Fun and Games with Internet Language Learning - Part 4

 In the previous, part three of this series we had an opportunity to delve further into language learning using the Internet. Now here, in part four, our foreign language learning using the Internet series continues with suggestions and five and six. If you like to play, enjoy fun and games and are ready to select and begin learning a foreign language online, you're going to just love this series segment. So let's continue.

5. Fun and Games on the Internet

Vocabulary and lexis are language learning “building blocks”. A key area that distinguishes language competency is the language learner’s knowledge of vocabulary. The more vocabulary the foreign language learner knows, the more communicative language competency they have. Here are three language learning websites which can help to improve English or other foreign language skills while you “play”:

• The http://www.manythings.org/ website contains a huge array of “interesting things for English as a Second Language learners” including such activities as songs, jokes, quizzes, word games, puzzles, slang and helpful, stimulating language acquisition podcasts.

• This foreign language learning interactive website: http://www.foreignlanguagehome.com/topics/courses/index.htm provides language learning activities in 27 languages as diverse as Finnish, Mandarin Chinese and Quechua.

• The Transparent Language website allows game-playing in a broad variety of world languages as varied as Afrikaans, Farsi, Guarani and Yoruba or even Zulu. Browse their more than 100 foreign language listings.

6. So which Foreign Language Beckons YOU?

Sorry, but even with such an extensive bonanza of foreign language learning programs, online courses, foreign tongue tutorials, news feeds, ethnic, indigenous and folk music, audio – visual materials and other resources online, still not every one of the world’s 6912 languages is available. But if the language you’re looking for is online, here are websites to help you to find it out of the hundreds of available language learning locations online.

• At last count, more than 105 FREE online foreign language learning courses were posted online at: http://www.word2word.com/coursead.html

• Online foreign language learning courses in English, Spanish, French and Italian are available from the PARLO website

• If you’re interested in Albanian, Japanese, Latin, Croatian, Russian or Spanish, then the E. L. Easton Language Institute offers these as well as an additional 10 other foreign languages online.

• Aloha from the University of Hawaii where a virtual bonanza of foreign language learning practice activities are available online at my preferred price – FREE.

No, the World Wide Web doesn’t have everything for your foreign language learning needs – yet, nonetheless it can be a remarkably effective resource in helping you to “Habla Español”, “Parlez Francaise”, or “Sprechenze Deutcsh”. The expansion of your job options, personal satisfaction, prestige and all manner of other unique opportunities that usually come along with competency in a foreign language can be unequaled. Don’t delay. Get started today in using the Internet to boost your foreign language learning like never before.