| Your computer can be used as a creative tool in | | | | provide audio clips. Others will allow users to |
| your quest to learn a foreign language. Some | | | | submit new words and expressions. (Be aware |
| innovative ideas can turn your language education | | | | that not all user submissions will be 100% |
| into an entertaining, truly memorable experience. | | | | accurate.) The best dictionaries will clearly indicate |
| Audio Modification | | | | 'verified' user submissions and will mark colloquial |
| Many companies produce software packages that | | | | and dialect expressions appropriately. |
| enable you to transform your voice (or someone | | | | Are you a poet? Help is as close as your |
| else's). You can make your voice feminine, | | | | computer. Online language resources include helpful |
| masculine, or robotic. It can be raised to a high | | | | rhyming dictionaries. An internet search for |
| pitch or lowered to bass tones. | | | | 'rhyming dictionary French', 'rhyming dictionary |
| So how does this help you learn a new language? | | | | German', 'rhyming dictionary Spanish' etc. will give |
| Many foreign languages (French and German, for | | | | you good results. |
| example) assign gender to nouns. When learning | | | | Try to rely on accredited educational sites |
| new vocabulary, why not record feminine nouns in | | | | (domains ending in .edu) when doing grammar |
| a female voice, masculine nouns in a male voice, | | | | research. For instance, if you are looking for |
| and neuter nouns in a robotic voice? This | | | | Hungarian verb conjugations, try a search like |
| approach can also be used with other types of | | | | 'Hungarian verb conjugations site:.edu'. Although at |
| vocabulary learning. Perhaps you could record a list | | | | the time of writing the previous search doesn't |
| of German dative verbs in a woman's voice and a | | | | work at MSN, it does work at Google, Yahoo!, |
| list of German accusative verbs in a male voice. | | | | Ask.com, and many others. The 'site:edu' portion |
| You can even take audio files that have been | | | | of the search restricts results to domains ending |
| recorded by other people and make them more | | | | in '.edu' - which are usually universities and other |
| interesting by morphing voices or adding sound | | | | similar educational institutions. |
| effects. | | | | Online Chatting and Video Conferencing |
| An internet search for 'voice cloaking' or 'voice | | | | Video-cams, VOIP, microphones . . . put them all |
| modification software' will provide numerous | | | | together and talk with foreign friends from all |
| resources to choose from. | | | | over the world. Using a language in conversation is |
| Don't Just Print | | | | probably the quickest way to learn. |
| If you own a color printer you can spice up your | | | | Whatever you do, remember that the more |
| vocabulary lists with bursts of color - perhaps | | | | senses you stimulate during the learning process, |
| feminine nouns in red, masculine nouns in blue, and | | | | the more firmly imprinted the learning becomes. |
| neuter in dark grey. You might want to highlight | | | | Turn your language education into a fun-filled |
| irregular verbs in another color - or perhaps apply | | | | sensory experience and you will probably stick |
| bold or italics to make them stand out on the | | | | with it. If it becomes monotonous, you may lose |
| page. Experiment with various fonts and weights. | | | | interest. |
| Websites and Online Sources | | | | ©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is |
| Every language student should have at least one | | | | free to publish only if this copyright notice, the |
| online dictionary bookmarked (preferably several). | | | | byline, and the author's note below (with active |
| Each dictionary will work a little differently. Some | | | | links) are included. |