American Sign Language Dictionary

Well-written and easily understood instructions for the use of more than 5,000 signs - 8,000 illustrations

Site: Korzh.com: Crammer

Author: Korzh.com

URL: http://www.korzh.com/crammer/

Crammer is a tool that lets you learn on your computer while you do other things. A tiny text box displays, for example, English words and their Spanish, Russian, or German equivalents, while you browse, check email, etc. Lots of dictionaries available for download, including more languages, capitals, chemistry elements, and music terms. You can create your own dictionaries, or add onto existing ones.

Communicating in Sign: Creative Ways to Learn Sign Language

Revolutionizes the way ASL is taught, illustrating eye contact, facial expressions, and body language, and placing ASL within the context of Deaf culture

Just Listen 'n Learn Arabic (Tapes and Book)

Combines comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary with intensive listening-speaking practice to help users master Arabic skills with ease

Site: Learn Arabic

Author: Sakhr Software Company

URL: http://afl.ajeeb.com/

Beautiful to see, and stunningly interactive, but not particularly intuitive. An online Arabic learning course with sounds, video, exercises, games, you name it. This would be a 5-brain site if a non-Arabic speaker could figure out how to use it; unforunately it's too hard to use without a guide or previous knowledge of Arabic. Dr. Brain says, "Not for the faint-hearted."

Teach Yourself Arabic: A Complete Course for Beginners

A complete course in written and spoken Arabic, with plenty of opportunities to practice what you have learned

Beginners Chinese (Tapes and Book)

Guides you through lessons and exercises based on real-life situations and appeals to the student and tourist alike. Companion to Teach Yoursef Beginners Chinese Script

Site: Audio Tutorial of Survival Chinese

Author: Haiwang Yuan & Remy Guo

URL: http://www.wku.edu/~yuanh/AudioChinese/

Audio tutorials in 7 learning areas. The latest addition consists of 47 parenting phrases for adoptive parents of chinese babies. Other areas include greetings, shopping,traveling, and more.

Tip: On the right-hand side of the page of sound file links are tips on how to read the pin-yin to create the proper tones.

Reading & Writing Chinese - Revised Edition

Completely revised edition of the standard text for the Chinese Writing System for more than 20 years

Easy English: Basic English for Speakers of All Languages

Site: Learning English

Author: BBC

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml

If your native language is Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, or Ukrainian, this British English learning site is for you. Using today's news and world events to teach English as a second language, the site is clean and clear and well-organized, and offers BBC news items in the languages above. Quizzes, questions, and chat. Sound files and a video series.

Tip: There's also a teachers link toward the bottom left of the page linked above.

English for New Americans: Everyday Life (Video, Audio, and Book)

Helps people of all languages speak English the way it is spoken on the streets of America and handle a variety of situations

Spanish Stories/Cuentos Españoles

13 great stories in Spanish by Cervantes, Borges, others, with English translations on facing pages

Site: Vocabulary Wizard 6.3

Author: Prosigner.com

URL: Download from Vocabulary Wizard at ZDNEt Downloads

Prosigner.com offers award-winning learning products, and Doctor Brain thinks this free "ad-ware" version of their popular Vocabulary Wizard program is pretty great. It lets you study hundreds of vocabulary words (in small or large bites) and test yourself on them later. You can also download free trial versions of their Memory Wizard and LC Wizard products from Prosigner's Products page.

Latin Dictionary: Latin-English, English-Latin

The best-selling Latin mini dictionary - compact, comprehensive and reliable

French Stories : Contes Francais

Ten stories by french masters, Voltaire to Camus, with excellent English translations on facing pages

Site: French Steps

Author:

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/french/lj

A self-contained online French course for beginners. Like its Spanish counterpart, Spanish Steps, it offers many different ways to learn - all interactive and fun.

Tip: One level up, on this page, is a French game to play with the kids, French slang phrases, and lots more.

501 French Verbs (4 ed)

A fine supplement to classroom textbooks and also useful to travelers

HarperCollins Robert French Unabridged Dictionary: English-French, French-English

Simply the best French dictionary you can buy, with over 850,000 entries and translations, complete coverage of contemporary terms

Site: Learn.co.uk - French - Key Stage 3 - year 7

Author: Learn.co.uk

URL: http://www.Learn.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=Topic&WCU=8684

This delightful beginning French tutorial in 30 lessons was designed for elementary school children, making it perfect for rank beginners. Lesson Objectives, Vocabulary, Listening practgive (every phrase has an audio component to practice proper pronunciation), speaking exercises have answers in pop-up windows. Writing exercises can be printed out. Tests gauge your progress. Doctor Brain loves this one!

Tip: Click the audio button beside each speech balloon to hear the conversation in the listening exercises ("Ecoutez").

Tip: Learn.co.uk tutorials were designed to prepare students for the U.K.'s National Curriculum tests, but are super learning tools for anyone, anywhere.

The Oxford French Dictionary

The only reference of its kind in paperback - dictionary and thesaurus in a single A-to-Z volume - 150,000 entries, definitions, synonyms

First Thousand Words in French

A wealth of vocabulary-building opportunities for young learners, or anyone who enjoys learning with pictures

Site: Learn.co.uk - French - Key Stage 3 - year 8

Author: Learn.co.uk

URL: http://www.Learn.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=Topic&WCU=8685

24 lessons

Tip: Learn.co.uk tutorials were designed to prepare students for the U.K.'s National Curriculum tests, but are super learning tools for anyone, anywhere.

French in 32 Lessons

A rapid and practical way to master the basics and begin speaking French, eliminating "the boring repetition of inane exercises"

1001 Pitfalls in French

Fundamentals of the French language and help for common obstacles - troublesome words, difficult sentence structure, and the metric system

Site: Learn.co.uk - French - Key Stage 3 - year 9

Author: Learn.co.uk

URL: http://www.Learn.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=Topic&WCU=7037

31 lessons building on the French you learned in Key Stage 3 Year 8, above. A delightful way to learn a new language.

Tip: Learn.co.uk tutorials were designed to prepare students for the U.K.'s National Curriculum tests, but are super learning tools for anyone, anywhere.

Merde!: The Real French You Were Never Taught in School

French as it's really spoken - epithets for every occasion, and a wealth of come-ons and put-downs

French: Hear It, Learn It, Speak It (Tapes)

Don't just study a language, learn it the same way you mastered English! Students learn a new language at their own pace -- comfortably and effectively, with this revolutionary method

Site: French for Travelers: Useful Expressions

Author: Fodor's

URL: http://www.fodors.com/language/

Fodor's, the travel guide folks, are behind this useful and easy learning site. Dozens of useful expressions, with audio files of native speakers you can play on your media player or from your browser, to nail the correct pronunciation.

Tip: Follow the link above, then choose French.

Tip: After checking out Useful Expressions, click the French for Travellers link near the top of the page to see 13 additional phrase categories such as Dining Out, Shopping, At the Airport, Health Care, and 9 more.

Ultimate French: Basic-Intermediate (CD and Book)

Combines conversation with grammar and culture in an easy-to-follow, enjoyable, & effective format

Gaelic: A Complete Course for Beginners

Scots Gaelic in easy-to-learn lessons covering all aspects of everyday life

Colloquial Scottish Gaelic: The Complete Course for Beginners (Book with Tapes)

Scottish Gaelic English/English Scottish Gaelic Dictionary

Site: Beag air Bheag (Gaelic)

Author: BBC Scotland

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/alba/foghlam/beag_air_bheag/index.shtml/index.shtml

"A taste of Scottish Gaelic for absolute beginners." 10 units with sub-units. flash or html. Conversations in written and audio form, self-tests, traditional Scottish songs, even a message board to help you communicate with other learners. There's an online phrase book, a Song Box, and links to other Gaelic resources.

Tip: You'll have a choice between the Flash and HTML versions. Choose the Flash if you have a fairly modern system. The site will connect you to Macromedia if you don't already have the player.

501 German Verbs (3 ed)

501 verbs, principle parts and followed by complete conjugation in all tenses - excellent supplement for all students of German

Site: Talk German

Author: BBC

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/german/talk/

10 Units with sub-units teach you beginning German through video, audio, text readings for key words and key language, and interactive tests. A great site for beginners.

Tip: One level up, on this page, are more German language resources.

German in Three Months

Grammar lessons, contextual conversation drills put into context, relevant word lists, and graded exercises to ensure total comprehension

Scheisse!: The Real German You Were Never Taught in School

Introduces readers to the fine art of cursing and basic slang to spice up their German speech

Site: German for Travelers: Useful Expressions

Author: Fodor's

URL: http://www.fodors.com/language/

Fodor's, the travel guide folks, are behind this useful and easy learning site. Dozens of useful expressions, with audio files of native speakers you can play on your media player or from your browser, to nail the correct pronunciation.

Tip: Follow the link above, then choose German.

Tip: After checking out Useful Expressions, click the German for Travellers link near the top of the page so see 13 additional phrase categories such as Dining Out, Shopping, At the Airport, Health Care, and 9 more.

German

Learn German as easily as you learned English - by listening

Irish on Your Own: A Self-Guided Course in the Irish Language with Book

Ulster-flavored Irish clearly presented in books and tapes in this very complete course

Site: Giota Beag: A Little Bit (Irish)

Author: BBC Northern Ireland

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/blas/learners/beag1.shtml

An outstanding learning site. Learn Ulster-flavored Irish in 15 easy-to-absorb 5-minute audio lessons that you can play over and over with streaming audio, and reinforce with reading.

Tip:

Irish Dictionary: English-Irish, Irish-English / Béarla-Gaeilge, Gaeilge-Béarla

Every Irish student's best friend - a great two-way dictionary with useful quick grammar section in the middle

Irish: Irish: An Bhfuil Gaeilge Agat? - Revised Edition (Tapes and Book)

Start speaking Irish today with this basic audio/book course

Site: Giota Beag Eile: Another Little Bit (Irish)

Author: BBC Northern Ireland

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/blas/learners/beag2.shtml

An outstanding learning site, and companion to Giota Beag, above. Learn even more Ulster-flavored Irish in 15 easy-to-absorb 5-minute audio lessons that you can play over and over with streaming audio, and reinforce with reading.

Tip:

Out in the Open

Poems by Cathal Ó Searcaigh, in Irish and English

Site: The Irish People: Irish Lessons

Author: Irish Northern Aid (Noraid)

URL: http://www.inac.org/irishlanguage/index.html

128 (count 'em!) excellent Irish lessons online. This is not a site for beginners, as there are no sound files, and Irish pronunciation is tricky without speaking/listening practice, but that aside it is a wonderful learning resource, and an excellent companion site if you have another source for accurate pronunciation. Learn your pronunciation anywhere, then come here to study these great lessons.

Irish-English English-Irish Easy Reference Dictionary

A great new Dictionary for the Irish student

Italian in 10 Minutes a Day

A series of ten-minute Italian language lessons introducing key words and phrases - Includes flash cards

Site: Talk Italian

Author: BBC

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/italian/talk/

A wonderful beginners' site, with 9 units of Italian language instruction, each with sub-units. Watch video, listen to audio clips, read texts reinforcing key words and key language, then test your knowledge with interactive tests. Dr. Brain loves it.

Tip:

Tip: One level up, on this page, are more Italian language resources.

Italian for Dummies with CD

Master the basics of Italian with the language experts at Berlitz - bonus CD

Merda!: The Real Italian You Were Never Taught in School

A humorous, uncensored language guide to the colorful slang and rude colloquialisms that are so essential to a true understanding of everyday Italian

Site: Italian for Travelers: Useful Expressions

URL: http://www.fodors.com/language/

Fodor's, the travel guide folks, are behind this useful and easy learning site. Dozens of useful expressions, with audio files of native speakers you can play on your media player or from your browser, to nail the correct pronunciation.

Tip: Follow the link above, then choose Italian.

Tip: After checking out Useful Expressions, click the Italian for Travellers link near the top of the page to see 13 additional phrase categories such as Dining Out, Shopping, At the Airport, Health Care, and 9 more..

Eleven Short Stories : Undici Novelle

Eleven Italian short stories with English translation on the facing page

Japanese (CD)

Now you can learn Japanese as easily as you learned English--by listening - in the comfort of your own home, car or office

Site: The Japanese Writing Tutor

Author: Blake Edward Sterzinger

URL: http://members.aol.com/writejapan/

Animated tutorials for practicing the three Japanese character sets: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Watch and draw along with the animation to master the proper stroke order for each character.

Tip: Scroll a third of the way down the page. If you have an older browser that doesn't support animated GIFs, the pink crane will not be flapping its wings, and it's time to download a newer browser if you want to use this excellent site.

Colloquial Japanese

The key to speaking Japanese is to master basic sentence patterns - A complete, basic course in the Japanese language

Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese

Achieve fluency in reading and writing the language in its everyday style

Site: Japanese-Online

Author: Pacific Software Publishing

URL: http://www.japanese-online.com/LANGUAGE/index.htm

16 interactive beginning Japanese lessons with sound files for correct pronunciation, cultural and linguistic notes, and quizzes for review.

Tip: You may need QuickTime and Kanji-viewing capability for this site. Both are available for free download from the lesson pages.

Tip: Requires the free Quicktime download

Learn Japanese: New College Text

A great beginning Japanese text, for classroom or individual study

501 Japanese Verbs - 2ND Edition

The most commonly used Japanese verbs are presented with English translations, completely conjugated, and transliterated into the Roman alphabet

Site: Java Kanji Flashcards 500

Author: http://www.nuthatch.com/kanjicards/

A fun and easy way to learn the 500 most commonly used Kanji with clear, detailed, and printable flashcards covering number of strokes, hiragana transliteration, and common compounds.

Tip: For intermediate to advanced students.

A Guide to Writing Kanji & Kana: A Self-Study Workbook for Learning Japanese Characters

A systematic approach to learning how to write Japanese characters. Presenting hiragana, katakana, and over 750 frequently used characters

The Learner's Kanji Dictionary

Based on the acclaimed The Kanji Dictionary, this is a portable dictionary containing 2,300 kanji and nearly 19,000 compounds

Site: Enjoy Learning Japanese

Author: http://www.ajalt.org/e/education_f_e.htm

A quick course in survival Japanese with audio for proper pronunciation, and some learning games.

Zakkenayo!: The Real Japanese You Were Never Taught in School

The Japanese are known for their polite discourse and deferential demeanor, but there's another side to the language of the land of the rising sun...

Russian: The Ideal Course for Absolute Beginners (Tapes and Book)

Break down every barrier to learning a new language - even those who have had previous difficulty learning a language begin speaking right away, almost without trying

Site: Master Russian With Alex

Author: Alexei Ivanov

URL: http://masterrussian.com/index-2.cfm

Study all aspects of Russian from the Cyrillic alphabet to War and Peace, listen to audio files of correct pronunciation, then test what you know with interactive quizzes and exercises. Includes dozens of links to Russian-learning resources. A real find.

The Oxford Russian Dictionary: Russian-English, English-Russian: (Russko-Angliiskii, Anglo-Russkii)

The only reference of its kind available in paperback - combines dictionary and thesaurus in a single, integrated A-to-Z volume with 150,000 entries, definitions, and synonyms

Learn Russian the Fast and Fun Way: The Activity Kit That Makes Learning a Language Quick and Easy!

Cheerful illustrations, grammar and vocabulary flash cards, learning exercises, games and puzzles, help make learning Russian an adventure

Site: An Interactive Russian Online Grammar

Author: Robert Beard

URL: http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/russian/language/index.html

A good acompaniment to a basic Russian course, or for learners who have language-learning experience. Units on all parts of speech, plus lots of learning support links and extras. JAVA exercises for many units.

Russian Stories/Russkie Rasskazy

Twelve Russian tales by Chekhov, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pushkin, others, wikth accurate English translations on facing pages, and other learning aids

Seven Hundred Fifty Russian Verbs & Their Uses

Going beyond the basic dictionary approach, this guide demonstrates how the meanings of verbs change in different contexts

Site: Russian Dictionary with Sounds and Images

Author: Sarah Withee

URL: http://www.coloradocollege.edu/dept/ru/dictionary/

Pictures and sound files for a few basic Russian words describing animals and plants. Useful as far as it goes, but very limited.

Tip: Use the "Main Menu" link below the cow picture to view the dictionary. In that page, there's a link that says "If you would like an overview of how the dictionary works, click here. Dr. Brain suggests you do so.

Dermo: The Real Russian Tolstoy Never Used

Not even Tolstoy would dare use the eyebrow-raising Russian you'll find in this wickedly humorous language guide by one of Russia's bestselling novelists today

First Spanish Reader: A Beginner's Dual-Language Book

Delightful stories, other material - complete English translations on facing pages, with exercises

Site: Spanish Steps

Author: BBC

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/spanish/lj/

Wow! The first steps to learning basic tourist Spanish are right here. Sign up so that your progress through the course can be saved, and you'll also get on online progress chart and phrase-book. Then take a video lesson with your virtual guide, revisit the lesson's conversation with the 'snapshots.' Check out the activities, vocabulary builder, and speaking/listening practice. Dr. Brain thinks this site's a doozy.

Tip: One level up, on this page, are more Spanish language resources.

Larousse Concise Spanish/English Dictionary

An ideal companion for students, business people and sophisticated travelers

Pablo Neruda: Selected Poems (Spanish and English)

The most comprehensive bilingual collection of Neruda, "the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language" (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

Site: Spanish Unlimited

URL: http://www.spanishunlimited.com/su/

This site requires you to register in order to enjoy many of its benefits, but Dr. Brain hasn't found a site with more features for the serious Spanish learner. In additions to language lessons, there are articles on Spanish culture, Spanish jokes, recipes, horoscopes, and learning games. Take an online test to determine your learning level, send Spanish postcards, or meet up with a Spanish pen pal.

This site is a winner of Dr. Brain's Big Brain Award

Mierda!: The Real Spanish You Were Never Taught in School

From basic vocabulary to fanciful colloquialisms, from hardcore curses to pithy epithets for all occasions

Spanish for Gringos: Shortcuts, Tips, and Secrets to Successful Learning

A quick and easy way to pick up informal, practical Spanish without having to learn rules of grammar or attend classes

Site: Learn Spanish Online Tutorials

Author: StudySpanish.com

URL: http://www.studyspanish.com/freesite.htm

StudySpanish.com is a commercial site, but their free offerings are impressive indeed, from pronunciation to usage to cultural notes to the amazing "Random Spanish Idiom Generator," which will teach you those phrases you won't need to know until you need to know them.

Spanish in 10 Minutes a Day

Spanish for people who don't have time to learn Spanish. Easy and painless.

Street Spanish Slang Dictionary & Thesaurus

English equivalents and usage tips for over one thousand Spanish terms, including slang words, idioms proverbs, colloquialisms, and vulgarities

Site: Spanish Programs: Learn Spanish

Author: U.S. Translation Company / U.S. Institute of Languages

URL: http://www.spanishprograms.com/learn.htm

23 mini-units covering such areas as numbers, locations, greetings, basic needs, and travel, among others. Each unit features several sound files to teach you the words as properly pronounced in Spanish. Each unit will try to sell you the company's Spanish program on CD, but there's plenty of great learning to be had here for free; over 500 words and phrases.

Tip: Each unit comes up on a new page. Close the page to return to the menu of learning units.

501 Spanish Verbs (4 ed)

501 verbs completely conjugated - another 1000 listed in infinitive form

Princeton 21st Century Spanish\English-English\Spanish Dictionary

The most up-to-date, reliable Spanish-English / English-Spanish dictionary on the market - an indispensible tool for every occasion

Site: Spanish for Travelers: Useful Expressions

Author: Fodors.com

URL: http://www.fodors.com/language/

Fodor's, the travel guide folks, are behind this useful and easy learning site. Dozens of useful expressions, with audio files of native speakers you can play on your media player or from your browser, to nail the correct pronunciation.

Tip: Follow the link above, then choose Spanish.

Tip: After checking out Useful Expressions, click the Spanish for Travellers link near the top of the page to see 13 additional phrase categories such as Dining Out, Shopping, At the Airport, Health Care, and 9 more..

Berlitz Latin-American Spanish/English Reference Dictionary

Site: Aula Diez Español Online - Interactive Spanish Exercises

Author: Susana Diez de la Cortina Montemayor

URL: http://www.auladiez.com/spanish/spanish_exercises.html

Aula Diez sells complete online Spanish Language courses, but the exercises linked from this page are free. Do the exercises online and get instant feedback. The exercises are in Spanish, so if you're a rank beginner you may find them a bit hard to figure out the instructions, but they're quite worthwhile for a student with a bit of Spanish background.

Basic Welsh: A Grammar and Workbook

An important supplement to any study in modern Welsh language, with emphasis on colloquial, spoken Welsh as used my modern-day native speakers

Site: Catchprhase Lessons (Welsh)

Author: BBC Wales

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/catchphrase/catchphrase1/all.shtml

Wow! There are 72 interactive Welsh lessons on this wonderful learning site. Play audio or download it for later. Download and print lessons. This has got to be the Welsh learning site.

Tip: At the bottom of this page is a link to a page with even more Welsh language learner resources.

Tip: Subscribe to the newsletter to find out when new lessons are posted.

Teach Yourself Welsh: A Complete Course


Collins Gem Welsh Dictionary


Usborne Welsh for Beginners

Intermediate Welsh: A Grammar and Workbook

The "next step" for learners who already have a grasp of basic Welsh; a full range of challenging exercises and a Welsh-English; English-Welsh glossary. For use with Basic Welsh (above).

Site: Gwybodiadur

Author: Harry Campbell

URL: http://www.gwybodiadur.co.uk/

This site is mostly a directory of other Welsh learning reasources, but it's so lovingly researched and thorough that we felt it ought to be included here where Welsh learners might be lucky enough to find it. Books, tapes, software, magazines, newsgroups, and ever so much more are listed here. If you have a jones for Welsh, you'll want to stop off at gwybodiadur (say it three times real fast!) to find out where to go next.

Pocket Modern Welsh Dictionary

From Oxford University Press; an indespensible volume for Welsh learners.