This is a hub of resources for where you can learn a language yourself or where you might direct someone who is looking to learn a language, as well as tips for learning a language. This is not a master list of resources, there are plenty of high-quality resources not on this list. In the same regard, it is impossible to provide resources for all languages.
While I have put an emphasis on free resources, some resources will require payment entirely or have a portion of their content under a paywall. Generally, the more common a language is, the easier it will be to find free resources. For languages with fewer global speakers, expect to have a higher barrier to access, where resources may be difficult to find and prices may be high. This is not to discourage anyone from learning a low-resource language, simply to give the expectation upfront that some languages are in a "use anything you can find" situation and that some languages are more "difficult" to learn than others.
Difficulty is relative when speaking about language learning. High-resource languages will typically be easier to learn than low-resource languages. Languages that are in the same language family or have similar grammatical structures as the first language will be easier to learn than ones in a different language family or with different grammatical structures. Regardless of language family, someone who has a close relationship with one or more native speakers of the target language will find the language easier to learn than someone who does not know any native speakers.
For more information about the language learning process and other historical or demographic information, check out the Foundation Information page and the Historical Perspectives page.
Be willing to make a fool of yourself: Mistakes happen, even among native speakers. Sometimes, it can feel embarrassing to make a mistake in a language you are learning, which can lead to people being unwilling to practice. Instead, embrace the mistakes and do not let them stop you from using the language.
Practice, Practice, Practice: Find every excuse to use your target language. Out in public, in conversations with those who speak the language, around your house, in the media you consume, and in you personal writings are all ways to practice a target language.
Read the news: Reading the news helps significantly with language learning. Typically, news articles are short and do not take significant amounts of time to read. Additionally, it is typically easy to find articles in your first language on the same topic, which aid in comprehension. Additionally, reading news articles from a country that speaks your target language is helpful for learning cultural customs, values, and the general opinion of local and global events.
Why BBC?: I have provided direct links to the main page of BBC for many of the languages listed below. While BBC does not offer all languages in their services, they offer some of the most comprehensive news translation among news organizations. Additionally, because much of the content was originally written in English, then translated to other languages, articles are less likely to include idioms. Readers can also find the exact article in both English and the target language, allowing for the easiest direct comparison to learn meaning of new words. I do recommend looking beyond BBC, however, to also include news articles from local newspapers as part of your language studies.
Read picture books: Picture books are often written for people with low literacy levels. As such, they tend to have short sentences and are supplemented by images, both of which make the text easier to understand. Picture books also frequently depict various aspects of culture and folklore, allowing you to learn more about the culture of the people who speak your target language.
Watch film and video: Listening to content allows for you to learn the pronunciation of words, various idioms, and speech patterns common in the target language. Even if you do not understand most of the content, watching something originally produced in your target language is beneficial as it will support the cultural knowledge and language fluency. Some languages have browser add-ons which will provide subtitles, allowing for an even wider range of options. If watching something originally produced in your target language is still to daunting, start by watching dubbed Disney channel shows or other kids shows, as they are known for over-acting, making it easy to identify what is happening and follow along even if you do not understand the words they are saying.
Choose a dialect early and stick with it: Many languages have several different dialects. Depending on the language, the differences between dialects may only be a couple of words here and there, or it could be entire grammatical constructs or different writing systems. The learning process will be easier from the start if you choose just one dialect to start learning. As you progress, you will find opportunities when learning the other dialects becomes easier.
Anki: This is a flashcard app and can be used for many topics, including language learning. What makes this unique is it uses spaced repetition as part of the process. As you review each card, you answer how well you knew the term. Based on your answer, the app will sort your cards based on when it will next show it to you (these timeframes are easily customizable). If you have consistently known a term, it might not show it to you for a month or two, but if you get one wrong, it might show it again in 10 minutes. This helps save you time by not reviewing terms you already know.
FSI Language Courses: This service offers the course materials used by US foreign diplomats when learning languages. There are both free and paid options available in many languages. Course materials are available for dozens of languages, including many less-spoken languages.
Global Language Online Support System (GLOSS): This is a service offered by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. It offers hundreds of free, interactive lessons at 4 difficulty levels in 41 different languages and dialects. It focuses specifically on reading and listening comprehension, but does offer grammar lessons in some languages.
Language Learning Apps: Many language learning apps exist. Check to see if one or more of them offers your target language. Some of the most common include: Duolingo, LingoDeer, Mango Languages, Rosetta Stone, Transparent Language. Some languages also have their own specific apps.
Language List: This website offers over 2,000 links to various language learning materials in many different languages. Not all of the resources they list are free, but many of them are.
Learn101: This site offers free language courses in dozens of languages, mostly from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Lessons include content on reading, grammar, vocabulary, and listening comprehension.
Local Library: Check your local library for any books, picture books, music, movies, or other items in your target language. Also see if they offer any programs or events for language learners, either generally or in your target language specifically. Many libraries also offer a subscription to at least one language-learning platform, such as Mango Languages, Transparent Language, Rosetta Stone, etc. Your library may have a consortium with other libraries, where they offer more opportunities.
Open Access College Courses: Look on platforms like EdX, MIT Open Courseware, and Open Yale Courses, among others for access to college-level courses in world languages.
World Language Library: This site offers beginner-level information on the language and culture of 115 different languages. Each language includes vocabulary, grammar, and links to curated YouTube playlists on the language.
Arabic Desert Sky: This website offers introductory content in the Arabic language, with both Standard and Egyptian Arabic. It also offers links to other learning resources, including more advanced content.
Khallina: This website is an open-source tool designed to allow Arabic learners the opportunity to learn about the culture. It includes modules for people in varying points of their language-learning journey.
Learn Arabic Online: This website offers free written Arabic lessons. Most of their information is beginner-focused, but they do have some lessons designed for intermediate and advanced learners. Most information is offered for free, but they also offer paid lessons for those wanting additional information.
Lisan Arabi: This creator provides nearly 2,000 videos on YouTube in the Arabic language, providing extensive listening material. His channel is entirely in Arabic, and has many different topics, predominately focused on literature.
Noor Library: This website offers a large database of online books in Arabic, specifically focusing on books originally written in the language.
Chinese is a unique language when it comes to learning. Currently, there are over 300 languages spoken across China, each of them being mutually unintelligible. When referring to the spoken language, the specific language, such as Mandarin, is the preferred term. While the spoken languages are different, there is one common written form. The word "Chinese" is used to refer to the written form of the languages across China. Written Chinese has two forms, simplified, the version used predominately in Mainland China; and traditional, the version used predominately in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
BBC Zhongwen: The BBC news site in Chinese. This link is for the simplified characters, but they also have one for traditional characters as well.
Chinese Grammar Wiki: This site offers over 2,000 articles on the Chinese language, specifically focusing on grammar. They offer articles designed for learners at each of the fluency levels, as well as targeted lists for those studying for the HSK exam.
HSK Academy: This site offers free access to all of the vocabulary and some additional resources needed to prepare for all 6 levels of the HSK exam. The HSK exam is the official Chinese proficiency test for non-native speakers.
Little Fox Chinese: These are fun and educational stories and songs for children and Chinese language learners. The fun animations aid in comprehension, and many videos offer subtitles in Chinese and Pinyin. Some stories are from western folklore, some are from Chinese folklore, and some are stories of their own creation. The link provided is for their YouTube page, but they also offer a website.
Pleco Chinese Dictionary: This is a mobile app-based dictionary for Chinese. Users can type, draw, or speak Chinese characters and it will return a definition of the phrase or character(s) entered. The app itself is free, but some add-ons can be purchased.
American English: This site is supported by the U.S. Department of State and provides resources for learning American English, and learning about United States culture. They include a wide variety of resources for both teachers and learners.
Breaking News English: This site offers over 3,000 free English news lessons at 7 different difficulty levels. Their difficulty levels range from elementary to upper intermediate.
Learn English with Jessica on YouTube: This YouTube account publishes many everyday conversation videos. Topics vary including listening, speaking, vocabulary, and grammar.
National Geographic Learning: National Geographic offers English courses at a wide variety of levels. They integrate information, videos, and TedTalks about global events and the world. Many different activities are offered, and the course materials can be used by an individual or to support classroom learning.
News for You: This site offers easy-to-read news stories specifically for English learners and adults learning to read. It includes written stories, videos, English exercises, crosswords, and word searches. Some materials are available free, but the full set of materials requires a paid subscription.
USA Learns: This site allows users to learn English and prepare for US Citizenship tests. It is designed specifically for beginner and intermediate adult English learners, and requires users to create a free account.
BBC Korean: The BBC News site in Korean, providing global and local news articles.
Go! Billy Korean: This creator offers over 1,000 videos on YouTube designed to help teach the Korean language. They offer information on the culture, tips for learning, as well as language classes.
How to Study Korean: A free website with dozens of articles on learning the Korean language. It offers vocabulary lists, grammar lessons, and grammar exercises at a wide range of skill levels.
Korean Classic Film: This YouTube channel provides hundreds of free classic Korean films, starting in the 1930s. This provides extensive listening practice and cultural learning opportunities.
Naver Webtoons: Naver, an online internet platform common in Korea, offers many different webtoons in the Korean language. The webtoons are designed for a variety of interests, and are particularly helpful for advanced reading practice.
BBC Russian: The BBC News website in Russian.
Don't Forget Your Russian: This website offers a compilation of free Russian language resources for students. Materials range from beginner to advanced levels and include reading, listening, grammar, and vocabulary lessons.
Folkways Today: This site offers an extensive list of web resources for learning the Russian language. In addition to language resources, many cultural resources are also available. Many resources are free, but some are paid. The website as a whole focuses on promoting the diverse cultures across Eurasia and includes language information on other languages in the area as well.
Russian For Free: This website offers Russian lessons from beginner to advanced levels. It includes vocabulary, alphabet, grammar, listening, and reading practice. The entire wesite is free, but they also offer textbooks available for purchase.
RussianLessons.Net: This website offers various lessons on grammar and vocabulary, as well as a Russian-English dictionary, and audio and video samples. They also offer a YouTube channel with the same name, which includes even more videos.
BBC Somali: The BBC News website in Somali.
Somali Kids Songs on YouTube: This YouTube channel offers various children's songs in the Somali language. Some videos are longer collections of songs, while others are short and only one song in duration. Simple animations aid in comprehension.
Somali Literacy Project: This website offers tools and resources on engaging Somali parents in their children's education, specifically in the United States. While the website is no longer updated and some links may be broken, the information is still helpful and relevant. This includes various language, literacy, and education resources and information.
Somali with Abzi: These are many YouTube videos on Somali lessons, grammar tips, everyday phrases, and reading and writing practice. The YouTube videos are free, but the creator also offers paid additional learning content and one-on-one tutoring on his website.
BBC Mundo: The BBC News website in Spanish.
Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish: This is a telenovela series targeted to high school and adult Spanish learners. Telenovelas are similar to soap operas and are television shows with ongoing plotlines. This one in particular uses simple language and offers listening and speaking practice. It has 52 episodes available, with 5 practice modules.
Dreaming Spanish on YouTube: This organization provides immersive videos at a wide range of levels. The videos are entirely in Spanish and use images and acting to help listeners understand the context. This resource encourages listeners to understand the overall story instead of focusing on specific unknown words.
Real Academia Española: Spain's official royal institution made a searchable online Spanish dictionary. This is entirely in Spanish and most useful for people already at an intermediate-advanced level. As it was created by the Spanish government, it is focused on the Castellano, or Spain, dialect of Spanish instead of the various Latin American dialects.
Telemundo: This website provides videos, shows, and news all on various topics in Spanish. An extensive grouping of resources to practice listening skills in the language.