Who Ruined Livemocha? The Death of a Great Language-Learning Tool

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A few years ago, I was a big fan of LiveMocha. At the time, it was one of the best free websites to learn foreign languages. Now that it's been bought by Rosetta Stone, it's horrible. I still think Rosetta Stone is a decent piece of software, but I don't understand why RS had to ruin a good thing. Tonight, I registered on LiveMocha again, hoping to learn some basic vocabulary. How disappointed I was! Now the website is completely different. I want the old LiveMocha back. While no program, web site, book, CD or DVD aimed at the language-learning crowd will ever be perfect, LiveMocha was a great alternative to paid products (which sometimes disappoint). The lessons were complete and weren't so much based on translation as on one of the greatest abilities we all have--inferring the meaning of new words. By slowly introducing new words and some grammar, LiveMocha was essentially spoon-feeding the user. I also really miss the recording feature. Users would record a text in the foreign language, then native speakers would correct their pronunciation. To be honest, I think Rosetta Stone is similar to LiveMocha in many ways. The main problem is that it's a very expensive piece of software. LiveMocha was such an inviting website that I really wanted to study multiple languages on it--just to get more points and meet new people. The social features of LiveMocha have all but disappeared, and the website won't stay free for much longer. It's been a long time since I've used RS for American English but I'll do some digging and see if I can find the CD somewhere. I probably won't be able to test RS in other languages unless I find out that they have it at my school.

Can I Really Learn a Foreign Language? And Can I Become Fluent in It?

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Yes, you can learn a foreign language. If you're reading this post, it means you're at least somewhat motivated to start studying another language. A little motivation is all you need to start! Give yourself a week to see if you truly like the foreign language that you chose. If you're too busy to invest a whole week into this project, study the foreign language you've chosen for 30 minutes a day (every day) for a month. Day 1 Look for language-learning resources for beginners. For now, use the internet or the library. Trust me, buying a lot of language-learning material on Day 1 is a big mistake! While purchasing books can be a good way to motivate yourself, you should wait till the end of your seven-day language-learning experiment to go on a shopping spree. Pick one book that is particularly short or start reading an online course that is really easy to understand. Most people think that reading a complicated course means that they will learn the foreign language faster. They couldn't be more wrong. You need to ease yourself into it. Diving headfirst into ice cold water can be dangerous. So is reading a complicated grammar book right away! :) I will post more tips for beginners soon! Try to study your new foreign language for two hours per day this week. Use the "dead" time you have at your disposal (Read tips on time management here: http://fluent-language.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-have-more-time-to-learn-foreign.html

I'm a Beginner Language Learner: What Should I Watch? Everything Is Too Difficult! Part 2

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This is the second part of the article. Please check out the first part too! Once you've watched a few shows for young children, it's time to graduate to show for teens or shows which deal with your favorite hobby. For example, if you like sports, watch a few matches/games. After watching ten baseball games in a foreign language, you will start to memorize the important vocabulary for that sport. Concentrate on a single topic for some time. Don't hesitate to use a dictionary if there are words don't understand. Using tools such as dictionaries will expedite the language-learning process. I also recommend you read the news from time to time. Websites such as the BBC are a gold mine for English learners. Find the equivalent of the BBC or NPR in your target language. News bulletins usually contain common words, no slang, and some of them can be particularly interesting, especially tabloids if you're into gossiping. May your language-learning goals become a reality!

Become Fluent in a Foreign Language Fast by Memorizing Spanish Phrases for Your Trip Abroad Part 1

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It's nice to be able to go on vacation. If you are visiting a Spanish-speaking country, you might be a bit intimidated because you don't speak Spanish well enough. Making yourself at home in your hotel and ordering food at a restaurant can be quite difficult if you're unprepared. That's why you should learn Spanish phrases if you want to survive in Spain or Mexico.

Of course, if you have time to take a Spanish course to learn the language, do that. Learning to speak conversational Spanish will make your stay much more pleasant. The more fluent you are in the foreign language, the more enjoyable the trip will be.

However, you may not have the time to learn Spanish on a daily basis. You need to learn the language well enough to satisfy your basic needs in the foreign language. You will probably find English-speaking people if you get in trouble. However, there will be times when you have no choice but to speak the foreign language, so you'd better become fluent in it fast.

Studying phrase books is a good idea. The bilingual sentences they contain will help you learn how to introduce yourself and say “please,” “sorry,” and “thank you”.

In part two, you'll learn more tips for becoming fluent in Spanish before your trip.

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Part 3: Becoming Fluent in a Foreign Language Fast by Using the News—Learn Spanish

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Another form of news media you can use to become fluent in your foreign language faster is television news. 

In the past, few people in the US had access to Spanish television stations. Now, there is a variety of Spanish language stations to choose from. Moreover, virtually every one of them broadcasts news in Spanish.

To learn Spanish by watching the news, you have two choices. First, you can put yourself to the test by watching it in real time. This is good practice if you want to improve your listening comprehension in the foreign language. You will be surprised at how much you will get out of the broadcast if you listen to it closely. If you don't understand everything yet, don't worry. Just keep listening, and it will get easier!

The second option is to record the Spanish show and watch it a little at a time. 

You can learn Spanish in more depth this way because you can translate every single word. It will take more time, but you will learn Spanish vocabulary that is up-to-date. This way, you will also know about current events in Spanish-speaking countries.

Using the news to learn Spanish faster and to improve your vocabulary is a good move, especially if you are a busy person who doesn't have much time to learn foreign languages. It doesn't require a lot of time, even if you use translations. Furthermore, you get to read or watch the news every day while learning Spanish faster than ever before.

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Start Studying Your New Language with Google Today

Today is your day. Why? Because today is the day you'll start studying your new language.
No matter how late it is, you can do something productive *right* now.
I am sure you use search engines on a daily basis. Some search engines are better than others when you want to learn a foreign language.

I recommend search engines like Google because you can choose the language you want your search results to be in. Go to Google.com, select Settings and choose your target language.
Doing this will take you about two minutes, and it will enable you to search the web in another language!

Always use Google Translate if you don't understand a website. You'll learn tons of new words if you ditch English when you do research on something that you find interesting!

Don't forget to do some research in whichever language you're learning every day. You'll make progress really fast.

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