According to a recent poll on
SimplyHired.co.uk, more than one in 10 of you want to learn another language or skill in the New Year. Being able to speak another language is an extremely useful skill to have and looks great on your CV. However, lessons can be pretty pricey and moving to Guadalajara to learn Spanish is a bit drastic. So here are a few tips for learning a new language on the cheap:
- Look on gumtree.com or craigslist.co.uk to find a language buddy. The idea is that you both want to learn or improve another language, so you meet up over a coffee to teach each other. This is a great way to lean a language first hand and in a conversational environment.
- Download free language learning podcasts on iTunes. Learning on the move is great for busy professionals. Listen on the train, when you’re walking somewhere, or even before you go to sleep so it might be absorbed more into your memory!
- Learn French, Spanish, German or Italian online with the BBC’s language programme. Or do a Google search for “free (enter language) language lessons” online to find courses for everything from Finnish to Japanese.
- Prefer to study at home? Visit your council’s library to check out learning materials for free or at a low cost, or visit eBay.co.uk to bid on used Rosetta Stone kits at far below the retail price.
- Check out your company’s benefits package. Some employers offer an allowance for taking classes that will improve your skills, thus benefiting them. If you can make a case that your new language skills would be an asset to the company, you may get your courses for free!
