Showing posts with label WEA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WEA. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Spanish is The Loving Tongue

~ Hola! Como se llama usted?

In my entry for July 7 (Never To Old To Live And Learn) I wrote that I had signed up for a ten week Spanish for Fun and Travel course at the WEA, an adult learning institution here in Adelaide.


I’m now two weeks into the course, and desperately trying to remember and practise everything I’m learning. The hardest part is not having anyone to talk to, or practise with. So with that in mind, I went searching for language classes online to see if I could find a site to supplement my classes.


As you might imagine there are literally hundreds if not thousands of websites that offer language courses either for free or for a fee. The best of them provide some lessons free to get you started, and a ‘premium’ service for a fee.


After conducting several hours of research and trying some of the sites, I have settled on a great online resource that is proving to be a treasure trove of help for language learners like myself.


The site is the Radio Lingua Network.


On the Radio Lingua Network you can listen to, and download audio files for at least 18 languages. These include the obvious ones like French, Spanish, Italian, and German, but also less obvious languages such as Catalan, Gaelic and Irish, Luxembourgish, Polish and Russian, Danish and Norwegian, Greek and Turkish, and others.


The downloadable resources for Spanish alone run to 80 audio lessons of between 15 and 20 minutes each. And these Coffee Break Spanish lessons are free!


If you opt to pay for the Premium lessons, here’s what you get:


  • 15-20 minute enhanced audio lesson which includes flashcards for iPhone/iPod Touch and other iPod models

  • Printable lesson guide which outlines all the words and phrases covered in the lesson, additional vocabulary and notes

  • Bonus listening material: 8-10 minutes of extra listening which helps to consolidate the language covered in the main lesson

  • All materials available via a one-click download through iTunes

  • Platinum content for level 1 and 2 which includes wordlists, review exercises and key

So why am I paying for a language class when I can listen online and download lessons for free?


Because there is nothing quite as good as being in a room filled with other students practising and using the language as it is intended to be used – in conversation between real people. I also have the benefit of getting help and feedback from my teacher, and the added ability to ask questions, clarify pronunciation, and gain confidence using my new language skills.


However, the benefits of using the audio lessons on the Radio Lingua Network are that I can have them playing on my computer (as I write this for instance), which helps reinforce what I have already learnt, and prepares me for the lessons to come.


By the way, if you are a member of Twitter, you can follow the Network and sign up for language specific ‘tweets’ every time a new lesson for your chosen language has been added to the RLN site.


I would like to point out that I am not associated with the Radio Lingua Network, either as an affiliate, subscriber to their services (although I should be), or in any other way. I just happen to think they are providing an incredibly valuable service (especially the free lessons), and think too that more people should know about and support them.


PS: The opening Spanish paragraph reads: Hello! What is your name?

Saturday, July 11, 2009

WEA = Life-Long Learning

~ On Tuesday (Never to Old to Live And Learn) I wrote that I had signed up for a Spanish For Fun and Travel course at the WEA, the Worker’s Educational Association. The Association, which publishes five course guides each year, has been running classes for adults in Adelaide for almost 100 years. Since there are many courses in the current guide related to travel, I thought I would explore the possibilities further in this entry.

A quick look through the winter guide (download PDF here…) reveals a host of interesting short courses for the intending traveller.


To begin with, the most obvious ones are the language courses. Apart from the Spanish class, one could also learn some Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, and Chinese Mandarin. And if you still had time to spare, you could also be taught to communicate with the deaf and hearing impaired by learning to Sign using your hands.


If your travels are taking you to Turkey or other countries of the Islamic world, why not take the Islamic Art: A Glorious Legacy course, or the Civilisations of Turkey course?


Food lovers can prepare for their gastronomic adventures by choosing from over a dozen classes covering such regional fare as Spanish Tapas, or cuisines from Morocco, Greece, Thailand, India, Vietnam, China, Italy, and several other countries.


Less obvious are the courses for people with an interest in archaeology, history and culture. Joining these you can learn to decipher ancient Egyptian images; travel through Tuscany; or learn about Moorish Spain, the Crusades, or the early Christian sites of Syria.


Planning a visit to Brazil or other South American countries? Then why not sign up for a short course in Latin dancing? Then you will be able to Rumba, Cha-Cha and Tango with the best of the Latin Lovers!


Heck, you could even look through the Practical Art listing, and try your hand at drawing or landscape painting. Instead of coming home with 3000 images on your digital camera, imagine returning with some original canvases or sketches made while relaxing in the hills of Tuscany or the squares of Venice.


Speaking of digital cameras, why not do the Introduction to Photography course? Or if that’s too basic one of the short courses on getting the best out of your digital SLR camera? Or the one-day Close-up Photography Workshop? That way, instead of simply taking ‘happy snaps’, you might come home with photographs worthy of the best professional photographers.


Yes friends, a world of learning awaits each and everyone of us. Once again, may I remind you – there are similar institutions to the WEA elsewhere in Australia and overseas. If the information in this blog entry has inspired you to embark on a journey of life-long learning, check out the sites below, or ask at your local public library for information about similar organisations in your city.


Links to Associated Sites

Download a PDF of the WEA Winter Course Guide here

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