Learning a foreign language can be extremely difficult. As you get older, it becomes harder for you brain to be able to absorb the skills needed to learn entirely new speech patterns. Fortunately, there are many effective resources to help you learn new languages even late in life. Presented here are the three best pieces of language learning software. With any one of these programs, you should be able to go from novice to expert in the language of your choice.
1: Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone is far and away the most popular language learning software in the world. You can find it almost anywhere, from software stores to airport kiosks. There is a reason for this – it is effective. Rosetta Stone has a high success rate in teaching new languages and focuses on making the learning process fun for users of all ages.
Rather than just teaching the foreign words and their meanings, Rosetta Stone puts learning in context, teaching without translation. This is the most natural way for a human brain to learn. Rosetta Stone does have a high price, ranging from $200 to $500 depending on the set, but it is worth it if you are serious about learning a new language.
2: Rocket Languages
Rocket Languages is a set of different online courses that can teach you virtually any language you want. Combining a regimen of learning games, quizzes, and language lessons, Rocket Languages has a very effective formula. Of special note with this software is the fact that the programs reinforce cultural notes, as well.
With Rocket Languages, you are not only learning to speak a language, but you are also immersing yourself in the culture in which that language is spoken. Like Rosetta Stone, Rocket Languages is fairly pricey, with a set running $200 or more. Also like Rosetta Stone, however, the software has a large number of success stories and provides results that make it more of an investment than a purchase.
3: Hello-Hello World: iPad App To Learn Languages
For those who do not have the money to invest in Rosetta Stone or Rocket Languages, Hell-Hello World is a simple but effective app for the iPad that has proven to be very effective in teaching a new language. The app is free to download and costs $9.99 per month to keep using, meaning that it doesn’t approach the cost of a full software suite until a year or two into its use. The program has 11 different languages that can be learned and uses a variety of tools, both electronic and conventional, such as blending flashcards with crowd source interaction. Hello-Hell World does not have as wide a range of features as the other software mentioned here, but it does offer a high quality and inexpensive alternative.
The most important aspect to any language learning software is to keep using it. Learning the basics of a new language takes time, and becoming fluent is more difficult still. Keep patient during the learning process and, whenever possible, travel abroad to immerse yourself in the language’s native speaking culture.