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Online or offline?


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When it comes to learning languages, what do you prefer guys?  Doing it online or offline?  I ask because lately I have been thinking a lot on the topic, I will have to take a very important exam soon, that is why. So I'm getting more and more serious about learning dutch!  The time is so near and now is the time to shine or at least pass the exam :P

So what do you think guys? Online or offline courses?  Going to language classes or studying online? Studying at home with a book?  What do you prefer and what has worked better for you?

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I definitely prefer offline learning. I'd rather have somebody actually in front of me, so that I can talk to them and I can ask them questions personally rather than over a computer. However, even if I go to a language class, I would use an online resource as well to learn more vocabulary.

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God I’m in the same situation. I’m learning French now and I’m taking online classes, but was thinking in attending regular classes. Online learning has many advantages because you go at your own pace and you choose your schedule, they’re less expensive and all that. But, I guess that some online advantages also are disadvantages, at least for me. I guess I need to be pushed a bit!

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I think definitely offline. I mean learning online has some advantages, like you can learn whenever you want, you dont have like that "pressure" of going into a class. But if you are in a "real" class you can always ask questions right away.

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Online if you're just starting, like simple quizzes just to get you going. Everything else offline. Learning grammar, reading, pronunciation and conversations are best learnt and practiced offline (of course if you have someone to practice with).

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well it all depends on what you are going to do offline, if you are going to practice the language with native speakers then offline is much better, if not then online is okey if you practice in some forums with with native speaker friends

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It depends on the language to study because like English, I would prefer to study it offline because there are so many materials online already. Now I am trying to learn a little Vietnamese for our trip to Vietnam this month and the only resource available is online. If only I know a Vietnamese here, I would ask for help because my only needs are simple conversational Vietnamese.

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It depends on your learning style. If you think a classroom setting with a live teacher is effective for you then go for it. If you are the type who can learn quickly on your own phase and does not need outside resource or motivation then you are better off going online.

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I prefer honestly learning a language online for the simple matter of the simplicity that it takes to complete tasks or maybe to search for a specific term or even an entire phrase. Offline makes the whole thing more complicated if you're stuck.

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It really depends on your preference. Actually, both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. I would say, offline learning is more ideal since it is an interactive way of language acquistion. However, offline learning is also good as it promotes self-growth because you are doing your own research, not to mention, it's much cheaper than enrolling in a short course program.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello everyone!

i think that group classes are just funnier and more efective than self-education by reading books. Of course we should take into account time we practice by ourselves (movies, books, articles etc) but for me taking courses is essential. I am always interested in group conversation, especially when the topic is about society, culture difference and philosophy. Courses also give an opportunity to pass some hours in 'language immersion' atmosphere. so I would opt for it as the bet way to stay motivated to studies.

I ve been studying in several language schoolds in Madrid but in this academy I learned to speak fluently.  http://soloidiomas.com

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Offline: Taking a one-to-one course in a brick and mortar school, I think, is the best way to learn Mandarin.

Online: you could search some websites to learning mandarin online, I recommend Hanbridge Mandarin Online(you can search in Google). And you could watch some Chinese films or TV series. You need to learn Pinyin(Chinese alphabet) first, then basic words and conversations. There might be some resources to learn Chinese on VOA Chinese Chanel.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I forgot to mention about the budget. A classroom training for learning a new language would cost you more than learning on your own online or reading a book self-phased. If you have the money to spend then I think a traditional classroom offline will benefit you. Sometimes we can not guarantee that we will be able to keep out focus once we do it on our own at home/online. For me having to go to a school makes the experience more believable

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Definitely online. When I'm trying to learn something, I like to learn at my own pace. And offline learning generally forces you to be adept at something after a certain point (unless you hire a private tutor that focuses on you and only you), which I find really annoying. And that is why I prefer online learning.

Online learning does come with it's problems though - it relies very heavily on one's motivation (and on some days, mine isn't really that high). Meaning you won't always learn, because you only learn when you want to.

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I would definitely say, Offline. Having a good teacher and actually speaking the language with someone, cannot be beaten by Online courses and audio tapes. The best way to learn a language is to speak it and use it in conversations and through socialization.

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I usually go for offline courses.  In my case, I studied Elementary Nihongo/Japanese 1 as a regular class, and I had fun.  It's a shame that I wasn't able to reach a higher score, though I did pass the subject.  Right now though, my Nihongo language school is experimenting on online classes, but I'm not too confident on taking said classes.  For me, I think it's better to be in a regular class, as you get the feeling of learning.

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I think it is depend upon the situation. If you have a time to attend regular classes then try to reach everyday on specific time that you have selected. On the other hand, if you are not ready for attending classes then you can learn online.

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I would definitely say, Offline. Having a good teacher and actually speaking the language with someone, cannot be beaten by Online courses and audio tapes. The best way to learn a language is to speak it and use it in conversations and through socialization.

I have to say that although I prefer to go the traditional route, I absolutely like being among the natives with who I'm able to socialise with on a regular basis. I don't think I could learn effectively if I did it solely via online resources.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I like the offline model because I like constant, real life feedback. I hate continuing on with learning a language and not knowing if I have the correct pronunciation of words. I think proper feedback is important. Then again, everyone has different learning requirements, and I understand the appeal of learning online as it provides a more "at your own pace" style. 

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Definitely online!
One-on-one lessons on Skype, Google Play Music, YouTube, Anki flash cards (the sync part is online), Memrise, OneNote (again, syncing notes is online), Google Docs, Google Calendar, those are the tools I use most with language learning.
Let's be honest, there's not much left you can't do online any more.
Obviously not everything is possible online, you can't brush your own teeth online for example. :P

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When it comes to learning languages, what do you prefer guys?  Doing it online or offline?  I ask because lately I have been thinking a lot on the topic, I will have to take a very important exam soon, that is why. So I'm getting more and more serious about learning dutch!  The time is so near and now is the time to shine or at least pass the exam :P

 

So what do you think guys? Online or offline courses?  Going to language classes or studying online? Studying at home with a book?  What do you prefer and what has worked better for you?

Hello everyone! My name is Jorge Solis. I think this can depend on your own ability to learn a new language. For instance, people who learn at a higher rate when they read alone could benefit from an online course. However, someone who might need the extra explanation from a teacher or a professor might want to stick with a traditional course. Like I said before, this depends greatly on the student's own ability to learn in general.

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A little of both would be good. However, I do think online resources would be effective only if the person already has a good grasp of the basics. Before trying to learn online, start by learning offline first. And by offline I mean a classroom setting with fellow students and a well-versed teacher. Once you get the hang of the basics, you can go for offline learning. It facilitates the learning process.

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Hello everyone! My name is Jorge Solis. I think this can depend on your own ability to learn a new language. For instance, people who learn at a higher rate when they read alone could benefit from an online course. However, someone who might need the extra explanation from a teacher or a professor might want to stick with a traditional course. Like I said before, this depends greatly on the student's own ability to learn in general.

Yes, learning online with no help or guidance (if you are the kind of person who doesn't like to use paid courses) is very hard. I know because I went down that route when  was younger with Norwegian and other languages.  I've seen people fail so miserably when taking a course at a local school, but i think those who failed had no real motivation to learn said language. Sadly most teachers don't know how to motivate their students and make their classes more immersing and fun.... instead of turning them into tedious chores. 

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Definitely online!
One-on-one lessons on Skype, Google Play Music, YouTube, Anki flash cards (the sync part is online), Memrise, OneNote (again, syncing notes is online), Google Docs, Google Calendar, those are the tools I use most with language learning.
Let's be honest, there's not much left you can't do online any more.
Obviously not everything is possible online, you can't brush your own teeth online for example.

I personally love the online approach, I learnt English online when I was 15-16 years old.  I did it all on my own online, if it wasn't for the internet I am sure i'd not be speaking English right now.   I have no idea how that happened, I wasn't even planing to learn English, I just had a genuine desire to communicate with English speakers and be able to understand what I read online.  I never got too far with languages offline, I wanted to learn German when I was younger (11 or 12), but didn't despite I had the books to do so.  Mostly because learning things offline is not as immersing as learning things online ;)  I love  all the resources we have online!  Are you using Memrise very often?

 

 Also, since you are a native dutch speaker... can you tell me what does the word 'smeer'' exactly means?  Google Translates doesn't help that much.  What about ''laten prikken''?   I really appreciate the help!  Some dutch words are so confusing! o_O 

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