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When you're stuck at home, life doesn’t come to a stop. That’s why it makes sense to spend at least some of your at-home downtime on personal growth and enrichment. One of the best ways you can do this is by studying a new language. There are many benefits to learning a second (or third) language. Not only can it help you take your career to the next level but research shows that people who speak two or more languages will experience the onset of Alzheimer’s, on average, over 4 years later than those who only speak one.
While years ago you may have had to turn to the classroom to learn a second language, today there are many opportunities to study online. In fact, you’ll find many absolutely free lessons and learning opportunities on YouTube!
Getting started is easy. Go to YouTube.com and type in “learn Spanish” (or German, French, Japanese or any language that interests you. You will immediately see dozens of videos. These range from two-hour crash courses of the basics of a language to highly indepth lessons on one particular subject.
If you are looking for a full language course, you may have to dig around a bit. However, I easily found content creators that have dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of videos on most of the more commonly spoken languages. At this point, you’ll just want to give a couple of videos a try and see if the creator/teacher resonates with you. Finding a video teacher that you truly connect with can be a big help.
Beyond regular courses, you may find “live streams.” These usually involve a teacher speaking in the language to everyone who has tuned in (or is tuning in when they are live.) If you can tune in when a creator/teacher goes live, you’ll usually have the opportunity to ask questions that may be answered live, if desired. Plus, you can work on your written language in the live chat.
Another popular video type is an immersion video. These videos give you the opportunity to listen to the language being spoken in a natural form. The creator may be going about his or her daily activities and will speak throughout, often with a translation provided.
As you can see, there are many great tools for learning a new language on YouTube. You will likely find that it is an excellent addition to your other methods of learning, or for someone who is just getting started, it can be an affordable way to dip your toe in and start learning!
