them over to learn the traditional way, the website platform incorporates the information on the flashcards and creates a number of engaging tasks to make the learning process more fun. Additionally, you can use the flashcards created by other users to learn and save time!

7. YouGlish

It’s the educational version of YouTube! The site lets you search up a particular word or phrase and browses through video clips of people or characters saying the same word or phrase. This gives you the opportunity to listen to the more commonly used pronunciation of words spoken by native English language speakers from the UK, US and Australia.

8. Quizizz

A multiplayer platform, Quizizz allows learners to play games created by other students and teachers or create their own quiz and share it with others! It’s a fun way to experience some healthy competition while learning a language. Moreover, if you’re a teacher, this is the perfect tool for you to motivate your students into practicing the language and learning more!

9. WordBrewery

People learn best through the use of context, be it solving a math problem or learning a new word. WordBrewery engages with content in 20 languages, retrieving sentences from news sites across the globe. The learner can choose the genre of news, the level of difficulty and the language of their choice to learn from. WordBrewery is an excellent opportunity for language learners to experience a language in its most formal & detailed manner via real-life context.

Want to experience different cultures from the perspective of a native? Start learning the local language now!

About the Author: Saania K. is passionate about language learning and cultural appreciation for business. She speaks English and Hindi and is considering learning Spanish. Powerful!