Learning Kannada is a rewarding, fascinating, and occasionally frustrating experience. Yet sometimes the most challenging thing can be finding good learning resources and – especially if you’re not in Karnataka – practice opportunities.
…How To Learn Kannada – The Ultimate Guide to Fast-Track Your LearningRead More »
How To Learn Kannada – The Ultimate Guide to Fast-Track Your Learning Read More »
$ 0.00
Dansk Her&Nu, also known as Dansk her og nu and Danish Here & Now, is a free online beginner-level Danish course developed with support from the Danish government. The only catch is that it’s all in Danish. If you’re a complete beginner, you’ll probably struggle without the support of a teacher. Lesson one dives straight in with three relatively long texts, each 7–10 sentences long, and then questions you, in Danish, about whether you believe Danish people greet each other politely or kiss too little. However, if you’ve already got a little Danish knowledge, or you can work through it with a friend or teacher, it seems like it could be a good supplementary resource. There’s plenty of audio recordings and vocabulary, plus some clear grammar explanations, exercises, and cultural information.
Dansk Her&Nu Mini Review: Not for Complete Beginners Read More »
53.00 CHF
Strokes International sells courses for 24 different languages. They’re more focused on European languages, from the popular German, Spanish, and French through to Slovakian, Czech, and Danish. They do have a couple of non-European ones, though, such as Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese. Using a Strokes International course feels a bit like going back in time. You have to download the program onto your computer (and we had to install additional software to run it). In the days of language apps and on-the-go learning, this seems a little inconvenient. Despite that, the course seems to be fairly effective. You listen to and repeat a natural conversation, before being slowly taught the words and phrases. You practice speaking them aloud, typing them, and playing Match Pairs card games. Although grammar takes a back seat, there are explanatory notes throughout and you can access a detailed grammar guide. There’s also a Pronunciation Trainer and Vocabulary Trainer. The Danish beginner course, which we briefly trialed, has 100 lessons.
Strokes International Mini Review: Pricy but Comprehensive Read More »
$ 0.00
This app sets out to provide an all-in-one Kannada-learning solution, from flash cards through to one-to-one classes. You can use Learn Kannada to access short, practical video classes. You’re then drilled on the material through spaced repetition, while gamification helps to keep you motivated. You can access a fair number of the classes for free. If you’re willing to pay, however, you then get access to the full set of video lessons as well as one-to-one classes with Kannada tutors. You’ll also get homework assignments. It seems like many students consider the classes to be the best part of the Learn Kannada app. However, our initial impression is that the free version of the app still offers plenty of value for beginner learners. Unfortunately, though, it’s not available in all regions.
Learn Kannada (Bhasha.io) Mini Review: An All-in-One Package Read More »
$ 0.00
Learn Kannada in 10 Days, predictably, does not deliver on its promise. You won’t have learned the Kannada language in just 10 days of using this app. But what’s disappointing, given the app’s name, is that you won’t even have learned to say “thank you,” “I have” or “eleven.” There’s actually more than one way to use this app. If you use it as it’s designed, you’ll study a different word list each day. There’s no spaced repetition or flash card system, however. You’re just presented with a word list and audio recordings. You can also test your recall by taking a quiz, but given that you’ll be tested on the entire course, this probably isn’t a good idea until you’ve completed it. Alternatively, you can do the “flexi courses”, which will present you with longer word lists, or study “grammar” – by which the app means the Kannada script. In its defence, however, there were some positive things about Learn Kannada in 10 Days. You can practice writing the Kannada script with your finger and you can also study through four different languages. And, in what is probably our favorite feature, the Entertainment section links out to Kannada-language songs and videos online.
Learn Kannada in 10 Days Mini Review: A Series of Word Lists Read More »
$ 0.00
Kannada Kalike, whose name means “learning Kannada”, will introduce you to the very basics of Kannada. It seems like a good choice for absolute beginners, although you’ll likely want to pair it with flash cards, further writing practice, and some additional word lists. The course starts with the alphabet before taking you through some of the language’s main grammatical features. It combines videos, text explanations, and a small amount of homework. Each lesson is clear and comprehensive, if a little dry. It also has a limited selection of additional video modules that will test your listening and introduce you to some extra vocabulary. The course seems to be well-designed and structured, and we feel that it would be a good starting place. However, you’ll quickly want more in-depth and detailed options in order to have natural conversations.
Kannada Kalike Mini Review: A Decent Course for Beginners Read More »
$ 3.50
Sign up to KannadaGottilla (whose name means “don’t know Kannada”) to enter into one of their WhatsApp courses and receive daily tuition from your “mentor.” There are separate groups for men and women, and also for beginners and intermediate-level students. For beginners, the course lasts for 30 days and you’ll learn basic words and phrases. You’ll also receive audio recordings and homework. And, of course, you’ll have the WhatsApp group in which to practice and ask questions. For intermediate students, the course is 45 days long. It focuses more on grammar, especially tenses. Everyone starts the course at the same time, and you should be able to join your course within 15 days of having signed up. Each group will contain 25–30 people, which means you benefit from joining a Kannada-learning community as well as the daily material and access to a mentor.
KannadaGottilla Mini Review: Kannada Tuition via WhatsApp Read More »
Free
Tamil Virtual Academy’s 81-lesson video course takes you from the Tamil alphabet and pronunciation through to transitive and intransitive verbs, the interrogative, and verb and noun participles. Each lesson consists of one 20–30 minute video delivered by your teacher, Prof. T.B. Siddalingaiah. The audio and video quality can at times be poor, while some optional supplemental materials require Flash. However, the course content is broken down well. It seems well-suited to beginner and lower-intermediate learners, as well as anyone who wishes to recap their grammar or fill in gaps in their studies. There are no writing exercises so you’ll probably want to supplement the course with other resources or keep a journal. And since all the material is delivered in English, you’ll need to look elsewhere to practice your Tamil listening. Check out our Tamil podcast and movie recommendations for some ideas.
Tamil Virtual Academy Mini Review: Dated But Useful Videos Read More »
Whether you’re moving to Chennai, studying Tamil history, or simply want to talk to friends and family, learning Tamil is a rewarding venture. You’ll find that it helps you meet people, bond over shared experiences, and gain insights into one of the oldest cultures in the world.
…How To Learn Tamil By Yourself – A Beginner’s Guide That Will Get You StartedRead More »
How To Learn Tamil By Yourself – A Beginner’s Guide That Will Get You Started Read More »
Classes start at $10.50, some teachers offer a free trial
Langu is an italki competitor with some compelling factors in its favor. Just like with italki, you search its online database of teachers to book private lessons with them at times of your choosing. You can read other students’ reviews and take trial classes. Unlike italki, there are no booking fees and you can purchase in a range of currencies, including euros and British pounds. Langu also boasts its own intuitive, web-hosted classroom software, meaning you don’t have to download a program or give your teacher your contact details. This also means that all shared links, videos, and worksheets are stored on Langu. The biggest downside to Langu, in comparison with italki, is that you’ll have a smaller choice of teachers and there are no community features (forum, exercise tools, etc.). The classes also tend to be slightly more expensive. On the other hand, Langu claims that all its teachers are “top teachers” – they have to submit a video application and be approved before joining the website – and offers to give students personal recommendations for specific teachers via email, if needed. While we’ve taken classes with one Langu teacher and were impressed by the quality of the classes, we can’t comment on whether all Langu’s teachers meet the same standards.
Langu Mini Review: A Quality-Focused italki Alternative Read More »
