Pros & Cons of Online Language Learning: Comparison from A to Z

Online language learning the pros and cons of education from home new Methods

In recent years, online learning has become a very popular tool for gaining new knowledge. Now you can start learning any language in the world from the comfort of your home, and universities are beginning to include online courses in their mandatory curriculum (for example: students watch lectures of a foreign university at home).

On the one hand, it may seem that online learning is mostly a plus, but in fact it is much more complicated than we think.

Online language learning the pros and cons of education from home

The advantages of online language learning

Less cost to pay
You can study wherever and however you want
Individual learning pace
Convenient learning time for you
There is no need to spend money on additional information and tutorials
Development of necessary practical skills

Less cost to pay

In the case of online language learning, you basically spend less money on the teacher. Of course, if you even apply to the teacher, because now there are a lot of online language learning services without a teacher.

You can study wherever and however you want

You can learn any foreign language without leaving your hometown on any device that’s available to you. And you can still communicate with native speakers (online, of course).

You can study wherever and however you want as an advantage of online classes

Individual learning pace

You can watch videos of lectures or presentations if you don’t understand something, without distracting the rest of the group. You can also repeat some language topics even after you finish the course.

Individual learning pace as a pros of online learning

Convenient learning time for you

You will not need to adjust to the group or the teacher.

Most online foreign language training programs are more flexible and adaptable to the needs of any user. In case you miss a lesson you will not lose anything and can review everything a little later.

Convenient learning time for you as an advantage of online learning

There is no need to spend money on additional information and tutorials

Almost all the necessary materials for education will be available to you online already inside the courses or programs for language learning.

There is no need to spend money on additional information and tutorials

Development of necessary practical skills

Online language learning usually gives you practical skills that will be applicable to real life. You can choose your program of study exactly what you need for the current period of your life. And if your plans change, you can easily change your language learning topic.

Development of necessary practical skills

Disadvantages of online language learning:

Lack of direct communication
You may have trouble getting a quick answer to your question
Possible lack of motivation
It is easy to get distracted from learning
Possible procrastination

Lack of direct communication

Lack of direct communication with teachers and native speakers of a foreign language. Not all of these things are important, but many are much more comfortable to ask questions directly in the classroom, which is not possible when learning online. 

Lack of direct communication in cons of online learning

You may have trouble getting a quick answer to your question

You may have difficulty getting answers to questions related to the course material. The teacher may not see a question in the discussion, or answer it too late, as opposed to a question in offline foreign language learning courses.

You may have trouble getting a quick answer to your question as disadvantage of online classes

Possible lack of motivation

Strict time management and motivation is needed. Unlike offline classes, here you need to plan your time yourself, and self-discipline is a crucial success factor in this format of foreign language learning.

Possible lack of motivation in cons of online learning

It is easy to get distracted from learning

It is very easy to get distracted in the learning process. One pop-up notification during language classes can distract you so much that after a while you’ll be picking up another online order instead of studying a language.

It is easy to get distracted from learning

Possible procrastination

Online learning promotes procrastination. In this kind of foreign language learning process no one reminds you of deadlines and no one will tell you that you need to come to class on time and you with a clear conscience will put everything off for later, thinking that you will do everything a little later. At one point this can quietly coincide with the final exam. 

Possible procrastination

Summary

To summarize, we can say that purely from the point of view of finances and convenience, studying a foreign language online is much more convenient and profitable than learning in a classroom format. At the same time we can not rely only on the convenience and there are many disadvantages associated with online education, come to the personal traits.

Thus, online education will be ideal for a person with good motivation and self-discipline, as well as someone who does not need direct contact with the teacher and the group with which he learns in the “here and now” format.

Some things in language practice, such as vocabulary building and memorizing new words, you’ll need to do online on your computer (if you want to progress fast enough, of course). The Langavia service will help you a lot with this, because you can create and maintain your own dictionary of the words you want to know and memorize them effectively through a variety of game exercises.

FAQ

Is it possible to learn a language online?
Yes, it’s possible. Although, you probably won’t be able to fully learn a foreign language online to the level of a native speaker, online courses will help you a lot.
Can we learn foreign languages online and for free?
You can definitely learn a language for free. Moreover, nowadays it is easier than ever. Thanks to the ability to communicate with people anywhere in the world that modern technology provides, you can practice your language for free. In addition, there are conditionally free services that will give you enough functionality in the initial stages to start learning the language effectively.

Langavia Team

We help people to learn new languages and expand their vocabulary effectively.

Rate author
( 1 assessment, average 5 from 5 )
Share the article via social media:
Blog Langavia
Add a comment

Is it possible to learn a language online?
Yes, it’s possible. Although, you probably won’t be able to fully learn a foreign language online to the level of a native speaker, online courses will help you a lot.
Can we learn foreign languages online and for free?
You can definitely learn a language for free. Moreover, nowadays it is easier than ever. Thanks to the ability to communicate with people anywhere in the world that modern technology provides, you can practice your language for free. In addition, there are conditionally free services that will give you enough functionality in the initial stages to start learning the language effectively.