Between January 2020 and September 2022, I took a total of 162 classes on italki, diving into languages such as German, Italian, Portuguese, and English. During this period, I interacted with 34 different instructors, although most of my lessons were with just 11 of these professionals. In this blog post, I’ll delve into my italki experience, offering insights for anyone considering the platform for language learning. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your language skills, I think you’ll find it helpful.
[Read more…] about My Experience Taking Language Lessons on italkiOnline Learning
Speaking German and Italian Abroad
Common wisdom dictates that one of the best ways to learn a foreign language is to move to the country where it’s spoken. If you’re learning Spanish, you would move to Spain, Argentina or any other Spanish-speaking country. If you’re learning Japanese, you would move to Japan, and so on. In theory, those should be the ideal places to learn our target language: the country where it’s spoken by everybody. I haven’t tried this approach yet, but I tried something similar. Between 2020 and 2022, I spent a lot of time learning and practicing German and Italian in Argentina and Uruguay. And in June 2023, I had the opportunity to visit Germany, Austria, and Italy for the first time. Here I’d like to share with you my experience using and speaking German and Italian in Berlin, Vienna, and Rome.
[Read more…] about Speaking German and Italian AbroadTraining in Immersion Learning with Refold
YouTube and Netflix have been game-changers for language learners. They grant access to a wealth of content in various foreign languages, both in original and dubbed versions. However, many language students don’t take full advantage of this abundance of video content. Perhaps they regard media consumption in their target language as an activity reserved for after they’ve mastered the language. But what if one could learn a language by immersing themselves in bingeworthy YouTube and Netflix content? This is the foundation of several immersion methods for learning foreign languages, and Refold is one of my favorites.
[Read more…] about Training in Immersion Learning with RefoldOnline Learning Is Here to Stay
Online learning is not the next big thing, it is the now big thing.
Donna J. Abernathy
As many other authors and specialists, Abernathy claims that online learning is here to stay. But, what is exactly online learning? And, is it as effective as offline learning?
In this post, I’ll try to answer these questions and share my position in favor of this new way of learning.
A Species of Learners
First of all, let us put this clear: the human species is a species of learners. One of our unique traits is our ability to learn and master different skills. We enjoy learning, and we’re always looking for ways of doing it faster and better. That’s exactly what makes us explore new creative ways of learning, sharing, and teaching.
We’ve been improving and refining our educational methods since always. We can’t help it. As soon as we create something new or develop a new technology, we use that to improve our educational efforts. [Read more…] about Online Learning Is Here to Stay