Learn A Language On Your Feel Great Journey

Once you start feeling better, you will have more energy, both physically and mentally. One great activity to keep the ball rolling is to study a language, either by learning a new language or expanding the one(s) you already know.

There are probably many words in your native language that you don't know, big words that you can use to impress people. There are several ways to find new words to learn. A few years ago, I applied for graduate school and took an exam called the GRE. This is a general knowledge exam with different sections. The first time I took it my lowest score was in the verbal and reading comprehension section. I can read well but I didn't know many of the words in the questions. So I purchased a GRE Test Preparation book and made flash cards of all the words I didn't know, both in the regular text and in the section on verbal and reading comprehension section. I flew through that section the next time and scored really well.

Another idea is to purchase a grammar book. I don't know about you but I didn't do well in grammar in school and really didn't like it very much. You might be surprised how much you know now if you try.

Of course, you could also learn a foreign language or brush up on one learned a long time ago. This is an exciting adventure that opens up your mind and a whole new world that you didn't know existed. At the bottom of this page, I have a list of free online resources for you to look into. There is a lot of free help on the internet. You don't need to spend any money unless you want to.

Here is an excerpt from a recent article called 3 Innovative Ways To Learn Or Improve A Foreign Language (MakeUseOf, 2010-March-30).

1. Podcasts: Listening to language podcasts is a great way to get started. First of all you develop a feeling for the sound of the language. As you advance and learn more and more words, you also gain an understanding of how sentences are put together. In other words, you pick up the language just like a baby: first it's all strange sounds, then it's starting to make sense, and in the end you're starting to speak.

2. Communities: A great benefit of communities is that you don't just digest lessons and learn a foreign language passively. Instead, you can interact with others, communicate with native speakers, practice understanding the language, and receive feedback regarding your skills.

3. Study Context: Once you start speaking fluently, casual conversations won't do the trick anymore. Improving the language further now is a matter of accumulating more words and expressions into your active vocabulary. In other words focus and close your gaps.

Language Learning Resources
One of the best sites I've found is LingQ (pronounced 'link'). The author has a blog and a free ebook to help you get started. Unfortunately, the languages are limited to only the most popular ones. However, they are expanding all the time. And best of all, it's free with options to upgrade.

Since LingQ does not offer the current language I am learning, I am using LiveMocha. It is user supported in that the user community builds the database of languages. Consequently, there are many more languages to choose from. One thing I don't like is that, in order to finish a lesson, you are required to write and speak the language immediately, starting with Unit 1 Lesson 1. I don't agree with that, so my early lessons are only 50% complete. However, since it is free and effective, I am continuing to use it.