Language Schools and Language Study Abroad

Language Study Resources on the Web

Brush Up on the Country's Language and Culture Before You Go

Selected by Clay Hubbs, updated by Gregory Hubbs

We never tire of reminding readers—it's our mission!—that the most rewarding and least expensive overseas vacation involves a learning component. What better way to enjoy your time in a foreign country than to start it off with a period of language instruction, however brief? Not only can this provide an immediate "ground" in a community of knowledgeable locals and like-minded travelers, every word of the new language can be put to immediate use.

On a recent trip to Ecuador my wife and I spent a week in a language school in Quito before striking out on our own. Our hosts at the school (Academia Latinoamericana) provided us with itineraries and introductions that made the rest of our trip immeasurably more satisfying than wandering around a new place independently but unprepared, or isolated with a group of strangers in a tour group. Had we taken a bit more time to work on our Spanish before leaving, the experience would have been all the richer. That was before we discovered the language and culture resources available on the Internet.

The Internet offers an astonishing and somewhat intimidating number of resources: foreign language newspapers and magazines, maps, videos and virtual tours, not to mention online language courses (some free), chat rooms, and USENET sites. You can even develop listening and speaking skills on interactive web sites.

Travelers using the resources below can not only get a jump on learning at least some essential words in the language, the informational web sites to which many of these sites provide links include extensive information on the culture of the target countries as well as practical travel information. New sites are coming on and old ones are expanding daily.

World Newspapers and Magazines on the Web

There are a plethora of databases and portals which allow you to find newspapers or magazines in the native language. Generally you may browse by geographic location and category.

www.kidon.com/media-link/index.shtml
newslink.org/news.html
www.worldpress.org/gateway.htm
www.world-newspapers.com
www.abyznewslinks.com
www.allyoucanread.com

World Radio Stations on the Web

As with newspapers, there are scores of sites springing up which list international radio stations, though often the connection to the station listed can be problematic.

wmbr.mit.edu/stations/list.html.
www.vtuner.com
www.org.mk/radio
www.comfm.com/live/radio
www.radio-directory.fm/in_list.cfm
www.radiotower.com

Live-radio.net, www.live-radio.net/info.shtml, provides links to thousands of online radio stations worldwide.

World Language Real-Time Chat and Forums

There are numerous sites and discussion boards on the web which allow for real-time conversation in another language.

www.languagetrade.com
www.epals.com

Foreign Languages and Culture

www.speakeasy.org/~dbrick/Hot/foreign.html. Offers easy access to hundreds of language and culture related sites.

dir.yahoo.com/society_and_culture/cultures_and_groups/cultures. An alphabetical list of countries, each with links to sites relating to its culture. Create your own online connections abroad with chat, message boards, email.

Foreign Language Tests and Exercises

www.Goethe-verlag.com/tests. Offers exercises and vocabulary tests in German, French, Italian, Dutch, Czech, Hungarian, Indonesian, Portuguese, and English.

Foreign Language for Travelers

If you can ignore all the ads on the site, Travlang provides some useful on-line instruction for basic phases. www.travlang.com/languages

Other Language Resources on the Web

ALG World, www.algworld.com, In our program we don't teach language but create memorable experiences in the language. Continued exposure to these memorable experiences has a proven record of producing high levels of fluency in our students.

www.languagecourse.net, is wonderful portal/search site which will help you find the language program you desire.

NRCSA, www.nrcsa.com. Preregisters language learners of all ages in a choice of language schools in 30 countries. 823 N. 2nd St., P.O. Box 1393, Milwaukee, WI 53021; 414-278-0631, fax 414-271-8884.

Human-Languages Page www.ilovelanguages.com. A comprehensive catalog of language-related Internet resources. Its links are among the best on the web for finding online language lessons, translation services, language schools, etc.

Roughly Speaking Language Guides, www.roughlyspeaking.com; dan@roughlyspeaking.com. Socially conscious – 10% of every sale donated to development projects. Instantly downloadable – available any time, anywhere via the internet. Efficiently organized - from the everyday basics to an introductory grammar. Concise and easy to use – everything you do need, nothing you don’t. Conversational contexts - start speaking and understanding immediately!

Worldwide Classroom Library of International Programs www.worldwide.edu. Amongst the largest international consortium of schools, with information on 10,000 schools in 109 countries listed alphabetically by category (including languages institutes) and country. Publishes the International Study Telecom Directory. Worldwide Classroom, Box 1166, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1166; fax 414-224-3466.




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