Social media as a tool for learning and communicating in foreign languages

It is no secret that today knowledge of foreign languages is an important professional skill necessary for successful studies, career development, networking, and self-development. What languages can contribute to our success? How can you improve your foreign language proficiency without investing additional funds?

What language to learn?

Let’s start with the fact that fluency in a language and even a few does not guarantee successful employment. It is clear that in addition to the line “knowledge of foreign languages” in the application form for employment and the CV, there are many other equally important points. And yet, the choice of language should be approached responsibly and thoughtfully.

Eastern languages

If you choose from Eastern languages, then Chinese is popular among students and specialists. But it is worth noting that the Chinese themselves rarely put foreigners in leadership positions. Since Chinese literacy and others eastern languages vary in different parts of the country, even the Chinese themselves sometimes find it difficult to communicate in their native language.

European languages

Among the European languages, as everyone knows, English is the leader. This language is out of competition. The second place belongs to the German, the knowledge of it is desirable for a huge number of companies. The third place is occupied by Italian, and the fourth place is occupied by Czech. It would seem that it is spoken only by the local population and residents of the nearest countries. Why Czech? The Czech language is necessary for studying in the Czech Republic, which is the dream of many students who want to get a free higher education in Europe. By the way, you can order professional translations and student papers in a foreign language from a cheap essay writing service. French is another top language among young people. Those who decided to master it for professional reasons are a minority. For the most part, it is studied by girls, to move to Paris or meet a real Parisian.

Knowledge of several languages can be an important factor in hiring, but not a determining factor. Therefore, when deciding to learn a particular language, you need to clearly understand what all this is for. In the industries like hotel services, tourism, media sphere, knowledge of several foreign languages can give a good increase in salary, and during the study contribute to a comprehensive study of world experience, live communication with like-minded people, which will help to significantly deepen knowledge and master practice.

Social media is an important tool for learning languages

Communication in remote social media platforms can not only help you find new friends, but also improve your knowledge of a foreign language. We have selected the most popular of them, compiled for this purpose.

Busuu (busuu.com/en)

Each class has its specific topic. This includes writing exercises, dialogues, vocabulary learning, speaking with a native speaker, and final tests. You can say that this resource allows you to attend interactive language courses and take online lessons. Most of the content is free. A premium account costs $3 per month. It allows you to get a certificate after completing the courses, and also opens video tutorials and language tests.

All classes are built in a playful way: there is a language garden Busuu. You study — you get berries, you skip – and the garden will wither. Designed for learning Spanish, French, English, German, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Polish.

Sharedtalk (rosettastone.eu)

This platform is good for improving the level of knowledge of the language, as it involves active work with native speakers. To do this, you need to register, specify your native language and the language that you would like to learn. A list of eligible applicants will appear, indicating the country, gender, and age, including a summary.

Here you can practice learning 30 languages, including Hindi, Afrikaans.

My Language Exchange (mylanguageexchange.com)

Various language games, communication with the interlocutor, new vocabulary in collective dictionaries — these are just a few options for building the learning process on this site. There are many of them, and everyone will find the most suitable and interesting for themselves. It is possible to conduct a conversation not only by texting but also by voice chat.

More than a hundred languages are available for learning.

English, Baby! (englishbaby.com)

The main advantage of the service is that a lesson on a new topic is available every day. To organize the educational process, various tools are used here: audio materials, grammar tasks, chat, and even the opportunity to enroll in a foreign language school. There is also a section for sharing experiences between teachers. The language of study is English.

Lang8 (lang-8.com)

The concept is this: write a post in the language you are learning. Native speakers will correct spelling, speech, and grammar errors. The top posts and fixes are always available for viewing. You can also make friends here. There is a paid and free account. The first allows you to learn two languages and make 500 entries in a notebook. The second one for $4 a month will open access to an unlimited number of records, as well as the ability to upload posts in pdf format, photos, and much more.

Provides the opportunity to learn 19 languages.

Ling (lingq.com)

The service is designed for people with any level of knowledge of the language. Here you can find virtual communication, teacher assistance, audio tutorials, and even the performance of written work with subsequent verification. The main goal of the site is to expand your vocabulary and communicate. A free account allows you to save all the learned words in your profile. There is a paid version that ranges from $5 to $22 per month. It allows you to export words to the computer.

More than 20 languages are available for learning and new ones are added regularly.

It does not matter so much which platform you choose, the most important thing is your desire to learn the knowledge, and find time for that at least several times a week.