Where to Learn a Foreign Language Online

The Internet is revolutionizing how people learn foreign languages. Teachers, lesson plans, and recordings for almost every language are now available online. This article discusses some of the sites to help you master the language you have always wanted to learn - sometimes for free!

The Advantages of Online Learning

On-line education has several advantages over the traditional classroom. Internet classes are often individualized. Teachers can thus focus on each student's particular goals and provide personalized feedback. Students save time and travel costs by taking lessons from their homes or offices. A lesson can be as short as 30 minutes, and often can be scheduled on short notice. The Internet makes native speakers readily available to everyone, and not just to those living in large cities or near universities. Students can choose from a variety of instructors, and can study with several different teachers in order to hear different accents and receive different course material. Classes can be structured to fit any budget. "Virtual classrooms" give teachers and students the ability to see each other and simultaneously review documents or slide presentations. This technology can make on-line learning as effective as the traditional classroom.

The Different Learning Systems

There are at least five different types of on-line learning systems for foreign languages:

1. First are on-line schools. These are businesses that teach their own curricula under their own brand name. Many are owned by companies that publish phrasebooks and language texts found in local bookstores, and virtually none are affiliated with a college or university.
2. Next are on-line marketplaces. A marketplace is a site where tutors post résumés stating the languages they speak, the languages they teach, their experience and lesson fees, and their availability. Students can select the teacher they like, and schedule lessons at a convenient time. Some marketplaces also provide an interface that can be used for lessons.
3. Then there are language exchange services. These services let you find people - not necessarily teachers -- who speak the language you are learning. People who use the exchange help each other learn their respective native languages. For example, I might help someone in Beijing with their English, and they would help me with my Mandarin. Communication occurs via chatrooms, E-mail exchanges, and VOIP.
4. Also available are automated instruction services. These sites provide text, audio, and video to teach a language, but they do not provide not a human instructor. Some also feature a "learner community," where you can communicate with native speakers of the language you are learning, and who are also trying to learn another language.
5. Finally, there are automated vocabulary builders. These programs help build a student's vocabulary, and do not teach all aspects of a language. As such, they are an excellent supplement to the other services.

There is no reason to limit yourself to a single system. Language exchanges are a great way to meet new people and practice a language for free without leaving home. Marketplaces are ideal when you want to find a private tutor for private lessons or personalized coaching. The vocabulary systems are a good way to learn new words without creating flashcards by hand. While the most expensive, private schools often provide a more tested and sophisticated curriculum. Try the various methods, and see what mix works best for you.

Check it Out

The following are language learning sites for multiple languages that offer at least a substantial part of their products for free.

Online Marketplaces

• Learnissimo provides a marketplace for students and teachers of French, Spanish, Italian, and several other languages. More languages are scheduled to be added later this year. Teachers can record a short message for prospective students, as well as write an on-line biography. Many teachers offer a discount for the first lesson. The student/teacher interface is a combination of webcam and chat, and lesson payments are made through PayPal.
• VerbalPlanet offers more languages than Learnissimo, and uses Skype as its interface. Teachers are urged to create "learning plans" for students at no charge, but there is no discounted first lesson. As with Learnissimo, all payments are made through PayPal.
• Currently in beta,
  Myngle lets teachers offer pre-designed "courses" to students. Teachers can design as many courses as they like, for different lengths of time and at different prices. Teachers can also post "lessons" consisting of Powerpoint presentations for use in Myngle's "virtual classroom." Many teachers offer a free introductory lesson, and of course, teachers can design a course to meet a student's particular needs.
• Language-School-Teachers is a useful, but no-frills site. Teachers and students can post extensive information about themselves, but Language-School-Teachers provides no virtual classroom interface. On the other hand, the site does not charge a commission on lessons taught, so teacher prices per lesson should be a bit lower. Teachers must pay a small fee to the site to initiate communication with a prospective student, but students pay nothing to communicate with prospective teachers.
• BuddySchool is not uniquely devoted to the learning of languages, and BuddySchool tutors teach every subject from art to zoology. Like Myngle, BuddySchool encourages tutors to create courses and lessons that they can market to prospective students. BuddySchool uses PayPal and several other means for the payment of lessons, but does not provide a teaching interface. Lessons therefore take place over a VOIP system acceptable to both teacher and student.