Here Are The Best Free Ways To Speed-Learn A Foreign Language

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For those who want to get a truly authentic travel experience, being able to speak the local language is a big deal. But language classes are expensive and workbooks take ages to learn more than how to count to ten.

If you’re looking to learn the basics of a language for an upcoming trip, you’re probably dealing with a time crunch and a budget – gotta save those dollars for souvenirs. So try these 4 free ways to learn a new language fast.

1. Watch Movies With Subtitles

Studying is less fun and more tiring than a nice Netflix binge, so why not combine the two? Most streaming services have a great collection of foreign language films and if you put on the subtitles, you’re working those cognitive language muscles while being entertained.

You may not pick up a lot of new vocab words by watching TV, but you could absorb some pronunciation tips and fun phrases.

2. Duolingo

This app is the opposite of your memories of high school French homework. It feels like a game, with fill in the blank, matching and speaking exercises. You can learn more than 20 languages, all the while being updated on your percentage of fluency.

Now, even when you reach Duolingo’s 100 percent fluent level, you’ll still have a long way to go to translate your vocab into true speaking fluency, but it’s a great way to familiarize yourself with basic sentence structure, vocab and grammar.

3. Join A Conversation Group

The website Meetup is full of like-minded people looking to test their language skills in a non-judgmental environment. You can join a conversation group in your language of choice and speak with people looking to learn together.

4. Go And Talk To People

That old stereotype is true. The best way to learn a language is to fully immerse yourself in it among native speakers. So once you’ve done some prepping on your own, try out your skills in a country where the national languages include something other than English.