How to Use the Internet to Learn a Language? Internet has made communication and learning a language much more accessible. To ma

How to Use the Internet to Learn a Language?
Good morning, everyone. Today’s lecture is one of our freshmen orientation series and we will talk about how to use the Internet to learn a language. As we know, the world we live in grows increasingly more connected with the passage of each year. Thanks to the advent of the Internet, the world has become such that any two people with access to computers and Internet access can communicate for free. The ability to communicate with humans in far-away places has revolutionized the way business is done. Likewise, the presence of other languages, especially Spanish, has grown in the United States in the last few years. All of these factors make now a perfect time to start learning a foreign language. The Internet is one of the best resources for such a venture. Not only does there exist a plethora of learning resources available for free, but there are native speakers of most languages trying to learn English. In this lecture, I am going to elaborate on some ways that we can use the Internet to learn a foreign language.
[1]Before you begin, reflect on your level of proficiency in the language that you are learning. Do you know some basic words and phrases, but have trouble forming your own thoughts and opinions? Are you at a point where you have amassed a number of vocabulary words, but need to practice reading? Are you fairly proficient as far as forming sentences and speaking, but wish to improve your accent?[2]Determine first what you intend to focus on, and make decisions based on the areas in which you find yourself lacking. After that, you may get started in seeking help from the Internet and here are the ways that might help you.
First, look for lessons online.[3]If you are just beginning to learn a language, look for lessons online about things like verb conjugation, idioms, basic phrases and vocabulary, etc. There may be sites with quizzes you can take so that you receive feedback about your progress. Depending on the language, the availability of sites such as these can vary.[4]Sites like this teaching German are probably more prevalent than those teaching Indian, for example. Nonetheless, search. Even if you don’t find any lessons, you can learn about the language, which is often quite valuable, as you can get a feel for the culture from which the language originated.[5]Stream an Internet radio station with music in the language you’re learning. Listening to music is helpful because it is not a chore, songs are relatively short and are entertaining, and you can develop a better ear for the language. You may find that your musical tastes expand, and you will have much more fun listening to music than listening to hours of spoken language. Sing along—it’s good for you. Anyone can do this. If you have trouble listening to the music, or find the music distracting, look for podcasts instead.
Second, read an online newspaper. An online version of a newspaper written in the language you are learning is one of the resources with the most breadth and ability to benefit you.[6]While reading one of these, try to pick out vocabulary words that you don’t know, or grammatical structures that are new to you.[7]You may even be able to learn some slang, and if you read the newspaper regularly, you may find yourself becoming more culturally conscious. The nice thing about online newspapers is that they are free, you can read them when it is convenient for you, and you will probably be familiar with some of the events that are going on, which should help to keep and spur your interest. This tip is best for those who have a stronger background in the language, or else it can be intimidating and even discouraging to encounter such a wide variety of unfamiliar words.[8]Try translating articles and seeing how natural you can make the language sound, or try translating articles from English to the language you are trying to learn and search for articles about the same topic, to see how native writers utilize the language.
Third,[9]search for literature in the language. Literature and poetry may be available in the language you are trying to learn, if you just search for it.[10]It is possible that you can find works that have been translated and you can read them side by side to improve your reading and translation abilities in general.[10]Look for famous works if you know of any, as these have likely been more often and more reliably translated.[11]Fourth, watch videos or shows in the language. Sites analogous to YouTube have emerged quickly in a variety of languages. On these, like on YouTube, you should be able to find clips of television shows and movies.[12]If you are trying to develop an ear for the language, look up interviews with famous actors and actresses that speak the language. These will probably be easy enough for intermediate to advanced learners to follow.
Finally, find a partner who speaks the language.[13]A variety of language interchange websites exist now, serving to match people who want to learn a language with others who want to learn their language. You may speak English and want to learn Portuguese, and someone in Brazil might want to learn English. Partnering up will allow you both to improve your abilities in the other’s native language.[14]Before you go down this route, make sure that you are dedicated, of intermediate proficiency or greater, and[15]can put aside a certain amount of time on a regular basis to talk or write to the other person online.
OK I have outlined five ways for you to use Internet to learn a language. I hope you will have fun and rewarding experience when using the Internet to perfect whatever language of your choice.