Tips for online language learning

20 April 2020|language

Hi Readers,

Welcome back to our blog! We hope that our tips for coping with the lockdown have been helpful as we seek to establish new ways of living during this challenging time.

While social-distancing and #stayathome has become l'ordre du jour, it has paved the way for new hobbies and activities to surface. Remember when you used to commute for 4 hours each day to school/work? Now you can use the extra time to, let's say, learn a language! Yay!

Of course it offers a different experience to an in-person session, especially in the framework of an immersion programme; but there are definitely ways to make it work! This blog post therefore is to give you some tips on how you can make the online language learning experience rewarding.

1. Have a Reliable Internet Connection

This might seem obvious but the importance of an strong internet connection should be emphasized. Perhaps you have no issues with streaming and downloading videos or even making WhatsApp calls. However, how does your internet connection fare when it comes to video conferencing? The thing is, most online classes will require your active participation; especially so that your teacher can correct prononciation and grammar errors. It would be challenging if there are distorsions due to low bandwidth, for example. So think of getting an internet plan which suits this need.

2. Choose a schedule which works for you

One of the cool things about online classes, is that: it allows you to connect with your language teacher who could be in another city or even country! However, to make sure that you are making the most of the experience, it is best to choose classes within your time zone. If you're taking private language lessons, you can have the flexibility of deciding (with your tutor) on a time slot that's mutually convenient. This way, you won't have to wake up every morning at 3 AM to learn about the intricacies of "verbs with separable prefixes". ;-) 

3. Consult available online resources

There is a saying that most learning take place outside of the classroom. The same goes for online sessions. Your allotted time with your tutor should be maximised as much as possible; but when that session ends, you should keep on practicing! Many language schools have virtual platforms with tons of language resources, to which they grant access to students. Make very good use of these online material so that you can be on top of the game during the next class!

4. Practice daily

Following up on point number 3, do not practice only on days when you have your language lessons. Some experts recommend just 15 minutes per day of language practice, especially before bedtime. Check out our previous blog post on ways to practice your language skills.

5. Avoid binge studying

We're all guilty of it: staying up all night studying before an exam or spending all of 15 hours on a project and when it's over, we put it aside. Learning a language takes time and if you want to really improve, you'll need to pace yourself. By pacing yourself, you can see the progress being made and it will help you to retain information better and longer!

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There so many other great tips for learning a language online. If you'd like to add a few, don't hesitate to comment on this post. 

If you're interested in taking language lessons online,  book a free information session with us! we'll be happy to discuss your plans.

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