Lockdown plans: Learn a new language

Life in a lockdown can be difficult but it’s also the perfect time to do something constructive. Now that you have enough leisure time in the evenings don’t waste the precious hours complaining about boredom.

Apart from spending quality time with family, cooking something special and watching the latest on Netflix, why not gain a new skill? And what better it could be than learning a new language. Remember the last time you went on a holiday to France and you did not know how to communicate with your cab driver. That moment you must have thought ‘wish I knew how to speak French’. Or think of that day when you first landed in Oman and wanted to learn Arabic but somehow could not find time owing to your busy schedule.

If learning a language has been on your wishlist, now is the time to fulfil that wish. While it’s true you cannot attend any traditional classroom, there are several apps and websites that offer free language learning courses.

To start with, join Duolingo. It is the most well-known free language learning app available which has over 100 million users. Most of the courses offered help to ensure accuracy regarding how the language is spoken today. Their lessons adapt to your learning style and exercises are tailored to help you learn and review vocabulary effectively.

You can also download MemRise which has over 200 languages available. It has a free version and a Pro version and it truly excels in its ability to make vocabulary practice fun and engaging. MemRise normally uses memes to teach vocabulary which is entertaining and educating as well.

HelloTalk is another language learning app where apart from predetermined lessons a learner has the option to connect with a trainer. They also have  an in-app correction tool, where users can make corrections. There is a translation option which helps you to know the right word. It has over 100 languages.

Though Babbel app offers only a few languages, the teaching techniques are quite effective and one can download lessons for offline study. For those who want to learn Arabic, apart from Duolingo and MemRise one can join  Rosetta Stone Arabic app. It begins with 10-minute lessons that also includes speaking, reading and listening.

While it has a free plan, for full access to the lessons you need to subscribe.  It gives you a complete, unlimited and immersive Arabic learning experience. Arabic Pod 101 helps with conversational Arabic and there are plenty of lessons pre-recorded that you can download and listen to on the go.

So what are you waiting for? Join a language learning course and next time when you travel the world, you can happily jump right into conversations with the locals of the place.