Language Retention Resources
Young Professions in Foreign Policy:
https://www.ypfp.org/engage/discussion-groups
Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) is an international network of emerging professionals in international affairs. YPFP’s membership spans 80 countries and a network of over 20,000. We engage, build, and amplify an international community of young, dynamic, diverse leaders from all sectors to accelerate their impact on critical global challenges. Currently, we are located in Washington DC, Brussels, London, New York, Toronto, and San Francisco. Each city hosts events, discussion groups, speakers, insights on foreign policy, opportunities to publish, and avenues to enhance language abilities. Register for a year's membership here: https://www.ypfp.org/become-a-member/
The China Guys
For all you China Nerds out there: https://thechinaguys.com/about-us/join-us/china-watchers/
Global Language Network:
https://thegln.org/learn/schedule-logistics/
Enrollment in the Global Language Network’s spring semester is now open! GLN is a largely volunteer-run organization and has offerings in many CLS languages at various levels, plus others from Kachin to Kazakh.
Washington, DC-specific resources:
https://www.conversationaldc.com
https://www.meetup.com/languagedc/
Asian Language Exchange and Social Network (ALESN)
We are the Asian Language Exchange & Social Network (ALESN – pronounced “Allison”), a volunteer-run program that is focused on teaching Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) and other Asian languages. ALESN currently has over 20 volunteers and hundreds of active participants coming together from diverse backgrounds to learn and help spread our love for Asian languages and cultures.
Click the logo above to receive a 90% discount to the LIFETIME membership for Mondly! This lifetime membership includes access to more than 30 languages for $89.99
See what resources your fellow CLS alums use to keep up with their language and further their skills
Do you have a preferred online dictionary or app that you use? Don’t see it here? E-mail us your favorite language resource at communications@clsas.org, tell us why you use it and what its best features are, and we’ll add it to the list!
Babbel - Paid subscription website with focus on vocabulary and grammar for conversational skills.
DuoLingo - Free website that builds linguistic skills through translation.
Mondly - Free app/software to practice language skills through quizzes and exercises (discount link above!)
Lectia - A new type of language learning app for the real world | Brought to you by the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland
LingQ - A freemium website that provides authentic reading practice with built in vocabulary exercises.
Mango - Paid website and app that uses scripts with practice speaking and listening.
Rosetta Stone - Paid software that uses flashcard type exercises to improve reading, speaking, listening, and writing.
Verbling - An online marketplace of language teachers offering 1:1 lessons.
iTalki - An online marketplace of language teachers offering 1:1 lessons.
Other notable platforms:
Chinese
Chinese Pod - a popular paid platform that provides hours and hours of themed audio lessons (with accompanying documents and exercises) at all learning levels. Chinese Pod is currently experiencing a major turnover in staff, but its archives alone are worth the price.
Skritter - a writing practice platform that uses vocab lists from 300+ commonly used textbooks with drilling and lessons that work well on smart phone or tablet.
The Chairman's Bao - Primarily built to engage reading skills, this platform offers news articles at levels graded according to the HSK.
Hacking Chinese - This platform offers lessons and guidelines for learning Chinese efficiently according to language learning research that is tailored for Westerners learning the Chinese language.
American Mandarin Society
http://www.mandarinsociety.org/
Dictionary:
Pleco - Chinese-English dictionary for IOS and Android. Able to search pinyin or english words/ phrases. OCR (optical character recognition) feature which allows you to scan and translate Chinese text with your phone.
KTdict C-E -Chinese-English dictionary for IOS. Able to search pinyin or english words/ phrases. OCR (optical character recognition) feature which allows you to scan and translate Chinese text with your phone.
Hindi
Shabkhosh
This has a word and quote of the day in Hindi and serves as an online dictionary; it was well used and preferred by many CLS students.
Hinkhoj
This has a word and quote of the day in Hindi and serves as an online dictionary; it was used as a secondary dictionary, as the preferred was Shabdkosh. The Hinkhoj phone app was preferred over Shabkhosh by many CLS students.
Modern Hindi Grammar
http://www.koausa.org/iils/pdf/ModernHindiGrammar.pdf
This includes vocabulary and grammar lessons. It does not have many short stories or passages to improve reading speed, but provides topic-based vocabulary sections to improve your writing and reading comprehension.
A Door into Hindi
https://taj.oasis.unc.edu/lessons.html
This provides vocabulary and grammar lessons with some practice exercises. If you have already learned the material during CLS, A Door into Hindi provides an excellent, thorough review of grammar nuances that you may have forgotten.
A Primer of Modern Standard Hindi, Michael C. Shapiro
This is a Hindi vocabulary and grammar book that is used by many beginner to intermediate CLS students; it will expand vocabulary, provide grammar exercises, and improve reading speed and comprehension via short stories. The vocabulary is not organized by subject/topic, however.
Persian/Farsi
For advanced Persian language learners, the Dehkhoda Dictionary is one of the most streamlined, effective dictionaries to use. However, it is only in Persian, no English.
If you would prefer a Persian-English dictionary, the University of Chicago hosts Hayyim online.
The app AEPD is also an excellent resource, and gives definitions in English, as well as examples of how the word might be used in Persian. However, note that the most common definitions may not be the first definition provided.
If mobile learning is your preferred method, Mondly Persian is an app for Android and Apple devices that allows you to learn vocab and take a free quiz a day!
Russian
https://gloss.dliflc.edu/ - Listening and reading comprehension practice with modules for all levels.
http://archive.yalebooks.com/advancedrussian/glossary2.html - Good list of cohesion devices.
http://www.russianmentor.net/dlpr/index.htm - Russian Mentor. No longer maintained, but very good reading comprehension prep for the DLPT. Make sure to read the set up instructions, then select "materials" and then work through the modules in order. Topics covered: economics, crime, military, catastrophes, space, foreign policy, op-eds. All multiple choice questions.
https://www.kanopy.com/category/supplier/stage-russia - Russian-language productions of golden and silver age plays. Requires university or public library account to access.
Turkish
https://turkishconnexion.com/ - Membership at Turkish Connexion offers "free Supplementary materials, customized levels, small classes, weekly assignments, tests, games, presentations, and monthly cultural activities outside of class."