Language Learning Resources to Try in 2021

Not sure if you’re ready to invest in your language learning journey? No problem. Whether you’re saving your pennies, researching your options, or just not willing to splash the cash on a language course yet, this list of free language learning resources will help you take the first step. 

Money has been a barrier to learning a new language in the past, with course packages costing you in the hundreds just for a key phrases book and an audio cassette. Today, with pretty much the whole world going digital, there are more free online resources than ever before. It can take your hours, maybe even days to check through all of the resources available, though. Luckily, we’ve done the hard work for you already and instead compiled this Idyoma list of 10 of the very best language resources you can use for free.

Idyoma

What can we say, Idyoma is on this list for a reason, and not just because we want to sound our own horn! The Idyoma language learning app is free to download in the Appstore and on Google Play for both Iphone and Android smartphones, and we’ve helped so many users connect and learn. 

What is it?

Idyoma is a language exchange app, matching you with native speakers so you can learn your preferred language naturally and in the setting of a social, friendly conversation.

Favourite feature

Being matched with a native speaker in the language you want to learn, but your match is also somebody who wants to learn your native language, so while you talk, you’re both learning. It’s an equal pay-off with neither of you taking on the ‘teacher’ role for too long.

Open Culture

OpenCulture describes itself as the best free cultural and educational media on the web. This is a reasonably accurate description, as it does offer users a collection of resources that have been curated from Universities, governments, and other language courses found worldwide.

What is it?

OpenCulture is essentially an e-learning website that hosts language learning content for 48 different languages, including the popular French, German, and Spanish, as well as everything from Yiddish to Amharic. 

Favourite Feature

Clear and simple to access lists show you exactly what resources are available for your chosen language. One thing to consider is that the more commonly learnt languages do have more resources than more obscure language options.

Duolingo

Duolingo is a popular favourite for smartphone users and people who like to learn their languages on the go, sometimes attempting to learn more than one language at a time. Duolingo makes the learning experience fun and highly interactive while also pushing you to keep learning daily with targets and challenges.

What is it?

Duolingo is a language learning app that utilises mostly game-oriented learning, as well as flashcards and memorisation techniques to get you through graded stages of content. By moving through levels of difficulty and encouraging you to go back and refresh previous modules, Duolingo helps you to learn from the ground up in a visual, engaging way.

Favourite Feature

The Weekly competitions against fellow learners to rank up to the next level through gaining XP points is a fun and motivational addition to the learning exercises. Even if you’re only completing lessons to get to that top golden treasure chest spot, you’re still learning!

Internet Polyglot

Don’t be put off by the name. Internet Polyglot is a free online resource that specifically helps you to learn another language in another language. For example, you may be a native English speaker with Spanish as a second language. In order to exercise your Spanish fluency, you might choose to learn Portuguese in Spanish instead of English. It’s an interesting concept, that can offer a challenge to anyone learning from a more advanced starting point. 

What is it?

Internet Polyglot is a website that combines language learning resources in various languages.

Favourite Feature

A quick start menu lets you instantly choose which language to learn and which to learn in, and dive straight into the resources available.

Live Lingua

If you’ve been hoping for a user-friendly and expansive website on this list, Live Lingua won’t disappoint. With so many materials in over 130 different languages, this entry on our list is one of our favourite as it can be of help to such a wide scope of learners at different stages in their fluency and understanding. 

What is it?

Live Lingua is a website that offers one of the biggest collections of public domain languages learning materials, including e-books, audio recordings, and videos.

Favourite Feature

The complete freedom to learn the way you prefer to. Because there are so many resources compiled here, you can pick and choose the methods that suit your learning style best.

Streema

Streema is hard to beat if you feel you learnt the best through video and TV in your chosen language. Immersing yourself in a language, being able to engage with the culture around native speakers, and getting those key contextual clues is crucial to understanding. 

What is it?

Streema isn’t specifically created as a language learning resource, but it provides free TV streaming from other countries in various languages. Being able to understand speech and pronunciation will help you speed up your language learning exponentially and watching video content in another language is a fantastic way to achieve this.

Favourite Feature

Ideal if you’re learning a language that is less popular and doesn’t have as much reading material available free online. Streema offers shows from over 100 countries globally, all speaking a range of languages and dialects.

Innovative Language

Innovative Language is a huge centre for free resources and has been providing mostly video and audio material since its launch in 2005. You can safely cover all the basics with Innovative Language, as they mostly feature video and conversation audio created by professional language teachers. In this content you can learn grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and culture.

What is it?

With material that is largely geared toward new learners, this website gives you weekly updated resources in a huge system of video courses.

Favourite Feature

There are so many language choices, but this site is especially useful if you happen to be learning one of their ‘Pod101’ languages that direct you to its own website, and these include:

• Spanishpod101

• Frenchpod101

• Germanpod101

• Chineseclass101

• Russianpod101

Youtube

Youtube may be one of the most frequently overlooked resources for totally free language learning material. Of course, you won’t find detailed courses or reading material on Youtube, but the number of foreign TV programs and user-uploaded content in native languages is unbeatable by another free website. Simply type in the language you’re looking to learning and you’ll get instant results. The best part? You’ll probably enjoy what you’re watching and get key contextual indicators for vocabulary meanings and intonation. 

What is it?

A massive, popular video upload site that’s so user friendly, you can find a video in almost any language and region. 

Favourite Feature

If you’re learning a popular language, you’ll find video resources in abundance specifically created for learners. If you’re learning a less popular language, you’ll be able to find video content you might not be able to get access to for free elsewhere.

EdX

EdX is a bit of a different entry on this list but it certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. EdX offers totally free as well as low cost educational courses, and you can usually find a course relevant to learning your chosen language either for free or at a discounted cost.

What is it?

EdX is one of the largest MOOC (massive open online course) websites available to the public. You can browse the currently available courses that are  mostly at college-level, and take a dedicated language class. Alternatively, if you’re more advanced, take a course in your target language to exercise your abilities.

Favourite Feature

Some of the accredited courses available on EdX are recognised by official bodies, earning you credits. You can also get certificates of completion for some courses at a small additional cost, which is valuable if you’re learning a language in connection with a job.

What did you think of these Free Language Learning Resources?

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