Learning a foreign language: new technologies … – RTBF

To practice his English, why not use an application? We already spend a lot of time on our screens so why not pass it to learn a language? Today there are some fun and effective applications to learn English, Russian or Italian.

The Belgian is it more gifted in learning languages ​​than its French neighbors ? In Belgium, the three national languages ​​and many foreign languages ​​present in the capital, we should be motivated to learn. But, according to European statistics, 42% of Belgians do not speak a second language.

A discussion site

The possibilities for learning a new language do not miss. For example, there are free discussion sessions on Internet like Speaky. This Belgian site allows you to practice a foreign language with a partner also registered. It was opened there a little over a year, it’s free and it offers no less than 113 languages.

Applications

There are also applications such as Duolingo . She was elected “2013 Best Application” by Apple. Its slogan: “Learn as many languages ​​to as many people free.” She already has millions of users worldwide. Simply register with a gmail account and then, like a video game, you will have to reach levels, points to win. It helps to learn many languages ​​through holes in text, audio clips, MCQ, pronunciation exercises, translation, etc.

Unfortunately, the grammatical logic is rarely explained on such applications. The goal here is to give you the basics to get you by fast. Beginner, intermediate or professional: whatever your level, the application will teach you things. As for the method, it is to make you repeat things and exercises are constantly adapted to the results you obtained in previous years. Plus, it is fun: you have the impression of being in a video game where you earn points, you lose lives, you receive trophies, etc.

There is also of. other applications such as Babbel or HelloTalk but they are priced. What is interesting with Duolingo is that it is free! When you translate passages, you volunteer without you realizing it. To be financially independent today, Duolingo offers users to apply their learning by translating documents and articles. At the end of the lesson, she asks if you want to train translating a real document. It will be then paid by partner companies. And this service would enable the application to earn millions of dollars each year. To get by without advertising, so it makes us work as translators.

An interesting complement to enrich their vocabulary, it is the BBC Learning English. The BBC offers courses in audio dialogues with a transcript to help improve listening comprehension.

The dictionary, too, is available today on our screens. Free Reverso Dictionary provides translations in context. Each word is explained and put in situation. This is useful to understand a foreign language.