Learning a Language Online

With the development and globalization of the world, nothing can be achieved without using a language to communicate and negotiate among different countries. Thus, learning an ideally language plays an important role for the future life. Recently, learning online can be seen as a new trend to master a language. Allen, I. Elaine, and Jeff Seaman defined the word online learning as “a course where most or all of the content is delivered online. Typically have no face-to-face meetings.” This essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of learning a language online.

The advantages of learning a language online can be concluded as flexibility, cost-saving and customized service for the students. The online learning can be flexible for the students, because the students can schedule the course without considering the limitation of location and time. Besides, the students can also access or pause the course easily when it is necessary only with the computer and internet. The language learning content is also flexible on some public course. Second, online learning cost less not only by saving the expense of transportation but also the money of textbooks or other materials. Last, e-learning can offer a customized service for the students. For one aspect, the students can choice the tutors according to their situations. The tutor is a native speaker who can teach the local language or a foreigner who can understand the problems or questions of a new learner is important for the students who are willing to learn a new language. For another aspect, according to the study, online learning raises the record of the activities between the learners and tutors compared with the traditional method. Specifically, online learning can allow the students review the course, practice, seminar and lectures at any time and any places.

However, there are also some disadvantages of learning language online. The first will be the lace of face-to-face interaction between the tutors and classmates. Some studies state that the most important for learning language is practice with others. Online learning cannot provide the conversations and communications for practicing. Furthermore, learning the language through the internet cannot guarantee the plagiarism of students. There are no tutors and other students accompanied, thus self-discipline may be a challenge to be honest to the study results. Students may be easier to share others’ answers or search the answers on the internet.

In my opinion, learning language online is a new and effective way. It can save both the time and the money to attend the course compared with the traditional ways. The tutors can be changed if they cannot fit the learning habits. Although it lack of the face-to-face communication, the students can still practice through the group chats or videos. Students can also record the practice and find out their weakness. Some may worry the problems of plagiarism, while, some new software has solve the problems by monitoring and evaluating the study results.

In conclusion, although the online language learning may decrease the face-to-face interaction and increase the possibilities of plagiarism for the students, the advantages cannot be denied. The flexibility, cost-saving and customized are the reasons to gain the increase of the using of online learning. Group chats or other advanced software may be created to reduce the negative perspective of online learning.