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.
The advantages of online language learning
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Disadvantages of online language learning:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
