international day of education
Learn languages and more online
Online language courses are available for groups or individuals.
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Education is a privilege. Curious people should know about these offers online.
The International Day of Education is still relatively young: it was only launched in 2018 by the United Nations General Assembly. In 2022, the motto of the day is “Changing course, transforming education”. If you’re past school age but don’t want to stop learning, you should take a look at these digital offerings.
learn languages
It doesn’t matter whether users want to learn a language from scratch or simply brush up on their old knowledge: there is a wide range of language learning offers on the Internet. Applications such as “Mondly”, “Duolingo”, “Babbel” or “Rosetta Stone” are designed for mobile devices and promise rapid progress with little time. Users should note that there are different versions depending on the voice output: for example, the German version of “Duolingo” only has English, Spanish and French on board, while the English version is delivered with 36 target languages. Also, not all apps explain grammar equally well: ‘Rosetta Stone’ and ‘Duolingo’, for example, don’t cover this topic at all, while ‘Babbel’ and ‘Mondly’ have grammar lessons. as part of the concept.
If you want to learn a language and not only communicate with an app, but with people, you will also find what you are looking for on the Internet: At “Lingoda”, course participants can meet online and via zoom video call, and those interested can book a free trial week to get started. At “Lingoda”, participants can also acquire official English certificates: either a GER certificate (“Common European Framework of Reference for Languages”), or a Cambridge certificate, which attests to a very good knowledge of English. With “Preply”, the teacher-student relationship is even more direct: Here, language lessons take place exclusively with a private teacher.
Browse and borrow books
Was the New Year’s resolution to read more, but the libraries are closed due to the corona pandemic? If you have a valid library card, you can still browse library catalogs through the “Libby” app. Bookworms can even borrow eBooks or audiobooks directly via the app, but it’s important to note: Due to the legal situation in Germany, loaned digital items cannot be copied indefinitely. In other words, if a book is currently on loan, you have to wait for it to be returned – even with digital copies.
If the goal is rather to discover new books or to find the right book on a subject, bookworms exchange their ideas on “Goodreads”. The community has existed since 2007, 650,000 users and more than ten million works have arrived on the site in the first year. In 2013, shipping giant Amazon took over the portal and has operated it ever since. Also, many e-book readers such as “Aldiko” or “Amazon Kindle” for mobile devices are directly linked to a store. Users will also find a large pool of classics in “Project Gutenberg”, which has been freely accessible again from Germany since October 2021 and offers classic works by authors who died at least 70 years ago – when copyright copyright expires by law.
Don’t forget anything
Several applications are preparing to train the memory of their users. One of the most popular is “Neuronation” – despite its relatively high price: The app is free in its basic version, but to be able to use its full scope you have to pay 13.99 euros per month or 84.99 euros for a whole year. In return, however, users receive a good workout for their brain muscles: logic puzzles and IQ tasks of different difficulty levels train mental fitness and increase the ability to concentrate.
One of the most popular brain training apps is only available in English: “Lumosity: Brain Training” offers more than games and workouts that train memory and concentration. Results are collected and analyzed in the form of statistics to document progress. In terms of price, the monthly subscription is slightly more expensive than “Neuronation” (11.99 euros), but the annual subscription costs significantly less (59.99 euros). “Peak” is even cheaper: the memory trainer costs 4.99 euros per month or 34.99 euros per year and is designed to increase mental flexibility, language skills and problem-solving abilities. “Neuronation”, “Lumosity” and “Peak” work because they were all developed and implemented according to scientific standards.