|
Livemocha Language Learning
Over on the Stingy Scholar we’ve looked at a number of language-learning community sites such as Soziety, Friends Abroad and Shared Talk. But with no disrespect to these great resources, Livemocha takes online language learning to the next level. This is a site I’ll be use a ton over the next few months (I’m try to learn Mandarin). Why is it so good?
Lots of language-learning web sites are based around community interaction, but Livemocha give you something to interact about. It’s one thing to provide a meet-up site where someone who “speaks english / learning italian” can meet someone who “speaks italian / learning english” - but then what do you talk about it?
Livemocha provides some truly excellent Rosetta Stone-styled courses and shows you who else is doing this course and who is online right now. Rather than blindly seeing if someone wants to talk, you can see who’s studying what and what they already know. Pictures and profiles provide more info on the person to help break the ice. Additionally, students can upload some writing and speaking samples to receive feedback. In short, Livemocha takes the premise of the language learning community and provides content and a format where that community can really be put to work.
The actual conversation screen is well thought-out as well. While the basics are all handled well - Livemocha can hook into your microphone and webcam and an im screen is available - they’ve also thought to add some neat little features. A virtual keyboard is available so you can copy in foreign accents in your conversation. An translating dictionary is alongside the speaking window. Best of all, some little sample conversations are provides so you can try them out - giving you a basic script for the chat.
I have to admit, I only found this webpage earlier this weekend and maybe my enthusiasm is a bit hasty. I’m going to use this for real over the next few weeks and we’ll reconvene here with some more advance opinions. If you want to try it out, sign up and look for me.
