Free Language has been working for a while on a new tool for site users interesting in narrowing down the absolute best deals available online for language learning products.

We have scoured the web and created a quick and simple way for Free Language users to save BIG on products from Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur and Michel Thomas, plus language education materials including DVDs, software, books, dictionaries and much more!

Free Language now brings together the absolute best deals - for you to save. By saving on language products in our shop, you help support future development of this free public resource! Everyone wins.

Visit the new shop and locate the deal you're looking for:

http://shop.freelanguage.org

Some of the most popular products Free Language users ask about are:

Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, Michel Thomas, language software and language DVDs.

Here are just some of the languages for which you will find cheap/discount products:

Afrikaans, Arabic, Bahasa, Bengali, Cantonese, Catalan, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, Farsi, Filipino, French, German, Greek, Hausa, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Irish, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Luxembourgish, Mandarin, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Body Language and Sign Language

Summary

This (lengthy) article brings together a pile of Free Software (GNU GPL'd as Public Domain), freeware and shareware for language learning and reference for Mac OS X.

Software descriptions are taken from Apple Downloads. We will be adding more GPL applications soon.

Summary

The now-ubiquitious Wikipedia.org has some multilingual gems tucked away in its folds. This article serves to point out one of the most powerful polyglot culture feaures that Wikipedia offers: the myriad articles in a multitude of languages at a single click away.

For instance, while browsing the topic "Language" on Wikipedia in English, down the left navigation bar you will find entries for the same topic in literally dozens of languages:

Afrikaans, Alemannisch, العربية, Aragonés, Arpetan, Asturianu, Avañe'ẽ, Aymar aru, Azərbaycan, Bamanankan, Bân-lâm-gú, Basa Banyumasan, Башҡорт, Беларуская, Беларуская (тарашкевіца), Boarisch, Brezhoneg, Български, Català, Чăвашла, Cebuano, Česky, Cymraeg, Dansk, Deitsch, Deutsch, Diné bizaad, Eesti, Ελληνικά, Español, Esperanto, Euskara, فارسی, Français, Frysk, Furlan, Gaeilge, Gàidhlig, Galego, ગુજરાતી, 한국어, हिन्दी, Hrvatski, Ido, Ilokano, Bahasa Indonesia, Interlingua, isiXhosa, Íslenska, Italiano, עברית, Basa Jawa, ქართული, Kernewek, Кыргызча, Kiswahili, Коми, Kongo, Kreyòl ayisyen, Kurdî / كوردی, Latina, Latviešu, Lëtzebuergesch, Lietuvių, Limburgs, Lingála, Lojban, Magyar, Македонски, Malagasy, मराठी, مَزِروني, Bahasa Melayu, Nederlands, 日本語, Нохчийн, Norfuk / Pitkern, Norsk (bokmål), Norsk (nynorsk), Nouormand, Occitan, پښتو, Polski, Português, Ripoarisch, Română, Romani, Runa Simi, Русский, Саха тыла, Sámegiella, Sardu, Scots, Seeltersk, Sicilianu, Simple English, Slovenčina, Slovenščina, Српски / Srpski, Suomi, Svenska, Tagalog, தமிழ், Tatarça/Татарча, ไทย, Tiếng Việt, Тоҷикӣ, Türkçe, Türkmen, Українська, Volapük, Võro, Walon, Winaray, ייִדיש, 粵語,Zazaki, Žemaitėška, 中文

This list discludes several languages for which this particular computer does not have fonts installed. Many of you will see font-related issues for some of the languages above. Find out more here if you do.

How to find the links.

This image shows how to find what other languages are available for a given topic on Wikipedia:

These are not translations.

Each entry is an organically-written encyclopedia article on the topic of "Language" in a language. The time and space for language and culture persists!

It's quite intriguing surfing Wikipedia for multilingual goodness. If you'd like to hear more on this topic or have something of value to share, please comment on this article!

Use these to learn!

This feature of Wikipedia can be used to learn and teach languages. Find a topic of interest and study up on the vocabulary in your target language, build a linguistic knowledge of specific interests, get materials for educating, compare entries in different languages to bring out cultural nuances and more. There are many ways to twist and tweak this vast maze of plurilingual content!

From Website

A language is a dynamic set of visual, auditory, or tactile symbols of communication and the elements used to manipulate them. Language can also refer to the use of such systems as a general phenomenon. Strictly speaking, language is considered to be an exclusively human mode of communication. Although other animals make use of quite sophisticated communicative systems, sometimes casually referred to as animal language, none of these are known to make use of all of the properties that linguists use to define language.

In Western Philosophy, language has long been closely associated with reason, which is also a uniquely human way of using symbols. In Ancient Greek philosophical terminology, the same word, logos, was used as a term for both language or speech and reason, and the philosopher Thomas Hobbes used the English word "speech" so that it similarly could refer to reason, as will be discussed below. More commonly though, the English word "language", derived ultimately from lingua, Latin for tongue, typically refers only to expressions of reason which can be understood by other people, most obviously by speaking.

Visit "Language" on Wikipedia in English and look at all the languages on the left navigation bar. Those are the languages for which the article you are viewing has equivalents.

Summary

Steve Kaufmann of LinqQ fame recently released a vlog entry regarding multilingualism and polyglot culture.

It's interesting for those who enjoy learning and speaking languages as a way of life.

Be sure to check out our recent story on LingQ's new features.

Steve Kaufmann on Multilingualism

Visit LinqQ.
View and comment on the original vlog entry.

Multilingual Talking Translator Deals

This feed brings together the latest auctions on eBay.com for talking translators.

You can use this and other Free Language marketplace watches to get the best deals on many language-learning products.

Since talking translators are costly, it is not something Free Language can give for free, like the information here, which is empowered in the Public Domain through the GNU Free Documentation License.

Thus keeping the public informed of how to shop smart in the language learning market, Free Language can in turn improve itself. We all like to laugh...

Funny Spanish/English Animated Talking Translator Video

Funny not because it's supposed to be funny, but because it's supposed to be serious!

Yes, it's a commercial. But it's clever, and Ectaco has great products, as the animated video demonstrates.

Get the best deals on talking translators.

Spanish Comedy Skit with English Subtitles

For something with a direct approach to humour, have a look at this...

Welcome to the tenth edition of the Free Language Letter!

51 new resources for 12 languages are included in this newsletter! There are also many additional resources not specific to any language but useful for all. See below...

What's Inside

• Featured Resource: Byki Free Software for Learning 70+ Foreign Languages
• 51 new resources for 12 languages! (Arabic, Chinese, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Russian, Silbo Gomero and Spanish)
• Mobile Language Learning with iTunes U (iPod, iPhone)
• New Social Language Learning Resource: Busuu.com
• Multilingual Flashcard Services and Software
• Multilingual Online Instant Messenger
• Online Distance Language Learning
• The Linguists Documentary Film
• Free Multilingual Verb Conjugation Software
• eBook on How to Learn Languages Faster and Better
• Study Abroad Programs and Directories
• Constructed Languages (Conlangs)
• Blog Buzz: edufire.com names Free Language in top 20 language bloggers!
• Language Factoid: Silbo Gomero

Featured Resource

Language Freeware for over 70 Languages

Byki offers a free version of their software for learning the basics of 74 languages, including many less-commonly taught languages. An optional upgrade to the commercial product is available if you choose to continue. The software works on Windows and Mac and is certified friendly and spyware free!

Read the full article on Free Language.

Arabic

ArabicPod.net Podcast with Free Common Colloquial and Standard Arabic Audio Lessons
LQToronto.com Download Free Texts and View Free Video Courses to Learn the Language of the Quran with Full Madinah Arabic Course

Chinese (Mandarin)

ChinesePod.com Celebrates the 1,000 Free Mandarin Chinese Audio Lessons Milestone!
ChinesePod.com Olympics Site with Free Mandarin Lessons, Interactive Map of Beijing, Written and Spoken Country Names
Chinese-Course.com Free Mandarin Course with Flashcards/Sentence Manager and Chinese Character Explanations/Annotations
TheChineseReader.com The Chinese Reader Helps Learn to Read Mandarin with Free Chinese Character Text Annotation
Semanda.com Free Chinese Vocabulary Cards with Downloadable PDFs plus Multiple Choice Quizzes for Children (Kids)
hskflashcards.com Free Download HSK Vocabulary Cards in PDF Format + Print New Practical Chinese Reader Text Flash Cards (NPCR)
RocketLanguages.com Rocket Chinese (Mandarin) Complete Language Audio and Software Course for Total Beginners

English

EnglishPod.com EnglishPod Learn English Podcast for Web-Based and Mobile Learning using iPhone and iPod Touch
China232.com China232 Fun and Business English Lessons via Free Audio Podcast Lessons with Transcripts
AvatarLanguages.com Avatar Languages Learn English in Second Life Virtual World plus Tutors via Skype, Google Docs, Whiteboards
StudyEnglishNews.com Study English News for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Levels plus English Proficiency Test and Grammar
Vocabulix.com English, German and Spanish Verb Conjugator, Conjugation Tools, Vocabulary Building, Self-Test Tool, Friend Finder
eurolanguages.com Find and Reserve an English Study Abroad Program or Language School Free Online: London, England, Ireland...

Finnish

Two Resources to Learn the Finnish Language for Free: Online Wikibooks and Byki Freeware

French

French-Flashcards.com Online French Flashcard System, Text Analyzer, Vocabulary List Manager with Audio and Dictionary
french.about.com French Learning+Teaching Resources, French Verb Conjugator, Proficiency Tests, French Grammar Help
RocketLanguages.com Rocket French Language Audio and Software Course from Rocket Languages
eurolanguages.com Find and Reserve a French Study Abroad Program or Language School Free Online: Paris, France, Provence, Nice...

German

German-Flashcards.com Free German Flashcard Course with Dictionary and German Text Annotation
PukkaGerman.com Pukka German Podcast, German Slang, Colloquial German, Idioms, Funny German Sayings for Intermediate to Advanced
Radio Lingua's A Flavour of German Podcast Teaches German Idioms (Idiomatic Expressions) via Audio Lessons
german.about.com German Learning+Teaching Resources, Verb Conjugator, Audio Listening Lab, Grammar, Geneology, Culture, Lessons
Vocabulix.com English, German and Spanish Verb Conjugator, Conjugation Tools, Vocabulary Building, Self-Test Tool, Friend Finder

Hebrew

Omniglot.com Abjad Consonant Alphabet about Hebrew Script with Images, Example Text and Audio

Italian

ItalianPod.com ItalianPod Praxis Italian Lessons Podcast with Free Educational Resources and MP3 Audio
eurolanguages.com Find and Reserve an Italian Study Abroad Program or Language School Free Online: Rome, Italy, Venice, Ski...
Italian-Flashcards.com Online Italian Flashcard System, Text Analyzer, Vocabulary List Manager with Audio and Dictionary

Polish

Polish Wikibook with Basic Polish Language Course

Russian

LearningRussian.Net Learning Russian Website with Beginner Lessons, Grammar Overview and Russian-English Dual-Language Texts

Silbo Gomero

Learn Silbo Gomero, a Whistled Language from La Isla Gomera in the Canary Islands, on Busuu.com

Spanish

Online-Spanish-Course.com Free Online Spanish Course with Flashcards+Sentence Manager and Spanish Text Annotation
RocketLanguages.com Rocket Spanish Language Audio and Software Course from Rocket Languages
spanish.about.com Spanish Learning+Teaching Resources, Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Grammar Glossary, Culture, Course Lessons
SpanishNewsBites.com Spanish NewsBites Free Audio News Bites with Transcriptions about Spanish and Latin America
Useful Spanish Phrases for Travel with Downloadable Audio Recordings for Total Beginners from the Omniglot Website
Vocabulix.com English, German and Spanish Verb Conjugator, Conjugation Tools, Vocabulary Building, Self-Test Tool, Friend Finder
eurolanguages.com Find and Reserve a Spanish Study Abroad Program or Language School Free Online: Madrid, Spain, Valencia...
BBC Spanish Interactive Mystery Thriller Web Video Course for Total Beginners with Spanish Syllabus and Guide for Teachers+Users

Mobile Language Learning with iTunes U (iPod, iPhone)

New iTunes U: Download Educational Podcast Courses to Learn Language with Audio and Video on your iPod for Mobile Learning

Social Language Learning

Busuu.com Busuu Social Language Exchange Partner Community plus Multimedia Photo-Audio Lesson Archives and Video Chat Interface

Multilingual Flashcard Services and Software

Anki Free Flash Card Software for Debian GNU Linux, Mac OS X and Windows Based on Spaced Repetition
Quizlet.com Quizlet Vocabulary Trainer w/Flashcards, Games, Quizzes and Tests w/Multiple Choice, Fill in the Blank, Matching

Multilingual Online Instant Messenger

MeGlobe.com Jabber-Powered, Web-Based Instant Messenger with Automatic Realtime Machine Translation in 14+ Languages

Online Distance Language Learning

Linkua.com Linkua Online Distance Language Learning with Live Video Tutors, One-on-One Lessons and Web Classes

The Linguists Documentary Film

TheLinguists.com The Linguists Independent Documentary Film (Movie) Explores Dangers to Record Dying Languages

Free Multilingual Verb Conjugation Software

Verbix.com Verbix Free Verb Conjugation Website (WebVerbix), Verb Wiki and Windows Freeware (FreeVerbix) for 100+ Languages

eBook on How to Learn Languages Faster and Better

Learn That Language Now! ebook with Quick, Easy and Efficient Method for Learning Any Foreign Language

Study Abroad Programs and Directories

Directory List of International Foreign Language Schools and Language Study Abroad Programs
eurolanguages.com Find and Reserve an English Study Abroad Program or Language School Free Online: London, England, Ireland...
eurolanguages.com Find and Reserve a Spanish Study Abroad Program or Language School Free Online: Madrid, Spain, Valencia...
eurolanguages.com Find and Reserve a French Study Abroad Program or Language School Free Online: Paris, France, Provence, Nice...
eurolanguages.com Find and Reserve an Italian Study Abroad Program or Language School Free Online: Rome, Italy, Venice, Ski...

Constructed Languages (Conlangs)

LinguistList.org Links Page Covers Linguistics plus Constructed (Conlangs), Endangered and Natural Languages and Writing Systems

Blog Buzz

Free Language was written up as one of the top language blogs on the Web!

eduFire.com Blogs about Top 20 Language Bloggers on the Web

Language Factoid: Silbo Gomero

Silbo Gomero is not spoken - it is whistled! (silbar = to whistle in Spanish). This whistled tongue is used by the people of Gomera, one of the Canary Islands off Spain, to communicate between long distances and over rough terrain.

Become a Silbador!

The existence of the whistled language of Silbo Gomero on the beautiful Spanish island of La Gomera has for years fascinated linguists and language enthusiasts alike.

Silbo Gomero was invented in order to facilitate communication between the people of the island across the deep gorges and valleys long before mobile phones were invented. The tradition continues even now with the local government including it in the educational system of the island.

Learn more about Silbo Gomero and watch a video of it being used!

Do widzenia!

Chapman
Free Language
http://freelanguage.org