Though international travel may be off the table for a while, there are still ways to enjoy a global experience from your very own home.
While you might already be watching foreign films and documentaries, or keeping in touch with friends and family overseas, have you considered learning a language?
Not only can picking up a second (or third) language help you while away the hours at home in or out of lockdown, it can also benefit the brain, especially as you age.
According to psycholinguist Mark Antoniou of Western Sydney University in Australia, using more than one language in your daily life could help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Plus, picking up a second language also allows you to experience new cultures and enjoy foriegn films without relying on the subtitles.
But, with so many languages out there, it can be hard to choose what to learn.
Here are three languages you can learn from the comfort of your home.
1. Experience Italian culture
Learn with native Italian speakers and enjoy a glass of vino while taking one of 70 classes offered at the Centre of Italian Studies – the largest Italian school outside of Italy.
Classes, held over Zoom, cover the core grammar and vocabulary you can use on your next trip abroad, as well Italian culture and pronunciation.
For beginners, the centre’s accelerated beginner’s course offers 15 hours of online classes twice a week. Kicking off on August 16, students also receive a free one-hour private lesson when they join with one or more friends.
As well as helping you hone your greetings, the school offers classes in cooking and cocktail making.
2. Take on Spanish
For those looking to learn more about Hispanic culture and how to speak Spanish, the Instituto Cervantes lets you do both.
Each of their online courses includes interactive material and four thirty-minute tutoring sessions, which students can expect to use to learn about all aspects of the language and experience the culture.
3. Learn how to say gesundheit! and more in German
Though it may sound like a harsh language when you first hear it, German can be just as romantic as French, Italian and other European languages.
If you’re interested in learning German, the Goethe-Institut is the place to go. The institute’s online courses run over 16 weeks, including six group sessions, and can be tailored to your schedule.
Though learning a language can be tricky, it also helps keep your brain fit and can help expand your horizons without leaving your couch.
