BBC Learning English

Probably, BBC Learning English is the most comprehensive web page to study and practice English. It covers a wide range of levels from a lower intermediate to proficiency level.

Any student of English can improve different skills with the site: reading, listening and also writing and talking (thanks to its Community where the user can contact other people). In addition, there are areas to learn grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation topics.


The page has got lots of resources. Words in the news is a tool to work listening skills and also to broaden the vocabulary. Face Up to Phrasals helps to improve such a difficult topic as phrasal verbs. Quizzes is the place to test your knowledge of the language. For teachers is the area for teachers. And the site offers dramas, blogs, questions and answers and so on.

It's really comprehensive and a good complement to students and teachers: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

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Russian Language Podcast

There are some skills we need to develop in order no learn a foreign language: writing, reading, listening and speaking. You need to practice quite a lot every skill if you really want to learn the target language.

It is difficult to find resources with a suitable level for a foreign student. Regarding listening skills, you can find dozens of radio stations in many languages, although finding recordings for students of lower levels is not easy.

Russian Language Podcast is a site focus on intermediate students of Russian. The site is built by Tatiana, a Russian and French teacher and interpreter. The page has many podcasts, all in Russian, with the tapescript.

"This podcast is for those who already know basic grammar and want to improve their Russian level. If you don't speak Russian at all, but can understand few words, you still can listen to this podcast, it will help you too. This podcast is entirely in Russian."

• Russian Language Podcast: http://russianpodcast.eu

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A couple of Japanese web pages

This post presents a couple of Japanese resources for students of this languages. The first one is A Japanese guide to Japanese grammar, a reference web site to Japanase students.

"This site explains Japanese grammar in a systematic step-by-step process and is released under the Creative Commons License. It was created as a resource for those who want to learn Japanese grammar in a rational, intuitive way that makes sense in Japanese. The explanations are focused on how to make sense of the grammar not from English but from a Japanese point of view. To learn more about this guide, go to the introduction page and start learning this intriguing and unique language!".

There is a web page version, although, there is a version available to download (sip file or pdf). Also, the page is translated into different languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Bahasa, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Finish, Turkish and Korean.

• A Japanese guide to Japanese grammar: http://www.guidetojapanese.org

The second one is Charles Kelly's Online Japanese Language Study Materials. As Charles Kelly states "these are free-to-use online materials that I have developed to help people learn Japanese."

This site is an interesting tool to practice the use of the language with quizzes, vocabulary exercices, flashcards, crossword puzzles, videos and so on. It's got a selection of Japanese language study sites to find more resources to learn this language.

• Charles Kelly's Online Japanese Language Study Materials: http://www.manythings.org/japanese/

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Forvo. All the words in the world

This web is an interesting tool for language learners of any language. As the web page describes itself "Forvo is the largest pronunciation guide in the world, the place where you´ll find millions of words pronounced in their original languages."


How it works

You need to know how to pronunce a word in your target language (eg. thanks in Spanish: gracias). You Search your target language "Spanish" and the word "gracias": http://www.forvo.com/word/gracias/

There you can find different recordings uploaded by native people. If the word doesn't exist in the web you can ask for a native to record it.

Right now, there are 220 different languages in Forvo (English, Portuguese, Arabic, German, Spanish, Russian, Persian, Italian, Dutch...)

Forvo: http://www.forvo.com

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Language exchange: Russian

This is a list of people offering to teach or learn Russian. You can participate posting your message or answering someone else's posting.

• Global language exchange (messenger, e-mail, voice, chat, skype, webcam, msn): Russian

Liveworda, tutoring Russian language with native speaker

Liveworda is a blog that offers a collection of video lessons for students of Russian. The owner of this website presents it this way:

Hello, My name is Alla. I live in Moscow (Russia).

If you want to learn Russian language - this blog for you. I have just started producing Russian language videos and publishing my videos and videos of another teachers in this blog. All teachers are native speakers.

I hope you start follow me. If you like my blog, please help us spread the word. I encourage feedback.

The lessons are useful to learn and practice pronunciation of basic words and sentences. You can also find music, materials to learn Russian and other tips.

Liveworda: http://liveworda.blogspot.com

Here, you can watch an example.

Learn Russian: I love you

We learn russian phrase and words on topic "I love you" in this lesson. For example: I love you. Love came to my heart. I fell in love with you from the first sight. I need you so much. I can't live without your love.

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Learning foreign languages. Tips

If you are searching tips to improve the foreign language you're studying, here's some articles about different strategies to be used.

10 Tips for Language Learning Success
Article contents:
1. Set realistic expectations
2. Break study time into smaller chunks
3. Learn vocabulary effectively
4. Practice language actively
5. Do homework conscientiously
6. Form study groups
7. Identify your learning style
8. Maximize your language exposure
9. Spend time on task
10. Communicate with your instructor

15 Language Learning Resources at Your Fingertips
Article contents:
1. Find a pen pal
2. Rent and watch a foreign film
3. Read or watch foreign news online
4. Find native speakers in your community
5. Join or start a conversation group
6. Visit an ethnic restaurant
7. Find a book or magazine in your library
8. Use a foreign language search engine to explore your interests
9. Join a foreign language discussion board
10. Visit a foreign language chat room
11. Plan a trip
12. Study abroad

Learning a Language - The Basics
Article contents:
Study Little Often
Revision
Do Not Run before You Can Walk
Targets
Look for Partners with Similar Interests
Do Not Expect to Feel Progress all the Time
Make as Many Mistakes as You Can
Enjoy yourself


And already posted in this blog

• Improving foreign languages skills - Language exchange
• Success with Foreign Languages: Seven who achieved it and what worked for them

Other related links

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