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Learn A New Language With Busuu
Posted by Lifehacker US Edition at 12:30 AM on September 20, 2008
Language education site Busuu emphasises the social side of learning a language. While Busuu has standard components such as vocabulary exercises with audio and writing units to test out your composition, the most interesting aspect is its ability to connect you with both people learning your language and native speakers of your language. You're learning Spanish and someone else is learning English? Connect through Busuu and help each other out. While Busuu may not be a substitute for the do-or-die learning of full language immersion, it has a wider range of tools and social interaction than a standalone program or book. For more chances to hone your language learning skills, check out Mango.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
Jonat
Posted September 23, 2008 5:07 AM
Learning language with free software from www.valodas.com
kg4dni
Posted 1:44 AM 20/9/08
Two other good ones are LiveMocha and SharedTalk.
LiveMocha is a community of learners signed up for free lessons which enable you to do a course like the Rosetta Stone software and keep track of your progress. They even have TOEFL study tools. You can "chat" or "talk" with other members.
SharedTalk is a webapp sponsored by Rosetta Stone. If your purpose is to meet a partner, they'll kick you off the site, that's in their terms. It's just a site to "chat" or "talk" with internationals and hold group forums.
Both of these sites act as a trade-off of languages. If you speak English and you want to learn Korean, find someone who is doing the opposite.
kg4dni
RenRen
Posted 1:22 AM 20/9/08
@ speed1961 There's a thought! Learning another language by watching foreign porn! It's true that the first words we learn and retain the most are the "naughty" ones. Think of the cultural gaps that would bridge!
RenRen
Smukkekim
Posted 1:17 AM 20/9/08
@WikzoDk: Ja, naturligvis ;-)
Smukkekim
WikzoDk
Posted 1:01 AM 20/9/08
Har vi nogle danskere herinde? :P
WikzoDk
speed1961
Posted 12:59 AM 20/9/08
I love this idea and hope they expand to additional language soon... most notably Japanese and Mandarin or Cantonese. Also, if Arabic, Farsi, and other middle Eastern languages were included, imagine the greater potential context of bridging barriers and making cross-cultural friends. Perhaps I'm a dreamer... but I still have hopes that the Internet can be used for more productive means than just distributing porn. (j/k)
speed1961
TommySez
Posted 12:58 AM 20/9/08
No Norwegian? Nei takk.
TommySez
Nixi
Posted 12:56 AM 20/9/08
@zero1: Didn't you know... yellow is the new black, up is the new down and German is the new English. Duh.
Nixi
caveman1428
Posted 12:53 AM 20/9/08
@zero1: ha beat me to it!
caveman1428
caveman1428
Posted 12:53 AM 20/9/08
It might be too early for me but why is the german talking bubble english??
Maybe im just retarded.
caveman1428
zero1
Posted 12:49 AM 20/9/08
Why is the German bubble labeled English?
zero1
jsmorley
Posted 3:06 AM 20/9/08
So I gather the "social" side of this is the written form of the languages through text chat? I would be more interested in the spoken form for learning the pronunciation and especially the venacular / slang used in real life. That would be more useful.
jsmorley
AsWater
Posted 2:54 AM 20/9/08
@RenRen:I agree!
Iku! Iku! Iku!!!!
AsWater
Michse
Posted 4:31 AM 20/9/08
@zero1: We now have so many english words in german that you can't tell the difference between them ;D
Schönen Gruß :D
Michse
leftist
Posted 4:10 AM 20/9/08
Ugh... I love learning languages but I hate it at the same time. I started learning Spanish with a course I bought, and in the first lesson they rrrrreally enunciate "Como estas", and chide you into saying it that way. Then I hear my Mexican-born friend talking to someone and say what sounds like "Comosta". Yes I know it's slang but this is going to be an uphill battle. I hope these apps can help...
leftist
P_Smith
Posted 5:06 AM 20/9/08
Unfortunately, the foreign language podcast site is 404.
P_Smith
rundhc
Posted 5:05 AM 20/9/08
You can learn 37 different languages via free podcasts here:
[www.oculture.com]
rundhc
Myles
Posted 2:00 PM 20/9/08
Muchos gracias.
Taking spanish right now in college. Have a tonne of resources bookmarked, plus my textbook/cds that came with it. So I'll be damned if I can't speak spanish by the end of the semester!
Myles
Slugicide
Posted 2:30 PM 20/9/08
I just joined Word Champ the other day and, as a student of Japanese, I am seriously impressed. For anyone studying Japanese: this is the way to go.
Slugicide
Jabronimus
Posted 7:47 PM 20/9/08
@speed1961: You better be joking.
Jabronimus
peluchio
Posted 2:05 AM 20/9/08
@zero1:
Perhaps the english tree wants to improve his german and viceversa?? :D
peluchio
saicode
Posted 5:16 PM 20/9/08
Only 4 languages!
Well they are perhaps the 'most important' ones but I was looking for Finnish!
Hope they increase the language options.
I am really happy about Mango [www.mangolanguages.com],posted earlier at Lifehacker. It's the only place where I am still interested after a few lessons, where most others tend to boring.
saicode
Farinuts
Posted 12:48 AM 20/9/08
I've never heard that phrase in English...
Farinuts
peluchio
Posted 2:50 AM 26/9/08
Check out their new whistle-based language, now that's a good tool in case of a large-scale catastrophe!
peluchio