bbc languages method

Summary

The BBC is such an amazing resource for learning languages online for free that we've done a 6-minute video showing how you can effectively use this resource to learn at least the basics of 36+ languages.

BBC offers materials for the following languages: Albanian, Basque, Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, Flemish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Luxembourgish, Macedonian (FYROM), Maltese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian

Enjoy and please leave comments to help us focus our efforts!

Screencast Video

Helpful Links for this Screencast

http://freelanguage.org/learn/bbc
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/chinese
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/english
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/greek
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/portuguese
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/quickfix

Summary

BBC Spanish's new interactive mystery video course Mi Vida Loca sets a new standard for the direction that BBC Languages is taking with their free, online language learning materials and resources (courses, lessons, phrase books, etc).

Mi Vida Loca is an online interactive suspense thriller internet tv series (call it a soap opera - or telenovela - if you prefer!) for total beginners that takes users on an adventure from the UK through Spain. Along the journey, Spanish is acquired by the interactive "viewer" in digestible tidbits. The course is adaptable depending on whether you are male or female, since Spanish language has gender.

To add to the instructional quality of the series, BBC Spanish has provided a User Guide for students as well as a handy Teacher Guide and Syllabus for instructors/educators.

All in all, this is a more interesting approach to totally beginner Spanish than many of the other choices out there. And the fact that you feel like you are moving along the whole time by virtue of the way it is filmed and presented can help to keep those short attention spans interested! The Spanish guitar music also helps recreate the setting.

In the prolific words of the BBC: "Real Spanish, real drama."

Watch the Trailer

From BBC Spanish

Brand new Spanish drama. Get hooked. Learn the language. All episodes now live!

Visit BBC Spanish's "Mi Vida Loca" Interactive Mystery Video Course.

Summary

BBC Languages Chinese provides solid learning resources for beginning Mandarin Chinese learners. They have created a short introductory course called "Real Chinese" that teaches basic, practical Chinese for ordering food and drinks, shopping, asking directions, etc.

The BBC has done an amazing job of providing free learning resources for many of the world's languages, including French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and others.

This is a great site for total beginners to start learning basic Mandarin Chinese that for practical use while traveling in China and Taiwan.

From Website

A lively introduction to Mandarin Chinese in 10 short parts.

Follow our introductory online video course in Chinese.

For starters, Introducing yourself, Family introductions, Saying a bit about yourself, Ordering drinks, Ordering a meal, Doing some shopping, Asking for directions, Public transport, Finding and booking a hotel

Visit BBC Languages Mandarin Chinese.

Summary

A really solid site for learning French for beginners to advanced students.

This site also has a self-contained French course for total beginners that is well done.

From Website

French Steps - A self-contained beginners online course

* Topics
* Grammar
* Fast track
* Pronunciation
* Vocabulary
* User guide

Quick Fix
Printable holiday phrases with audio and mp3 download.

Talk French
A video-based online resource with activities plus TV series and book

The French Experience
A longer course with TV series, book and website

For schools
Primary, GCSE Bitesize, AS/A2

Online resources developed to match the UK national curricula
Vingt Minutes

TV transcripts
Books, DVDs, CDs
BBC Active

Information on resources available from online or high-street shops

Ma France - a video introduction to French

Improve your basic French in 24 interactive video units

* Broadband version
* Narrowband version
* Grammar
* Vocabulary

More advanced
Crosswords
Brand new interactive crosswords for intermediates

Cool French
Mp3 audio guide to slang

Le Mensuel
Audio reports with transcripts by topic or language focus

The French Experience 2
A TV course with book and website

La Vie en Creuse
Audio interviews on French rural life

French for Work
Information and practice

The French Connection
A look at French around the world

Tour de France
Essential phrases
French Journey

TV transcripts of an all-French version of travel documentary France Inside Out

Visit BBC Languages French.

Summary

A really solid site for learning Spanish for beginners. There is also some content for intermediate learners, but at that point, you might be better off just reading the news in Spanish and learning that way.

This site also has a self-contained Spanish course for total beginners that is well done.

From Website

Get a Quick Fix of holiday phrases. Find out about Cool Spanish with an audio guide to slang. Follow our beginners' online course. Try the brand new interactive crossword.

Visit BBC Languages Spanish.