You’ve made some goals, your motivation is high and youre ready to learn!
But nothing can halt your language-learning progress faster than money issues. Taking courses with the best teachers, high-quality materials and structured course plans is important, but what if you have a limited budget? How can you learn effectively?
Not to worry – there are some things you can do! Here’s how to save money when learning a language.
Our tips tips to help you save money when learning a language
1. Practise with free (or almost-free) resources
It would be nice to spend all your time learning one-on-one with a dedicated teacher, but that’s not realistic. So, how do you boost your skills outside of class time? Try using the things you probably already have access to! Here are a few ideas:
- Listen to songs. There are lots of free gapfill activities online like this one.
- Listen to podcasts. Most of them come with show transcripts so you can read along as you listen.
- Watch or read the news. Many news websites and apps include both text and video in a range of topics. This English news site takes complex topics and breaks them down into simpler pieces of information.
- Watch TV and videos. Check out Netflix or another streaming services to watch shows. Try watching without subtitles first, and then with subtitles to check how much you understood.
2. Make friends with native speakers
Finding a friend who speaks your target language can be a huge benefit. However, meeting someone in these pandemic times can be a challenge since most people are avoiding social gatherings. But you’ve still got social media! Try joining groups based on your hobbies and interests (on Facebook, for example), to chat with like-minded people. This is a useful way to improve your language skills: since you’ll be chatting with people about things you enjoy, you’re much more likely to keep coming back and using your target language.
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3. Join language meetup groups
There are tons of meetup groups focused on language learning! Before COVID-19, it was easy to find local, in-person meetups, but for now, many are happening online. While there’s no replacement for meeting people in “real life,” online meetups mean you can talk to people around the world – not just those who live near you! The advantage of a language meetup is that everyone is there for the same reason: to share their love of a particular language and culture. This can be less intimidating than talking to native speakers (although you should try that, too!).
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4. Choose the right language course
To get the most out of the money you spend, you need to pick a language course that gives you true value.
Study online
Online courses like Lingoda tend to be less expensive than in-person schools, not to mention the money you’ll save on things like transportation.
Choose quality
You work hard for your money and you don’t want to waste it on low-quality courses. That’s why it’s essential to choose a course with highly qualified teachers, expertly created in-house materials and a well-planned curriculum.
Look for different pricing options
When you’re trying to figure out what you can afford, it’s important to have choices. Lingoda gives you those choices:
- Monthly: If you’re not sure you can commit to a long period of time, we have the monthly subscription, starting at €8 per group class. You only take as many classes as you can afford, and you can cancel at any time.
- Sprints: For a super-intensive language boost, sign up for a Sprint or Super Sprint. These three-month challenges require you to take either 15 or 30 classes per month, with no exceptions. If you complete the challenge, you’ll be eligible to get back 100% of your course fees.
Get the most bang for your buck
Now that you know how to save money when learning a language, what are you waiting for? Sign up with Lingoda today to start reaching your language goals – and saving money while you do it!
