JUST twenty years ago, a language student removed from live practice or in-person classes had to rely on books or cassette tapes. Those were tough times: learners needed exceptional motivation, and got little feedback on their progress. Later on, websites providing textbook-style grammar lessons would pop up, making access easier but still giving little in the way of interaction. Starting in the mid-1990s, Rosetta Stone (whose latest incarnation Johnson reviewed in January) added a bit of interactivity to the learning process, if at steep prices. As software like Rosetta Stone’s improved and added more online functions, free and low-cost services started to appear to compete with it. Unlike older rote grammar websites, the best among these sites have focused on interaction and personalised feedback. Livemocha, for one, pairs far-flung learners on its forums and encourages users to trade languages. Livemocha and its 16m subscribers were swallowed up by Rosetta Stone in April, filling out Rosetta Stone’s once-vacant online forums.

For those who lack the patience for forums or the pockets for pricey services, there are (of course) apps for that. Two in particular stand out as excellent. The first is Duolingo, which I have been…Continue reading

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