Top 3 Free Tools for Learning a Second Language Quickly and Easily

Discovering Language Transfer was a game changer for me when learning Spanish. I learned more from listening to this audio program than anything else I’ve tried.

It is an audio-only program that is very similar to the Michel Thomas method, but free.

Currently, you can use it to learn French, Swahili, Italian, Greek, German, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, English from Spanish, and music.

If you want to learn something other than these I suggest buying the Michel Thomas Method.

Every morning I do one lesson. Each audio lesson goes for around 10 minutes but due to interaction and thinking, it takes me about 20 minutes to complete them.

I do it in the morning for two reasons. First, I want to make it a priority. Like my morning exercise, I know if I leave it until later then there is a greater chance that later will never come. Secondly, my brain is best in the morning.

Learning a new language is hard. To do it efficiently as possible, you need to be at your best.

As I listen to the program I write down new vocabulary I learn but I do not refer to it while doing the lesson. As I write down the word I use association and visualization to help memorize it.

For example, the word for water in Greek is nero, so I visualize Neo from The Matrix drinking water.

Anki is a free flashcard program that incorporates spaced repetition. It is great for learning vocabulary.

Every afternoon I input the new words from my morning Language Transfer session into Anki.

I use the Basic-Forward and Reverse deck with the foreign words in native writing and also in English phonetics. Once I have learned the foreign alphabet I stop putting in English.

Next, I find an image matching as closely as possible to what I made up before.

And finally, I will put the English word.

I don’t bother with the audio. It takes up too much time and I get enough audio from Language Transfer and the third tool.

Duolingo is probably the most famous language-learning app out there. I like it as a supplement, and if you use the other tools I have mentioned, then the free version is all you need.

I probably spend about 10 minutes a day on it. My aim is to complete all the daily quests. If I run out of hearts then I call it a day unless I run out of hearts on my first lesson of the day. In that case, I will top up my heart with my diamonds and try again.

All up I spend between 30 and 40 minutes a day on language learning. I feel it is better to do this than to do a two-hour class once or twice a week.

Anyway, here are some final tips, some of which I have mentioned previously.

Make it a priority. This is a good tip for doing anything in life. If you really want to do it, then make it a priority. Do something towards your goal every day and be consistent.

Make it hard for yourself. Effort equals efficiency. It may be harder and take longer at the time, but you will learn faster in the long run. Take the time to say things out loud and make visual associations.

Do it with a fresh brain. Learning a new language isn’t easy. At least, it isn’t for me. Doing it when you are tired makes it even harder and is a waste of time.

Use it. The best way to embed what you learn is to use it in real-life situations. Find some native speakers of your target language and talk to them.