If you are wondering about how to learn a language online, then the good news is that there are a number of options available to you no matter the language you wish to learn or the level you are currently at. Some of the main ones that you may be interested in using are listed below, but even though they are basic reviews it is still better if you spend time personally checking out each one in order to see if their style of teaching is something that is suitable for you. It should also be noted that they are not mentioned in any form of preference.
The BBC Free Online Lessons
If you just want to try and get started or see how a language works, then it can be worthwhile looking at the free lessons available through the BBC. They show you various phrases that are used everyday in that language and they also have audio links so you can hear how each word or phrase is actually pronounced. The BBC offers you the chance to learn basic phrases in 40 languages from around the world and it has to be said that they do break it up into easy to follow segments so you will be able to greet people, indulge in some small chat, and of course ask for various things as you explore a foreign country. If you are unsure about what language you may want to learn this is undoubtedly a fantastic way to find out if you can take to the language before spending any money on further lessons.
Babbel.com
Babbel.com allows you to learn 11 languages with the most popular being covered as well as the rather more unusual Swedish and Indonesian. They do offer you a free trial, which lets you get a feel for the way they will teach you, but it does then switch to a monthly subscription if you wish to continue. One important point to add here is that there is a money back guarantee if you are not happy with how you are progressing after twenty days so that may indeed tempt you into taking out a subscription for at least a month.
So how do they structure it all? The main emphasis here is to have fun with learning and their method is to use very clear tutorials that you can do quickly and then take part in various exercises to help you progress. They do offer complete beginner courses and look to give you a good solid foundation from which you can then work on. Overall it does seem that they try and move it away from feeling like a classroom so if you want a relaxed way of learning, then this could be the option for you.
Lingq.com
Lingq.com focuses on not only teaching you, but also linking you to other people who can either speak the language or are also learning. This community aspect is a different approach, but for some people it will help them learn quicker as they can use their newly learnt vocabulary in situations that are not restricted by lessons that have been set out by the website. Finally, they do offer you help from a personal tutor who can look at what you are doing online and correct your mistakes so you then know the areas that you have to work on a bit more. They only deal with a few languages; however, they are the main ones in use around the world with a bit of Esperanto thrown in as well.
Livemocha.com
Livemocha.com looks to bring both students and teachers together via their website and they do this whilst covering 38 different languages. They do offer you the chance to learn things such as Icelandic or Farsi along with the normal Italian, French, German and Spanish. Initially it does feel a bit more like a classroom approach and is, therefore, best for people who do prefer a more structured approach to learning languages rather than being all about fun.
Studying through this website will allow you to get a personal tutor should you wish to do so, but there are also a number of lessons online including video sessions where you listen to a situation and then answer questions along with working on grammar and building your vocabulary. As with every other website they have various levels depending upon the stage you are at with the language and each level is broken up into reasonable sized segments so you should not feel bogged down whilst learning.
Rocket Languages
Rocket Languages cover 11 different ones from around the world and they make good use of the community aspect along with a series of language games that will help you to learn. One thing they are very big about is the ability to rate your own work as you go along and a useful section is how you can record your voice when saying something and compare your pronunciation to that of a tutor. Interactive audio plays a huge role throughout this website so it does come across more as an internet version of earlier language tapes and these were of course extremely popular at one point.
The progress charts are extremely useful in telling you how well you are doing and even if you are ready to move on to the next stage so whilst you can progress quite quickly it will still be done at a pace where you are absorbing all of the information and not just glossing over it. They do get good reviews online from people who have previously used them and it is certainly worth trying it for free to see what you think about it yourself.
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone is perhaps the most well known language course due to them spending a lot of money on advertising both online as well as offline. They offer you the chance to pick from 30 languages with them covering those spoken by the vast majority of the population of the world and some of these native speakers are responsible for teaching you their language.
They focus on really immersing you in the culture of the language as they feel that doing so will give you the best chance of taking in all of the information. One part that is extremely helpful is their speech recognition software as this gives you feedback on your pronunciation immediately so you can work on it and improve straight away. Millions of people have used their methods over the years and they do use normal relaxed situations when teaching you various phrases and then guide you on how to use the basics of one phrase to create others in order to become more fluent. It has to be said that the Rosetta Stone approach is one that does involve up to the minute technology so if you like this kind of thing, then it could be ideal for you.
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So for people wondering about how to learn a language online those are just six potential options that are certainly worth considering. The reviews above are intended to just cover the basics of what each website can offer you and how well structured the online lessons are, but as was stated at the outset do look at each one independently before deciding which one appeals to you the most. All that is then left to do is to sit down and start learning because in a short period of time you should be able to say all kinds of things in your brand new language.