My favourite language learning tools
All I need to reach my goals
Tool #1: italki
The first one is italki.com. You can find affordable tutors for a wide variety of languages. I tend to mostly use this for casual conversation practice.
Tool #2: group classes
It’s not exactly a tool, but I used to take lots of group classes. Often in-person. Group classes are by no means a fast way to learn, but they do provide me with extra accountability and structure.
Tool #3: LingQ
I only use one language learning app and it’s LingQ. It simplifies listening and reading practice. If you choose to use it, fair warning: it’s not intuitive, nor is it free. It will help if you watch videos on YouTube on how the app works first. Once you understand the basics of the app, it’s a real goldmine.
Tool #4: AI search
AI search is my new best friend for language learning purposes. I’ve been particularly impressed by Google’s AI search. It even has a firm grasp of Gujarati grammar, which surprises me. I’ve learned a lot from it.
Tool #5: YouTube
This is an already widely used tool, but I love YouTube. So many excellent, educational videos!
Summary
Learning a language is a relatively simple and straightforward process. While I now have a particular approach that works for me, for the majority of my life I just did the basics. I hired low-cost private tutors for conversation practice. I took group classes to learn grammar and other fundamentals (which can now be done with AI). I watched videos on YouTube. I read stories, books, and articles at my level (now I do so in LingQ, but for many years I didn’t use any apps for this).
Most importantly, I was patient and had fun. I was in it for the long-haul, but wasn’t bothered or intimidated because I was engaged in the process every step of the way.
Final pro tip
I used to save up a percentage of my income to go on trips and learn though immersion. This is completely optional, but it is worth considering.
Thanks for reading! If you’re an analytical thinker who values clarity and structured guidance, consider hiring me as your private tutor.
Languages I teach (as well as tutors on my team) are: English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, Gujarati, and Galician.
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