FORT MYERS, Fla. — Things are pretty tough right now as we continue to watch the coronavirus affect our everyday lives. Many people are trying to find ways to stay entertained while self-quarantining. One thing you might want to try is learning a new language.
Romelia Rodrigeuz is a Spanish teacher at Estero High School. She says this is the perfect time to try to learn a second language, and it can help you become more marketable.
“We live in a global economy, and you want to be marketable,” Rodriguez said. “You want to be able to get that job you’ve dreamed of.”
She says technology has also made it easier for people to gain access to the tools they need to learn a new language for free.
“We have free apps. We have, for example, Duoling, Babbel, we also have Rosetta Stone, ” Rodriguez said.
Rosetta Stone announced on March 20 that it would give three months of free language learning to elementary, middle and high school students. This announcement came after millions of schools closed worldwide because of the coronavirus.
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Memrise, Google Translate, and Hello Talk are also good tools you can use to help you learn for free.
Rodriguez also suggests learning a new language on YouTube. She says the platform has a ton of information and videos for anyone who wants to learn a new language. If you’re looking to learn Spanish specifically, she suggests you check out Señor Jordan. She says he's an American man who learned Spanish and now he's helping others learn the language.
If you don't have access to YouTube, she says there are several radio stations in Spanish you can listen to in the car. All you have to do is search in google to find the ones in your area.
"If you have access to a computer or TV, you can always put on the closed caption,” Rodriguez says. “By reading, you’re learning. You are making that connection with your brain and eyes. We repeat the things in our brain, so you are practicing in our head.”
She says you can also practice on social media by starting conversations with friends who already speak the language you are trying to learn.
Remember, you don’t have to learn everything right away, take it day by day.