Whether you're thinking of travelling abroad, want to polish your conversational French for business trips, or simply want to refresh that distant Spanish GCSE, learning a language is a hugely useful skill!
There are many reasons for wanting to learn a foreign language: highest on my list is not wanting to appear the 'ignorant tourist' who expects everything to be explained in English!
I've found that making an attempt to learn a few basics before I visit a country makes a huge difference – even if it's just being able to count from one to ten, and say hello and goodbye, or please and thankyou.
The Internet is full of resources to help you achieve whatever degree of proficiency you want with your chosen tongue – but as usual, too much choice can mean not knowing where's best to start! So to help you get started, here are a few handy suggestions:
The best apps and tools for language-learners
I've found three great websites that offer a variety of languages to learn. While they all share come common features, they're quite different in the way they present information and how the lessons are structured.
All the main features of each of the sites are free – but just so you know, they may have some extended courses that will charge a fee. Take a look at them all, see which one suits your style of learning and dive in!
Duolingo
With Duolingo, you can learn any of fourteen languages, from something close to home, such as French or German, to others a little farther afield, like Turkish or Ukrainian.
There are charts to track your progress and certificates to earn for completing sections. You can even set email reminders so you don't miss your daily dose of learning – a session every day increases skill levels, apparently!
You can create an account on the site itself, or log in using your Facebook or Google accounts. If you register with your Facebook login, you can also link your learning to that of your friends so you can compare progress – great if you're all learning together.
Finally, for learning on the go, Duolingo has mobile apps available for iPhone and iPad in the App Store, and there's a version for Android devices in the Play Store– so you don't have to limit yourself in where you can do your learning!
Livemocha
Livemocha has a much greater spread of languages to learn than Duolingo: at the time of writing, it offers courses in 35 different languages, including Farsi, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and Latvian to name but a few!
There are various levels available, ranging from rank beginner through to conversational level – and there are even courses of advanced learning for experienced speakers who need to learn more in-depth structures and linguistics.
A great feature of Livemocha is the ability to make friends with other users, who are referred to as 'Language Partners'. This system allows you to find native speakers of the language you're learning, so you can partner up to help them learn English while they help you learn their language. Sounds like a splendid idea to me!
Buusu
Buusu offers courses in all the major European languages, as well as Russian, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese. The emphasis for beginners is on grasping the basics of the language, learning to count, and some simple conversational language lessons – pretty much how you learned English in the first place!
Buusu offers both structured learning as well as ad hoc language exercises which can be done at any time, and all courses have an element of written work. But don't panic: nobody's expecting to see a thousand-word essay in Portuguese the week after you start!
Buusu also hosts lively multi-language discussion boards, so you can interact with other users and practise your new-found skills. In addition to the boards, you can also initiate a direct chat between yourself and another user (which includes a translation tool), so you can practise with friends from anywhere in the world. You can even peer-review another leaner's work, if you feel confident enough to do so!
There is an element of paid-for content, but the free site is more than enough to build your language skills up to a conversational level. Buusu apps are available from the App Store for iOS and from the Play Store for Android devices to help you learn on the go – so what are you waiting for?
Google Translate
A very useful tool to complement (rather than replace) learning a new language is a translation service.
By far the best known of these is Google Translate, which has become the go-to name in the field. I had to do some searching to find alternatives, and to be honest with you most of them aren't as good – and the ones that are seem to be powered by Google's API anyway!
In addition to the website version, there are are apps for the iPhone and iPad in the App Store, and Android devices in the Play Store. No matter which platform you use, though, Google Translate will convert words and phrases between 90 different languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu.
The mobile apps are particularly useful, as they also support two additional standout features: using your camera to interpret and translate 26 languages (as shown in our image), and two-way automatic speech translation in 40 languages. It's literally like having an interpreter in your pocket!
Whether you want to order a coffee in Cancun or a taxi in Tblisi, Google Translate won't leave you standing in the cold!
So there you have it, a glimpse into just how easy it can be to learn another language! Why not share your own favourite tips and tools with our readers in the comments below? And for more great article from our Agents straight to your inbox each month, get your name down below for the Geek Squad newsletter!