Learn a New Language Without Going Broke

1Make the Most of Your Friends

Chances are that you have a friend or two who speak your desired dialect as a first language or even as a second language. Approach these friends and request them to help you practice speaking the language. This can be the most effective yet cheapest way of putting what you have learnt in theory to a practical test. The good thing about learning the language with friends, especially native speakers, is that they will point out the dialect’s finer details, e.g. synonyms, pronunciations, etc in a manner that any language book or software won’t.

2Practice, Practice and More Practice

This pointer is kind of an extension of the first one. Practice the language in stores, restaurants and neighborhoods where it is spoken. By frequenting such premises and neighborhoods, you can really learn your new language practically and at no cost (except paying for a meal). People tend to be impressed by others who are making an attempt at learning their native language and will gladly help with suggestions, corrections etc. Slowly but surely you will gain confidence and your language skills will surely improve with time.

3Find a Language Friend

Perhaps you may not have friends who speak the language that you are trying to learn. You can easily get such a friend via the internet in the form of an online pen pal. Better yet, you can arrange to meet with this person physically. The best language friend will be one who is trying to learn your own language because half the period of your conversations can be done in your language and vice versa. Meeting online with a stranger is quite safe, but any attempt to meet physically needs to be done in a safe public place.

4Visit the Local Library

Your local library will definitely prove to be a much cheaper resource compared to an attempt to purchase language learning books and software – these can be quite expensive and they may prove inadequate. A visit to the local library will afford you the opportunity to learn a new language with the aid of a huge selection of textbooks, software, videos, magazines, and novels. In the rare case that the library resources will be inadequate, you can request that the administration organize an inter-library loan.

5Visit the Relevant Embassies and Consulates

This is a viable option but unfortunately it may only work for people living in cities that host consulates/embassies of countries where their desired dialect is spoken. If you are lucky to have such an embassy in your locale, you can make inquiries to find out if they provide language courses. You can also establish if they host cultural events. Some embassies/consulates provide language classes albeit at an affordable fee, while cultural events are mostly free.

6Go Online

The internet is awash with websites that offer language tools at absolutely no cost – caution is of the essence though – only a handful of these are genuine, while the majority are scams. With the aid of a credible review website, you can narrow down your search and end up with a website list from which you can make your choice.

You may need to purchase some language books and software. Before spending any money on these, you can visit either Freecycle or Craigslist. These websites are renowned as great resources for locating used software and books at really cheap prices or for free. With the latter website, you are best advised to make RSS feed subscriptions because the free items tend to find new owners really fast.

7Go the Podcasts Way

Courtesy of iTunes, you can access a wide variety of language learning podcasts absolutely free. It is up to you to select which particular podcast appeals to you in terms of quality – once you find one you can go ahead and download all the episodes available. These podcasts have materials for an assortment of languages including Spanish, Russian, Norwegian, Irish, Italian, French, German, and Polish. The advantage about using such podcasts, apart from their being free, is that you can learn from virtually anywhere, on the bus as you travel, as you handle your household chores…anywhere your iPod can go.

8Meetup.com

Meetup.com is all about connecting people with in-person events happening in their locality – you are basically connected to events that match your interests. In this particular case, you can look for a meetup in your locality where you can find other people trying to learn the same new language. This group of people may also include native speakers of the language. The conversations that ensue among you will certainly be very helpful in your quest to learn the new dialect. You need not worry if there is no such group around you – you can always start one.

       Written by Samuel Muriithi