How many languages do you know? Learning a new language is a popular New Year’s resolution, but people tend to drift away after the initial excitement has worn off. Still, it’s worth sticking to it. One study by York University of Toronto concluded that learning a new language could delay the onset of dementia by several years. Other studies have shown that it improves memory, enhances multi-tasking abilities, and even boosts your proficiency in your own native tongue. It’s a great brain exercise!
Fortunately, many free resources make it easy and fun for you to learn a new language at home or on the go, and the library should be your first stop. Try our book + audio CD combos from Pimsleur, Berlitz, Living Language, and more. It’s great for plugging into your car’s CD player on long commutes or listening to while you cook dinner.
Looking for shortcuts to conversing in another language? Check out Benny Lewis’ book Fluent in 3 Months. This Irish polyglot (a person who speaks multiple languages) consistently failed to learn languages the traditional classroom way, so he tried something else – and it worked. He shares his secrets with you in his book, along with several language-specific instructional books in his conversation-focused “Language Hacking” series. Try “Language Hacking Italian” for a dip into the language of romance (and impress your significant other with beautifully-pronounced Italian love phrases on Valentine’s Day). Warning: you do have to step outside your comfort zone to learn Benny’s way, but it’s absolutely worth the effort.
Now let’s explore the digital world. Rocket Languages offers online language courses for $140-$450 – but with your RVL library card, you get full access for FREE! Let’s say that you want to learn Mandarin Chinese. You can follow the formal lesson progression or skip to lessons that interest you. You get interactive audio lessons, videos on writing in Chinese characters, and insights into Chinese culture. You’re rewarded with points and badges, and if you’re the competitive type, you’ll love comparing your performance with other learners on the Leaderboard. Rocket Languages also has an app so you can practice anywhere with your smartphone. If you’re new to Rocket Languages, click “Get Started” to take a video tour so you’ll know how to use it.
Bonus: another great free online resource is Duolingo. It’s similar to Rocket Languages but has an even broader array of languages. For example, you can learn Navajo (which is currently in beta testing phase), Czech, Swahili, Latin, or Scottish Gaelic. The free version includes ads, but if that bothers you, you can pay for an upgrade to Plus. Duolingo also has a free app, and their points and games make learning fun.
America is pretty isolated compared with many other countries, and it’s hard to get that real-life practice. Or is it? In this digital age, a conversation with someone from another country is just a click away. Check out Benny Lewis’ advice for finding an online platform for speaking with people across the globe. Until then, drop by the library. You’d be surprised how many people you’ll meet who speak a language other than English. You may even discover a local meetup group for practicing the language of your choice. Happy travels!
~ Julie Phillips, Director
Botetourt County Libraries
