A List of Language Resources in light of Duolingo being SHIT
There's some resource lists going around, so I'm going to list some that I've seen rec'd and/or that I've tried and like and are free. Because if you're anything like me rn, you can't really afford anything.
At the end I will list some media options, some of which may be paid streaming services. Just as a heads up.
This one is pretty good for learning vocab. On the free level, you can choose one language for five minutes a day. There are no grammar lessons, but it does well with expanding your vocab and learning simple phrases for travel. Really rec'd for a supplemental tool. I was able to buy the lifetime membership a while back for quite cheap.
It has a lot of languages that aren't your standard big ones. They're adding ASL and have Maori, Ainu, Catalan, Igbo, Sanskrit, etc.
This one is pretty similar to Duo and has a decent language list. While it may not have less common languages like Finnish, it does offer Arabic, Korean, Portuguese, etc.
Personally, I'm enjoying this one so far. It offers quite a bit for free and the best part is the community tab. You can help correct others learning your native language and you can get corrections for the language you're learning. I'm usually pretty anxious about speaking and learning with others, but this is optional and very low stakes.
Pretty good from my experience so far. I enjoy the free version. I love that there is a lifetime membership option. Looks pretty decent if you can catch it on a good sale as well. It offers a similar list of languages as Busuu. It has Vietnamese, Thai and Hindi which I didn't expect.
A smaller language list than Busuu or LingoDeer, it seems to be pretty decent. I'm using it for Japanese right now. Can't say too much on this one, but it's worth looking into at least.
I found this one per recommendations. It seems to be pretty decent. Really appreciate that it has a lot of less common languages such as Finnish, Hebrew and Swahili.
This app does language learning like a game. I'm very meh with it. I haven't been using it long. It mainly offers more popular languages like German and French. If you like your learning to be more like a card battle game, you may enjoy this though.
Learn Languages With Music
Downloaded this to test with Finnish. It's really great actually! The free version only gets you three songs a day, but that's enough. You can choose what song you listen to in your target language. It then has you fill in what you're hearing from the word choices provided. It's a wonderful way to match pronunciation with written language and get used to hearing it. Would recommend this. It mainly sticks to more popular languages, which is why I was surprised it has Finnish.
I'm actually really enjoying this one. It also runs more as a game to help you learn Japanese as you follow a little pixelated knight who's trying to learn the language to win over the princess. I'm finding it to be fun, particularly for alphabet learning. I came across this one originally by recommendation.
Infinite [Insert Language Here]
They have this for multiple different languages. It works best as review for those who are already learning the language. It's also a game format.
I can only describe this as charming. This was rec'd to me and I'm enjoying it so far. Yes, this is only for Japanese. Sorry to anyone not learning Japanese.
Another Japanese learning app (and website). This was rec'd to be and it seems pretty good at a glance. If you have experience with it, please let us know what you think in the comments.
An app just for Latin! I'm using it to refresh after uni classes. It seems like a good app for beginners. It explains the grammar and starts you off with simple exercises. More unlocks as you practice. Very simple and very straightforward. Would recommend.
This one was a recommendation for Spanish learners and it looks pretty great. It's specifically to help learners with conjugations.
Rec'd by @errorca-learns-norsk. Their post of other Norwegian resources can be found here! I can personally recommend this app now as well. It's very straightforward, free and easy to use.
For te reo MÄori learners, this may be a fun resource! Take a picture of an item and the app will provide you the name of it in te reo Maori. It sounds like a fun way to learn vocab for items you use everyday.
Another one for te reo MÄori learners, this has immersive radio and video. Everything under the app follows data sovereignty. Looks like a really fantastic way to learn through immersion, both culture and language.
This was rec'd and I downloaded it to check it out. This really makes me want to learn te reo MÄori. The setup feels similar to Duo, so anybody coming from there who wants to pick up this language should feel at home.
Te reo MÄori learners should feel lucky! This is a game style learning app for the language. It's got a unique and fun design with good audio. If you want to learn the language, definitely give this app a try!
International Keyboard Help
TG4 (Irish videos for immersion - Has subs)
KLI (You need membership for the course, but it's also super fucking cheap)
The National Archives (Latin)
Story Learning Latin Grammar Tips
Digital Dialects (Vocab Games)
Kelutral Survival Guide (love this btw, great basic setup)
There is so much that can be listed on here! Google for song recs in your target language or look for the top hits in a music genre you listen to. If you're learning French, Italian or German there are a ton of operas you can find in these languages.
Beelinguapp looks fucking fantastic. Unfortunately, a lot of it is locked behind a paywall. If you can afford it, it has a lot of stories and such to read along with.
Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and other streaming services may offer media in your target language if you search. I know Frozen II can be found in Finnish, The Good Place in Italian and Good Omens has multiple different languages. Just see what is available on shows and movies you already watch. It's a great way to practice your skills and learn new vocab (and more natural ways of speaking).
I can't remember the name of it, but I know there's a service tailored to learning language through media. Lingopie offers a number of popular languages. You can start for free.
YouTube can be your best friend. Aside from those teaching the language, you can find news, movies, shows and music in your language. If you want recs for music or channels for German, Italian, Finnish, French or Na'vi, please let me know. I have playlists for all these that I can either share directly or make a list of what's on them. I also have a rec for Old Norse for this who are interested.
Finding your favorite books in your target language is always great! Whether that's a phrase book, dictionary or novel. I have copies of Eragon and City of Bones in Italian for practice. If you're learning Korean or Japanese, there are called Korean/Japanese Stories for Language Learners that I recommend. They come with a CD that will read them as well. But they have the stories in the Korean/Japanese and English. It's brilliant.
If you're looking for a good Latin book, Ecce Romani is a strong base used in many schools. I actually caught my own copy because I love it so much. I read it to my cats. Veni Vidi Didici is a fun little book. It teaches a bit about poetry, grammar and pronunciation with games and puzzles and songs (like happy birthday). I really recommend finding it. Latin for the Illiterati is more serious, but has a long list of Latin phrases used day to day and in places like law. Good book to have on hand.
Podcasts are good as well! There's a podcast for nearly everything and that goes for language too. One rec'd podcast is Taringa for te reo MÄori learners.
Ask your local library for help! They may have subscriptions for some of these language programs, such as Babbel or Rosetta Stone, and may have books about/in your target language.
With the AI bullshit Duolingo is pulling and the layoffs, please share this post. If you have other recommendations for language learners leaving Duo, please reblog them into this post! I know there will be some I just don't know about or have forgotten from other posts I've reblogged. If possible, keep them to free language options. If it's a paid service, please make that clear.
