“Bonjour!” “Hello!” “Hola!” “Guten Tag!” “Ciao!” “Zdras-tvuy-te!” “Konnichiwa!” “How are you today, my friend?” Language is the glue that holds our society together, but for something so vital to our society and everyday life, there sure are a lot of them! Did you know that there are roughly 6,500 languages spoken in the world today? If I were to list hello in every one of them, you would be reading an essay before ever getting to the actual article. Languages are so diverse, so beautiful. Many people grow up bilingual, and many work to become bilingual in their older years. However you come about it, learning another language is a wonderful thing. There are many ways to learn a new language without sitting in a brick and mortar classroom holding a textbook. Let’s explore a few, shall we?

Podcasts- I personally am in the middle of learning French, but if you have ever studied a language you may know that textbook speaking doesn’t always line up with the native phrases. So, one way that I enjoy learning French is listening to podcasts. My personal favorite is Coffee Break French.

Music- Another way to immerse yourself in the language is by listening to music! The phrases used will likely be similar to how natives speak, which therefore leads to your brain understanding what they mean, or at least recognizing it when you hear it outside the song.

Books- Reading in another language can be so beneficial to the learning process. While it may seem demeaning, start off by reading children’s books, something simple for a beginner to understand. As it becomes easier and easier, push yourself into more advanced reading. 

Movies- Last but not least, watching movies you are familiar with but in a different language can also lead to your brain picking up on what the phrases mean. If it feels too overwhelming, try the audio in another language but the subtitles in English. That way, it’s a little easier for your brain to process.

While sitting in a classroom with a textbook in front of you can be beneficial in ways, there is so much more to learning a language that you can do on your own! And of course, always feel free to look up words you may not understand and write them down as you go. That way, your brain picks it up even faster. Happy learning everyone! “Au Revoir!” “Goodbye!” “Adios!” “Auf Wiedersehen!” “Arrivederci!” “Do svidaniya!” Sayōnara!” “Have a wonderful day, my friend!”