Useful Links for Language Learners All these links are for free resources that can help language learners. Some of these resources have paid options, but you do not have to sign up for the paid option to utilize their resources and learn a new language! Duolingo: This is a language teaching app that uses a combination of spaced repetition, game style learning and motivation, stories, and tips to share grammar, pronunciation, and cultural differences related to the language. Do not forget to explore the site beyond the lessons or you may miss out on some of what Duolingo has to offer. Forvo: This is a library of language audio clips. That is to say, native speakers say words in their language and share them at Forvo. Others can listen to those clips. If you create an account, you can also download the clips for non-commercial use (i.e. studying). If you are making your own digital flashcards, this can be a very useful site to visit. Google Images: This is like regular Google, but it searches primarily for images. This is useful for language learners, because doing an image search for a word in a foreign language can visually show how that word is perceived. It may show you an unexpected meaning or nuance that a simple translation cannot share; for instance, the Italian word ‘ragazzo’ could be translated into English as ‘boy’, but doing an image search will mostly reveal teenage boys, with a few smaller boys interspersed, giving a better understanding of the word. In addition, doing searches for vocabulary can help you to form memories related to vocabulary words, making you more likely to remember them in the future. Note that sometimes you will have a word that is very similar to an English word, or to a brand name; I find either using the plural or adding an article helps. Warning: We advise safe search as some words can be of an unexpectedly graphic nature. Tiny Cards: Created by Duolingo, this is a flashcard creation app. We recommend making your own rather than using someone else’s; the very act of creating a flashcard helps you to learn the words and you will never get the same amount of learning out of someone else’s work. This is a great tool for learning vocabulary by adding vocabulary to one side and a picture to the other; one weakness Duolingo has is encouraging you to translate rather than learn the language as a language. By using pictures, you avoid translating. Duolingo will ask what language is on the cards. If you tell it the language, and tell it to include audio (by using the options section) it will automatically add the audio for whatever word you entered from Duolingo’s audio library. As far as flashcard apps go, this one is easy to use and quick to learn but not as adaptable as some of the more complicated versions out there. Anki: This is a digital flashcard app. If you want something with a bit more adaptability than Tiny Cards offers, this is a good app to use. Note that it is free to download for your computer and for Android devices, but it costs money to download the Apple App Store. It also has the ability to sync between devices. While there is some learning involved in being able to use Anki Lake Dallas Public Library successfully, it is mostly user friendly and there are several online tutorials to help. We particularly appreciate it because it is free and highly adaptable. It can test you on the cards both front and reverse, include pictures and audio, and you adjust how many cards you study each day to keep from being overwhelmed. Leitner Box: If you are not comfortable with digital flashcards, you could make physical flashcards. There are advantages and disadvantages this. The advantage is that you will likely build stronger memories and therefore remember vocabulary more easily by doing so. The disadvantage is it may involve more work and if you want audio included you will need to get creative because physical cards do not have an audio option. This link is to a video explaining what a Leitner Box is and how to make one. Whether you want to use Anki, a Leitner Box, or some other flashcard method, we recommend watching the video for the section on making flashcards. It gives some advice on how to form memorable flashcards that will stimulate your long-term memory. YouTube: People upload videos from all over the world and in all kinds of languages. Watching videos in the language you are learning is good both for language practice and for training your ear to listen to the sounds your language makes even if you do not yet understand what is being said. We recommend starting with children’s shows in the language you are learning; the plot will likely be simple enough to follow even if you don’t understand a word, and the language used will likely be simple and easier to follow. This trick can also be used on video streaming sites like Netflix, but the number of audio tracks to choose from will likely be limited there. We recommend, wherever you go to watch videos, not using subtitles unless as a reading exercise. Follow the Lake Dallas Public Library YouTube for our ESL Uploads here: https://bit.ly/LDPLYouTube Radio: no specific website as it will likely be different depending on what language you are learning, just some advice; where foreign TV shows are often tied up in copyright issues making gaining access tiresome and potentially illegal, radio is freely available worldwide. You can listen to radio podcasts from anywhere. Google your language of choice and radio together, and not only will you find these podcasts, you will likely find recommendations for the best stations to listen to for language learners. Lake Dallas Public Library .