How effective is it?
We live in an age where there is a dizzying amount of online content. No matter what skills you want to learn, whether it’s playing the guitar, making sourdough or putting up that Ikea shelf, you bet there’s a Youtube Video for it!
With that in mind, learning a foreign language via video have never been so readily accessible.
So what are the benefits of learning via video only? Before you make up your mind, why not have a look at some of the pros and cons of learning via video:
Pros
It’s Free
Hey, I’m sure even Jeff Bezos likes freebies. Have a search for “learn Chinese”/ “learn Spanish” under youtube/instagram/facebook, and there will be a wealth of free content available. The challenge is not finding free content, but choosing the right free content.
There’s a lot of Videos Available
If there is a specific grammar point you’re confused about, or a word you don’t know how to pronounce, there is a high chance that someone probably made a video of it. Just type it in the search bar on a medium of your choice, and voila! Here comes the explanation by five different teachers.
It’s Easy and Flexible
With everything being one click away, you can now learn in the comfort of your own home – with no restrictions on when you should study, and how long you should do it for…
Cons
It can be Confusing
The freedom of choice comes with it’s own downfalls. With such large quantities of content available, it’s hard to know where to start. Separating the wheat from the chaff, if you will.
There’s No One to Correct Me
One very important aspect of language learning is through mistakes, but how do you know you made a mistake when there’s no one there to tell you?
Despite the popularity of learning apps and videos, the reason people still seek tutors as nothing beats a flesh and blood person telling you exactly what you have done right, and wrong.
It’s Hard to be Motivated
There’s been times when I really, really want to go to the gym after work. But you know, it’s been a long day at work and there’s a take-away waiting for me at home. I’ll go tomorrow, I swear! Except I didn’t.
Self studying is the same. Without the motivation from a teacher or taking a course, it’s so easy to put it off just till tomorrow…next Tuesday…the new year…
It’s not actually always free
It’s FREE…..until it’s not. To get more content – please subscribe to my channel for £££ per month. Sound familiar?
So how to learn online?
A wise man called Bruce Lee once said “Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own.” Learning a language might be (physically) less painful than martial arts – but is helpful to use the same approach when it comes to learning languages.
You can always online content to help with the learning, but having a teacher to help you practice is always invaluable. And no matter what method you choose to learn, remember to always be consistent!
