Review: Livemocha

(7/9/09)- Today’s blog is a review of the language-learning website Livemocha. Part lesson page, part forum, the site works to create a cooperative environment where students of various languages mingle and critique the work of one another.

There are three units in the Korean language course, with five or six lessons in each unit, adding up to a total of 50 study hours, according to the site. The website offers Korean courses 101, 102, 201, and 202. The first two courses are fifty hours apiece while the latter courses are only thirty hours each.

According to the description, in its sixteen lessons course 101 covers, among other things, the following topics:
-First nouns,
-1st, 2nd, 3rd person,
-Verb “to be”,
-Negative actions,
-Numbers,
-Time/Date.

Each lesson is broken up into two sections: Learn and Review. In the Learn section, new phrases are displayed with audio and visual accompaniments, with an option for translation. For the Review portion, students must use their new familiarity with the sound, sight, and structure of the sentences given in the Learn section to answer forty questions. Extra study materials can be found in four additional categories, and vocabulary flashcards can be made for review and extra study.

I have finished the first two lessons of the Korean 101 course, and here is a review of its advantages and disadvantages, as I see it:

The Korean portion of the site lacks the written and spoken sections available in other language lessons, affecting the usefulness of a site designed around a community of language learners who review work for each other.

There are a few sound files in the second lesson which do not work properly, though I cannot verify if such issues are present in lessons further on in the course. There were no problems in the first lesson. The first two lessons use the same images and adjectives, but by the third lesson, new adjectives and images are used.

The lessons do not actually introduce grammar rules, nor do they introduce the Korean written script. There is also no romanization of texts provided to aid with pronunciation. Therefore, it seems that despite the website’s claims that 101 is intended for an absolute beginner, the lessons are more beneficial for a student who has already grasped the basic structure of the language and needs only a source of vocabulary and practice with listening and recognition.

The site’s greatest strength is the effort applied to motivate students to continue studying. Mochapoints are tallied, and points can be gained from actions such as completing lessons, as well as creating and practicing with flash cards. Points can also be attained through commenting on the work of others, so while you may be on your own with your lessons, you can help correct and encourage others who are working on your native or second language. Sometimes thinking about how others work to learn your language can improve your personal studying methods as well.

All in all, the site doesn’t earn full marks, but it is a useful tool for students who have already begun the undertaking of the language and need some extra lessons to keep them sharp during the summer months. Even if you’re not studying Korean right now, maybe a language you are in fact learning is available on the site. You should check it out!

If you’ve ever used Livemocha, let me know! Or if you’ve found another site for learning languages that you’ve found useful, tell me what you liked about it!