Learning another language is good for you. It allows you to communicate with people from another culture and learn more about their experiences. It allows you to see the world from another perspective. Making your world a little bigger is all the more important in our increasingly interconnected world.
Language learning also benefits your brain by increasing the hippocampus and cerebral cortex size. The area of the brain responsible for processing language and information can develop denser grey matter, which means there are stronger connections between neurons in the brain.
Being bilingual has also been found to improve memory and enhance your attention span. Research is even beginning to show that speaking more than one language can delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
So, what are some good ways to learn a foreign language?
Books
Stop by the library and check out our foreign language books (many of which also have accompanying CDs). Languages in our collection include Spanish, Arabic, French, Italian, Korean, Hindi, German, Chinese, Urdu, Polish and Japanese, just to name a few. Materials about learning a foreign language can be found in our nonfiction section's 430-499 area.
Online Resources
Mango Languages – Learn a new language with fun and interactive lessons, including important cultural contexts and realistic conversations. Over 70 different languages are available. Use your Canton Public Library card to set up an account and access this resource for free.
Duolingo – This popular app offers thousands of bite-sized lessons in over 40 languages. You can complete the lessons online or on your phone. All lessons are free, though you can upgrade to a "pro" account to go through lessons faster.
Open Culture – Open Culture has cataloged free resources from the web (including video, audio and interactive lessons) for over 45 languages.
Babbel – Babbel requires a monthly subscription and offers lessons in 13 languages. You can choose your lessons based on level or time commitment. Lessons can be completed either on the app or a computer, and there is an option to take classes in real time.
Rosetta Stone – Rosetta Stone, widely considered the gold standard in language learning software, offers courses in 23 languages and provides an immersive language learning environment for computer or app users. A subscription is required to access the content.
Mondly – Not only does Mondly offer 41 languages to learn, but it also does a fantastic job of providing exercises to help learn the essentials. For those wanting to learn phrases just to get around while on vacation or to ask for simple directions in a foreign language, Mondly is a go-to option. There is a free version of the app and premium features available with the purchase of a subscription.
Memrise – This app teaches practical and conversational vocabulary by building upon what you've already learned. It also features videos of native speakers saying phrases so you can hear how each word is properly pronounced. The program has a free version and monthly or lifetime subscription options with more features.
Now that you know all the benefits of learning a foreign language and how to practice, all that's left to do is pick which language you want to learn. What will you choose?
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