How to Learn a New Language With the Apps You Use Every Day
Whether you want to hang out with the locals on your next vacation or prevent dementia later in life, being fluent in two languages will undoubtedly come in handy. If you’re just starting to learn a new language, knowing where to start can be a daunting prospect. Of course, you can just immerse yourself in life after living in another country for a while, or use services like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone . You can also customize your favorite devices, websites and services to help you learn a new language faster. Here’s how.
Change the language of your phone
You really should use your phone less often , but if you still spend a few hours a day using apps, consider practicing your small vocabulary as well.
By changing the language of your smartphone (or other devices you always use), you can get used to reading menu items and dialog boxes in a foreign language. This method may seem daunting at first, but rest assured, you will need some help. The icons, colors, and muscle memory you have for the general layout of your device can help you, even when the words on the screen are not entirely clear at first. Just make sure your banking app or any other important apps are set to English, or switch the phone language back before using them for any important transactions.
Change the languages of Facebook and Twitter
We are all addicted to social media too. If you’ve gone ahead and changed the language of your phone, your social media mobile apps will appear in that language as well. If you want the same experience on the desktop version of these services, go to your Facebook or Twitter account settings and change the language there (to name two).
This way, you can maintain your language practice even while aimlessly browsing social media – during your lunch break at work, of course. Like there is like in all languages.
Switch to podcasts in the language you are learning
Reading a language from a screen is one thing, but you will also want to learn how to understand it when it is spoken. Podcasts are one of the best ways to get a feel for the sound of a language, especially if you’re already an avid listener. You won’t have any visual cues about what the hosts are talking about, but it’s still a good way to test your skills or even pick up a few phrases here and there. You can view lists of the best podcasts in different countries by briefly changing the language of your iTunes store .
If you’re having a hard time understanding what’s going on, try switching to Linguistica 360’s slow motion newsfeed. You will be kept informed of all the events of the day – context can help you decipher languages faster – and the news is told slowly to make it easier for you to understand. For other podcasts, try changing the playback speed of your podcast app to slow down the presenters a little and help you get a clearer picture of what is being said.
Change audio and subtitle settings on Netflix
Nothing lengthens your day like sitting on the couch and launching Netflix. But don’t let that distract you from your goal of learning a new language piece by piece. Let your favorite video streaming app help you too.
On Netflix, you can switch the sound of a show or movie by clicking the text popup in the video menu. Some shows offer different language options and some are not available at all, so your experience may be different. The service also offers subtitling options, allowing you to see exactly what you are hearing, or offering a translation in your own language if you are having trouble understanding.
Other streaming platforms including Hulu , Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Go also offer content in foreign languages. Just don’t expect to pick up any usable Dothraki while watching Game of Thrones.