Multilingual

Outstanding Language Resource Localized in 20 Languages

Bab.la offers free dictionaries, vocabulary sets, flash cards, quizzes, games, conjugation tables, phrases, travel survival guides, a forum and, yes, even more.

The website is localized in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto (!), French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish and Turkish. Wow!

What does "localized" mean?

"Localized" (localised in British English) means that Bab.la's interface is available in all these languages, so speakers can surf the site in their native tongue. This can be useful for intermediate and advanced learners who want the challenge of surfing in their target language.

Learning Resources for 20 Languages

All the above languages also have learning resources available!

Of special note on Bab.la are the free Survival Guides, downloadable PDFs for quick access to phrases and language essential for travel conversation, complaints and computers. Chatting, computing and complaining has never been so simple!

The phrasebooks available are also of special note, as they cover quite a lot of ground that is often not covered in traditional phrasebooks. These are separated into four main categories: Application, Academic, Business and Personal, and are available for all the languages above - quite a boon to anyone needing quick access to phrases used commonly in application processes and academic, business and personal settings.

To give a quick example of this, you can quickly find useful common phrases for email communication, invoicing, reference letters, announcements and invitations, reservations and more.

Dictionaries, Vocabulary Sets, Quizzes, Games and Conjugation Tables

The dictionary area of Bab.la offers quick and easy translation between all the languages above.

The vocabulary section offers vocab sets for job, school & university, travel, self-study, fun & hobbies and official exams.

The quizzes and games are fun for children and can even help keep teens and adults entertained while learning.

The conjugation tables are quite useful for the appropriate languages, which currently include Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Portuguese. Some of these are also offered in sets, such as Polish <> German or French <> Italian, for the polyglots out there who like learning another language via a foreign language they already know :)

Tools: Broswser Plugins, Webmaster Widgets, Mobile Apps

All in all, Bab.la offers an amazing amount of material for free! There's even more that hasn't been covered here which is included in their Tools section. This includes dictionary toolbars and plugins for common browsers, dictionary widgets for websites and mobile dictionary apps (the apps are not free).

Phrasebooks from Afrikaans to Zarma

For quite a while now, I've been steadily adding articles about available online free phrasebooks for languages from all around the world. This has culminated in quite a list!

Currently, the phrasebooks section of FreeLanguage.org has over 100 phrasebook articles covering over 75 languages.

The majority of these phrasebook articles are about resources found at Wikitravel and the BBC.

What is a phrasebook?

A phrasebook is generally a list of helpful words and phrases for a language. Generally, phrasebooks cover the most basic expressions as well as those useful for travel.

Generally, you look up a phrase in your native language (or a language you are familiar with) and find the rough equivalent in the target language, thereby giving you quick access to a wide variety of useful expressions (phrases) for many settings and interactions.

Why do I need a phrasebook?

Well, you don't! However, phrasebooks can be very helpful for people who know nothing about a language and simply want a reference book so they can get around in a given linguistic environment. This can mean anything from eating at restaurants, shopping, checking in and out of hotels, asking directions, staying socially and culturally polite, meeting and greeting people and much more.

Visit the Free Language Phrasebook section where you'll find links to free phrasebooks for dozens of languages!

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...

Free Online Translation Service in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew and Japanese

Reverso is a free translation website for many languages. It is also a also a dictionary, verb conjugator, grammar helper and spell-checker with a handy toolbar for instant access to these features directly in your browser.

Reverso services are available for French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew and Japanese. This means you can translate between any combination of these languages, such as Arabic to Japanese, Russian to Chinese, Hebrew to Portuguese and so on.

Plus, the reverso.net website has been localized in English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Italian, Czech and Romanian, meaning the entire user interface is available in those languages.

The ability for users to give feedback on the translations adds a community feel. Also offered is a free newsletter. For quick and easy translation between all the languages above, Reverso is a great tool!

Teachers can recommend this resource to students, especially their toolbar for quick access to translations on the fly while browsing online material in the target language.

Online English-German Translation

dict.cc is an amazing English-German dictionary available for free. This dictionary stands out by being user-driven with a lively active community.

It is more than simply a dictionary, too. The website offers tools for learning and reviewing vocabulary, a forum for getting translation help from real people and a database that can be downloaded and used free.

The site also offers a free toolbar as well as a Firefox plugin for translating on the fly while browsing the Web.

It is also not limited to English and German, as it has thousands of translations for over a dozen languages. View their multilingual database here.