LiveMocha opened it’s doors in September and is a social networking site that teaches you a foreign language by connecting you with people who speak that language. It combines online units of study with conversation guides to get you started with meeting a live person who speaks that language. I had to try this (even though I am feeling a bit overloaded with all my new online communities). Registration is simple and omits all the personal nonsense questions you’ve come to expect in social networking sites. It does include, however, questions that ask you which languages you know and how proficient you are in them, and which languages you would like to know. Then you sign up for a course from an easy to understand course listing with well-described topics. The main screen lists the percentage of the coursework you have completed and who’s online that speaks your languages amongst other things. You can chat, speak, or video conference. What a great idea — I agree with their promotional material — it’s language immersion without moving there and is better than a static CD because you speak with real people.
Technorati Tags: foreign language study , social networking , education
