For all the polyglots out there...

[Xar]

A few days ago I read an article on CNN.com that led me to check a website called Livemocha... it's an online social website where you can register for free in order to learn one or more languages, and the structure is very interesting: basically, when you register you specify your native language(s) and any other language you know together with the level of proficiency; afterwards, if you wish, you can review exercises from people learning your language, while at the same time your exercises are reviewed by people fluent in the language you want to learn. Additionally, since it's a social network, you can find people fluent in the language you want to learn and who wish to learn yours, and set up conversations to further improve your proficiency. The concept is very interesting, I think.

The website currently offers something like 35 different languages, of which the courses from 101 to 202 are completely free... later ones must be paid, but still, even if one just wants to exploit the free courses, it should give you the basics of any language you might want to learn. I'm currently trying Spanish and it seems rather interesting as a course structure as well

The only thing I'm not sure of is about languages using other alphabets, mostly because I don't know yet whether the website also offers you writing courses or not. I guess I'll find out when I start learning Japanese

[sgt.null]

good luck! i have been wanting to learn Esperanto.

[Xar]

That's in the list of available courses, FWIW

[aliantha]

Thanks for the heads-up, Xar! This sounds like it would be very useful for learning to read and write another language. Are there opportunities for learning to speak it, as well? (Hmm, guess I could just go to the website, huh? )

[Xar]

Thanks for the heads-up, Xar! This sounds like it would be very useful for learning to read and write another language. Are there opportunities for learning to speak it, as well? (Hmm, guess I could just go to the website, huh? )

Each lesson has a section in which you learn new vocabulary (and pronunciation); a section where you perform simple exercises; a section where you have to write a short assignment; and a section where you have to exercise your pronunciation, usually by reading a specific text. The latter two sections are then sent to the community for review and advice.

AFAIK, the latter two sections are available only in the first few units of each course, but you can unlock them for the remaining units of all available courses by participating in the review of texts and audio from people wishing to learn your language - so the more you help others in learning your language, the more access you have to additional exercises

[Auleliel]

Livemocha is amazing! Thanks for sharing it, Xar. I joined this morning, and I'm using it to improve my Korean. It has reading, writing, listening, and speaking exercises, and yes, the reading and writing are in the Korean alphabet, not English transliterations. It doesn't let me type Korean characters online though, so I'll have to type it up on a different program I have and paste it in.

[Krazy Kat]

I was using Live Mocha last year to learn how to read some French. My only gripe about using those type of sites is that English being the popular language it is attracted lots of members and I soon discovered that my in-box was filling up too fast for me to reply. I spent too much time with other peoples exercises and not enough with my own.
I was also quite new to internet interaction and I suppose in the end you just have to say no and ignore the extra load that can take up precious study time.