Hi there! This is Cédric for MosaLingua.
There are two things I love very much, technology and learning languages.
And we are so lucky these days,
as you can play around with the latest technology
to improve your languages skills.
How? Let’s have a look right now at 5 tech hacks
to learn languages the smart way.
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Without further ado, I’ll will start with an activity that we always recommend
when it comes to learning a language: reading.
If you have a smartphone or tablet,
get ready to change your habits!
Reading books in a foreign language can be made easier for you
if you use the right tools.
One of my favourite e-readers is Kindle from Amazon.
You can buy the e-reader itself,
or download the free Kindle app for a mobile device you already have.
You can then buy or borrow from a huge collection of ebooks
in many languages, but that’s just the beginning!
As you read, you can look up
the translation or the definition of a word or expression
just by tapping on it.
Not only that, but you can also access the Wikipedia page if there is one,
or simply check its definition in a offline dictionary.
All of that is available in seconds
with just one tap of your finger;
you don’t even have to go into another app!
Of course, there are more features to this e-reader
that you can use to boost your language learning.
You can obviously highlight new words to review later.
However, you also have the possibility to create a flashcard
to add to your learning the very same way.
When you select a word or expression
and share it to your MosaLingua app,
a new flashcard is created for you to learn later.
It’s as simple as that!
I will come back to this topic a little later.
Nowadays, a lot of people have access to online video streaming services
such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
Aside from being my number one chilling activity,
these are perfect tools for learning a language wherever you are!
Both have tons of foreign movies,
or simply movies that have soundtracks and subtitles in the language that you’re currently studying.
Finding movies and TV shows in your target language
has never been easier.
A simple search with the keyword audio or subtitle
with the target language will list all the movies that you can watch.
Even better, you can watch TV Shows or movies or series
that you’ve watched in another language.
Since you’ll already know the plot and the dialogue,
your ear will be more focused on the grammar and vocabulary aspect of the movie.
It’s one of the most powerful ways to improve your language skills
while having a good time.
Honestly, Who knew that Netflix and chill could teach you a language?
You might find that there aren’t enough videos
in your target language available for you,
especially if you’re learning a less common language.
Ideally, you would want to explore the free videos
offered on the web sites of foreign TV networks
Problem: streaming is limited to users located in the same country.
Well, this issue can be easily bypassed with a single tool,
called a VPN.
This is a service that allows you to use an IP address
(or your computer’s ID in Internet speak)
from any country in the world.
Switching your IP to another country
lets you access all the content, audio or video
from these TV websites without any problems.
You will need to subscribe to a VPN service,
which usually costs between 2 and 3 dollars a month.
The tips I gave you so far
will help you improve your reading
and listening comprehension.
So, What about your oral expression?
What if I told you that you have a pronunciation coach in your pocket right now?
Yes, I’m definitely talking about your smartphone!
Whether you have an Apple or Android, your device has a voice recognition feature
that can be used for just that purpose.
You might complain that you need to have clear pronunciation
so it understands what you say.
Isn’t that what you’d expect from a pronunciation teacher?
You just need to change the language of your keyboard
to the language you are currently studying
and then click on dictation.
You’ll see: your phone will give you a hard time if your pronunciation is too sloppy!
All the time you spend online can be also used
to personalize your learning path on your MosaLingua app.
Instead of following the suggestions of your app
or manually creating cards,
what if you could select your own cards while browsing the internet,
or reading ebooks,
or simply using your favorite apps?
Well, good news: this is now possible!
With the latest version of the MosaLingua app,
you can create your own learning path by adding new flashcards from anywhere on your mobile device.
You only need to select the new word or expression
and share it to your MosaLingua app.
Your app will then suggest a translation and add it to your learning stack.
All of this happens in a flash, no need to type anything!
These are a few hacks I use when I learn languages.
If you want to give them a try,
you can drop a comment below
and we’d be happy to help with anything you need.
If you have other tech hacks you want to share,
please let us know there, too!
Take good care of yourself and see you soon!