age group

A Hidden Gem for Language Lovers and Learners

This article presents a unique approach for intermediate to advanced (and beyond) learners of many languages to gain exposure to interesting material in their target language(s). It has to do with a very popular website that features short (usually less than ten minutes) presentations by some of the world's greatest and most famous minds (not always both ;) on their specific areas of expertise. It's called, simply, TED, and the presentations are called "TED Talks".

The TED website itself is not geared towards language learners or educators yet is useful for both. It is especially useful for English learners, as all the talks are in English. But it's also useful for anyone learning most of the world's most-spoken languages (as well as numerous lesser-spoken ones) who want to simultaneously watch inspiring, funny, courageous, fascinating, informative, persuasive, ingenious and often jaw-dropping presentations about technology, science, entertainment, design, business and global issues - all while gaining exposure to their target language. Here's how and why...

Learn Survival Afrikaans

Wikitravel users have collectively created a free Afrikaans phrasebook with the goal of making it possible for travelers to "get by" while traveling in areas where Afrikaans is spoken.

Wikitravel phrasebooks are available in many languages and each one varies in depth and detail. Most of the phrasebooks include a pronunciation guide, a general phrase list, information about dates and numbers, a color list, transportation-related phrases, vocabulary for shopping and phrases for eating and drinking. Some are even more in depth, and all are free!

From Website

Summary

This site has a good selection of online games and activities for learning the Afrikaans language.

There are also many other languages available on the site.

From Website

Digital Dialects was launched in January 2007, originally a by-product of a dissertation reviewing web resources for language learning. The site was conceived as an educational tool for learning languages, and as a guide to online resources.

All animation and webpage design is by Craig Gibson. The animated activities are intended to incorporate the interactivity of computer aided language learning software with the web-design principle of simplicity in use and access. In essence the games are intended to provide a relaxed way of acquiring basic language skills, a break from the books!

The site will continue to be a work in progress, and it is intended that Digital Dialects will represent the World’s major languages, with a cross-section of languages from diverse regions. Audio files are to be gradually incorporated into animations for certain languages. The development of particular language sections will be dependant on assistance from translators and native speakers.

Link

Visit DigitalDialects.com Afrikaans Learning Resources

License

View the DigitalDialects.com Terms and Conditions.

Summary

Wikibooks is a great idea. Like Wikipedia, Wikibooks consists of content that is public domain. That means that anything there is reusable in any fashion, such as for teaching.

Visit the Afrikaans Wikibook in English.

From Website

The name "Afrikaans" means literally "African". Afrikaans has its roots in 17th-century Dutch, but has since developed its own distinctive character and flavour in the three centuries that it developed on the African continent. Being a Germanic language, the youngest of all, it is closely related to English and German.

Website Content License

The content on this website is empowered by the GNU Free Documentation License (GNU FDL) and is, thus, free and open for everyone.

Summary

Good site with basic resources for beginner learners of the Afrikaans language. Some of the topics you find at the site include introductions, first words, basic grammar, verbs, numbers, days and months, general phrases and TV and radio info.

From Website

It is easier to start learning Afrikaans, or any other language, than it is to become good at it. It can also be more fun, because when beginning you can make rapid progress without learning grammar or trying to learn words which only occur infrequently.

Learning a language can vary from knowing ten words to fluency. It all depends on your goal. Do you want to learn enough to be polite, to get by or to be able to express yourself fluently and with confidence.

Easy Afriakaans is aimed at anyone who wants to start learning the Afrikaans language or just wants to learn a few useful words and phrases before their next visit. There are also links to other resources which might be helpful.

One way to use Easy Afrikaans is to pick key or useful words and phrases that you want to learn. For example, as a visitor to another country, the key words in a foreign language are the words which will be of most use to you and which you will use most often.

These key words and phrases will vary from visitor to visitor depending on the purpose of their trip. A businessman, for example, is likely to have different language requirements to the tourist, and when only learning a small part of language may choose to concentrate on a few formal situations.

Or, if you have friends who speak another language, you might learn a few expressions that you can use in specific situations with them. In either case, you are starting to learn the language and if you continue to learn it , then the vocabulary you have learnt will be a great help.

Visit EasyAfrikaans.com