{"id":42868,"date":"2016-08-18T13:19:45","date_gmt":"2016-08-18T21:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=42868"},"modified":"2019-05-02T13:41:33","modified_gmt":"2019-05-02T21:41:33","slug":"complete-guide-to-learning-languages-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/complete-guide-to-learning-languages-online\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complete Guide To Learning Languages Online"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cHow are you learning languages online?\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cWhere do you connect online?<\/em>
\n\u201cIs that really that effective?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

These are some of the most common questions we get from our prospective customers. Many of you reading this may be thinking the same thing.<\/p>\n

If you’ve tried taking Spanish lessons online<\/a>, maybe you\u2019ve never worked with a private Spanish tutor<\/a>, or you\u2019ve tried software solutions online that\u00a0didn\u2019t work out for you.<\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019ll be addressing many of the questions or thoughts you may have about learning languages online. We hope it helps you make an informed decision.<\/p>\n

The Future Of Language Learning<\/h1>\n

As an immigrant, I\u2019ve personally experienced the upside of learning Spanish<\/a>. The world is becoming a more multicultural place by the second, and we\u2019re surrounded by friends, co-workers, and even extended family members who speak another native language.<\/p>\n

To give you some data,\u00a0the language learning will have grown from $115B to $286..2B between 2012 and 2018. And online language learning will be growing 11{54c12dad2cc2b53ae830e39915b1a3e70288dbcbbeb8bbf8395437c5dc3c512c} year-over-year in the next 5 years.<\/p>\n

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That\u2019s massive growth. And we share this number to show you that the future of language learning (and education) is heading online.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s driving this massive growth?<\/p>\n

For one,\u00a0communication tools have become powerful enough where there\u2019s very little distinction between in-person lessons and live video lessons.<\/p>\n

But more importantly, the benefits of learning languages<\/a> online are clear.<\/p>\n

The Benefits<\/h1>\n

While there are endless benefits to learning online, the top three are: convenience, productivity, and\u00a0quality.<\/p>\n

Learn Anywhere (Convenience)<\/h2>\n

Most of us don\u2019t have the luxury of picking up our bags and booking a one-way ticket to Argentina to learn how to speak Spanish<\/a>. Nor is it necessary today.<\/p>\n

Having lived in a foreign country for 18 months, I\u2019ve met many people who weren\u2019t able to learn the local language simply because they didn\u2019t put in the effort. Sometimes it was out of laziness, but often times it was out of shyness.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re an introverted learner<\/a>, having the ability to learn at the comforts of your own home, or at an environment where you feel safe is undervalued.<\/p>\n

While real-life immersion is powerful, you can reap the same benefits without sacrificing your lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Save Time (Productivity)<\/h2>\n

With the ability to learn at the comforts of your own home, we can eliminate the biggest timesucker we have in today\u2019s society \u2013 commuting.<\/p>\n

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An average American wastes over 15 full days\u00a0per year commuting<\/a>. While we can\u2019t change our work environment overnight, we can change our learning environment.<\/p>\n

For most of us learning languages in-person, the time wasted commuting is just as harmful, if not worse (depending on where your teacher or school is located). Since time is the most important commodity we have, learning languages online helps us win back more time<\/a> instantly.<\/p>\n

The Best Teachers Are Everywhere, Not In Your Local City (Quality)<\/h2>\n

As remote working<\/a>\u00a0becomes\u00a0more prevalent in today\u2019s workplace, so is the saying,\u00a0\u201cthe best talents are everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nWhen it comes to language learning, this is especially true.<\/p>\n

For one, language learning is as much of a cultural experience as it is an educational experience. The reason most of us learn a language<\/a> (ex. Spanish) in the first place is to have a deeper connection with someone that comes from a different culture (ex. Colombia).<\/p>\n

Yet the chances of you finding the\u00a0right\u00a0<\/em>teacher that matches your learning style, personality, and needs, who also originates from your desired location\u00a0is pretty slim.<\/p>\n

By leveraging learning languages online, we have the power to\u00a0work with the best teachers (and talent), not just the available ones within a mile radius from your home.<\/p>\n

How To Make The Most Out Of Learning Languages Online<\/h1>\n

If you\u2019ve decided that learning languages online could be for you, we\u2019ve gathered some tips and tactics for you to make the most of it.<\/p>\n

Starting with\u2026<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Quality > Price<\/h2>\n

Price shopping is the most common form of human behavior when we\u2019re investing in anything.<\/p>\n

But when you analyze the top performers in business, athletics, learning, they only work with the best. This is a pattern we see over and over again.<\/p>\n

What these high performers understand is that by working with the best, you can actually save more time and money in the end.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re starting a business, hiring the cheapest developer can cost your business 5x more time and money to fix the bugs and mistakes the developer made.
\nWhen you\u2019re an athlete, working with the cheapest physiotherapist can cost you your career.
\nWhen you\u2019re learning a language, working with the cheapest teacher can be the difference between knowing a foreign language or nothing at all.<\/p>\n

This is because learning something new is often more about self-motivation and persistency then strategy, especially when you\u2019re just getting started.<\/p>\n

With that said, experience and qualifications only go so far.<\/p>\n

Working with\u00a0someone who deeply understands your goals, needs, and proficiency should be a top priority, once you\u2019ve found a teacher that\u2019s qualified and experienced.<\/p>\n

2. Remove Distractions<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re learning languages online, it\u2019s easy to be multitasking while you\u2019re simultaneously on a call with your teacher (i.e. checking Facebook).<\/p>\n

But the cost of distraction is bigger than we think.<\/p>\n

According to Gloria Mark, Ph.D. at the University of California, Irvine, upon being distracted during a task at hand, it takes us 23 minutes and 15 seconds<\/a> on average to regain our focus.<\/p>\n

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While some of us can regain our focus when we\u2019re working on miscellaneous tasks like email or reports, it\u2019s much harder to do when learning a language.<\/p>\n

This is why it\u2019s important to\u2026<\/p>\n

3. Learn In Shorter\u00a0Periods<\/h2>\n

Through\u00a0our experience in\u00a0high school, and college, we\u2019ve become accustomed to\u00a0sitting in two hour long lecture halls, trying to retain as much information as our brain allowed.<\/p>\n

Given by how little most of us actually remember from college, it\u2019s safe to say that learning over long periods of time doesn\u2019t work, especially if it\u2019s inconsistent.<\/p>\n

Our most successful reviews at Rype<\/a> are those who have managed to consistently learn in shorter periods of time over months, versus binge learning one week, and skipping out on the next\u00a0week.<\/p>\n

Instead of learning for 5 hours once a week, try to break it down into 30 minute periods a couple of times a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It\u2019s what we do consistently.\u201d <\/em>
\n\u2015\u00a0Tony\u00a0Robbins<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In order to ensure you can do this, we recommend you\u2026<\/p>\n

4. Schedule Ahead Of Time<\/h2>\n

One of the easiest and most powerful ways to build new habits<\/a>\u00a0(and avoid decision fatigue<\/a>) is to systemize your process.<\/p>\n

Studies have shown that willpower is limited, and the top performers have gotten to where they are by putting in more work over time.<\/p>\n

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When you\u2019re learning languages online with a teacher, the most important thing you can systemize is scheduling your lessons. It\u2019s often overlooked because we\u2019re already so distracted by everything else in our lives.<\/p>\n

While platforms like Rype<\/a>\u00a0directly allow you to schedule multiple lessons ahead of time, this option isn\u2019t as convenient for other language learners.<\/p>\n

One way to overcome this barrier if you want to book lessons ahead of time with your teacher is to set up repeat events on your calendar (i.e. Google Calendar), and invite your teacher to each event.<\/p>\n

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The point here is to make it as easy as possible for yourself to continue showing up for your lessons, because like many things in life, learning a language is mostly about showing up.<\/p>\n

5. Use Complementary Tools<\/h2>\n

Just like you would want to\u00a0leverage\u00a0fitness tools like Fitbit or calorie trackers, even when you\u2019re working with a personal trainer, you should be doing the same when learning languages online.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s great memorization tools like Memrise or vocabulary learning tools like Duolingo<\/a> that you can use while you\u2019re working with your Spanish, French, or English teacher<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\nTaking control over your own success, without solely relying on someone else is the best way to guarantee real results for anything you want to accomplish.<\/p>\n

You can also check out our free Learn a Language Challenge<\/a>, which will give you 10 new most common words every morning.<\/p>\n

What To Do Next<\/h1>\n

If you\u2019re already in the process of learning languages online, congrats! To make sure you\u2019re making the most out of the experience, and filling in the necessary gaps, we hope our tips today helped.<\/p>\n

For a quick review:<\/p>\n

1. Quality > Price<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Remove distractions<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Learn in shorter periods\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

4. Schedule ahead of time<\/strong><\/p>\n

5. Use complementary tools<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now we\u2019d love to hear from you. What has been your experience like learning languages online, and what are some tips and strategies that have worked well for you? Share with us below 🙂<\/p>\n

p.s \u2013 if you liked reading this post, we think you\u2019ll also enjoy checking out<\/p>\n