By daniellepowell Last updated:
Do you enjoy the freedom that technology brings to your language lessons by letting you decide when and where you learn?
There are numerous virtual language schools out there, where those who want to learn foreign languages can attend no matter where they are in the world.
This post’s mission is to provide you with a few terrific leads to help you get started learning any foreign language online on your own time, wherever you want—even the bathroom (hey, I won’t judge).
Contents
- Verbling
- FluentU
- Mango Languages
- Net Languages
- Apex Learning Virtual School
- eBerlitz
- Verbalplanet
- LearnCube
- More Great Virtual Language Schools
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Verbling
Is it your dream to learn foreign languages from actual native speakers? If this is your ideal way of learning new languages, then Verbling might be for you.
This unique site allows users to have access to both private tutoring and group classes 24/7 via two-way video chat. You’ll have professional, highly qualified native teachers from all over the world delivering your lessons to you.
Want to know another reason why Verbling rocks? In addition to the live, one-on-one video lessons you can take with native teachers, you can also learn foreign languages via group classes streamed live (for English and Spanish only). You can also take the plunge and explore Verbling’s entire language learning community through their forums and postings.
With Verbling, the languages available to learners are English, Spanish, Italian, German, Arabic, Portuguese, French, Russian and many, many more.
Plans and Pricing: Prices vary based on the instructor.
FluentU
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. This means that you’ll learn how the language is used by native speakers.
Every video clip has interactive subtitles that allow you to see each word’s definition, pronunciation and in-context usage without leaving the video player. You can also slow down or rewind the video sentence-by-sentence to make sure you catch everything that’s being said.
Videos come with accompanying quizzes, full transcripts with audio pronunciations, customizable vocabulary lists and flashcards that use a spaced repetition system (SRS) to keep all that information in your long-term memory.
Plans and Pricing: You can learn about FluentU’s pricing here.
Mango Languages
You’ve got to love doingbusiness with professionalswho show true passion for their work. Mango Languages definitely stands out in this department!
Mango Languages employs people from various backgrounds (linguists, programmers, educators and so on) who all have one thing in common: Their love of language learning and appreciation for the world’s cultures.
Mango Languages has been around since 2007 and has skyrocketed thanks to their passion and dedication, now offering culture-oriented learning programs in over 70 different languages. That’s right. No matter which language you’re trying to learn, there’s a good chance that you’ll find a course for it on their site.
Plans and Pricing:Basicaccess is free through your local library, unlimited access is $20/month or $175/year.
Net Languages
What Net Languages has been around for 17 years, and has become an expert resource in its area of focus. Net Languages only has two languages available to learners, English and Spanish.
However, they guarantee that people who use their services will be able to learn either of them well.So, what lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality.
With access to hundreds of various course material and interactive language learning videos, individuals, schools, companies and government institutions worldwide can all use Net Languages services for guaranteed, quality language learning.
Even potential language school start-ups can get good deals from Net Languages.
Plans and Pricing:Plans range from about $120 to $500, based on level of access desired.
Apex Learning Virtual School
Apex Learning Virtual School is unique in that it’s an accredited, private, online school for high school age children.
Yes, this is a specific recommendation for specific students, but it might be just what you’re looking for. If you’re homeschooling your kids, it’s an ideal choice. It’s also a great option if you’d like your kids to get supplemental language learning time outside their high school courses, or if they’re dying to learn a language not offered by the local high school.
There are also handy AP review courses here, to help high school students prepare for their big exams.
Although this option isn’t for everyone who’s seeking to learn other languages, if you know someone who would qualify for their programs, then you should consider having them become a part of the Apex Learning School program.
After all, most physical high schools only offer a small selection of languages such as Spanish and French, and possiblyGerman, Chinese or Japanese. Apex Learning Virtual School offers these languages and many, many more. So, having students enroll in this online school might open up more opportunities for them.
Plans and Pricing:$350/semester.
eBerlitz
This is a well-known language education company with a long, long history of success.
Berlitz is often considered one of the top dogs of foreign language learning. It boasts a massive number of satisfied language learners to this very day.Seriously, they’re all about languages.
If you need a virtual language school that has a long, reputable history, then this should fit the bill.
For courses of study, they go a bit beyond basic linguistics. They offer language learning, leadership and cultural training programs, all of which have been around since 1878 and are offered offline (through brick-and-mortar Berlitz establishments) and online (through their virtual platform, known as eBerlitz).
EBerlitz, being the online version that they call their “virtual classroom,” takes their program soaring far and wide. While it’s rooted in their more formal, traditional classroom learning methods, it has been nicely adjusted to suit the modern age of learning, and it’s always expanding its list of offered programs. Not to mention, this online platform isa hub for topical, language-related news and information.
Plans and Pricing: Prices vary based on language, location, time-frame and more.
Verbalplanet
At first glance, Verbalplanet might look to be a bit outdated, but let’s say it’s old-school or “classic.” Yeah, classic. They deserve this more positive description, because they definitely take the quality of their services seriously.
It would appear that they’re more focused on quality learning than absolutely anything else.
To get started, users must sign up for a free account where they’ll be able to select their tutor based on certain criteria such as their availability, pricing and profile. Once a tutor is selected, the student gets to choose the time that best fits into their lifestyle.
Throughout the learning process, students can track their progress and receive instant feedback from Verbal Planet’s online analytic system. Another plus is that Verbalplanet offers free trials and discounts aplenty to help learners save money.
Plans and Pricing:Prices varyby instructor.
LearnCube
Have you ever thought aboutstarting up a language learning school of yourown? Fortunately, this is where this wonderful site comes in.
If you know multiple languages and actually want to start a virtual language school, then LearnCube can help make your dreams come true.
What’s so unique about LearnCube is that it allows to create their own courses online. Although their main language specialty is English, they provide online support for teachers of any foreign language.
Plans and Pricing:After an optional 14-day trial, plans for LearnCube range from free to $119 USD a month. Larger enterprises can contact LearnCube to determine custom price quotes.
More Great Virtual Language Schools
In addition to the eight mainlanguage schools found in this post, we have here a brief list of additional online language learning resources that might appeal to you.
- Hello! Mandarin— This virtual school specializes in Mandarin Chinese, as you may have guessed, and offers a useful array of classes for children, adults and professionals.
- VU Global Languages— Try out the English, Chinese, French and German courses here, brought to you kindly by the Virtual University of Pakistan.
- Coursera— You may already know about Coursera, but you might not have considered them for online language learning yet! They not only offer courses of instruction in various foreign languages, but they also have subjectcourses taught in different languages. For example, you could try learning about history or science in Spanish or Chinese here! Neat, right?
As always, good luck on your language learning journey!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)