News in Different Languages Top Sources Tips for Learners

News in Different Languages Top Sources Tips for Learners News in Different Languages: Top Sources Tips for Learners Weve got good news about news.That routine barrage of doom and gloom can do much more than put a damper on an otherwise great day.Turns out, news is a perfect resource for learning a language!But we arent just talking about the morning paper or the seven oclock report. Thats old news. Were talking about the latest in all its forms, digital media included.By now youve likely already heard that the best way to learn your target language is to dive into the deep end. Ideally, that means traveling to a new country. But of course, youre not made of plane tickets!Much like travel, the news can offer in-depth awareness about a different  language, society and culture,  including the really interesting aspects like progress in science, events in politics and the world of entertainment. And it comes in bite-size pieces.Best of all, its  a great way to learn even for people on tight budgets.Today, well be going over why and how youâ€"as a language learnerâ€"should be using the daily news.Well also be sharing some great online and offline resources you can use to get news in multiple languages.Now heres FluentU with the latest. Why Use the News to Learn Languages?Outside of language classes, news reports are often overlooked as study material by language learners. They really shouldnt be, because besides being a great resource theyre  easily accessible  in this day and age.If youve got access to the internet, you dont have to have a TV  to watch a news report and you dont need to head to a stall for a newspaper to read up on the latest. Even better, its easy to find  new content every day, which means theres more than enough opportunities for practice.News is perfect for those who want to focus on a language in its most commonly seen and heard forms, as language used in reports or newspapers is often standardized and simplified. You can avoid too many region-specific words to confuse you if youre just starting out and havent chosen a regional dialect to learn. However, while most news is standardized to an extent, theres also the opportunity for learners to focus on regional language by choosing sources from certain areas.Either way, you dont have to worry too much about understanding specialized language  like complicated scientific jargon or subtext-rich political lingo, because the news will explain content to its audience in terms the average person can grasp.Make no mistake, however, the simplicity of the language used doesnt mean learning with news will be free of challenges. Youll have to really think about some of the things youre reading or hearing. But this is actually what makes the news such a great way to widen your vocabulary through context.  You wont necessarily have to turn to language dictionaries and search for direct or close translations, which oftentimes may only confuse you if youre not learning words in their proper context.Finally, one of the largest benefits of learning through the news is that it allows you to become awa re of the important factors that shape the country and culture youre interested in,  even if you cant travel there.So now we know why the news is such a great resource for language learners. Its accessible and rife with information whether youre using it to practice listening, reading or both. But whats the best way to learn using the news?News in Different Languages: Top Sources Tips for LearnersNews comes in a variety of forms. You can hear it from friends, watch it on TV or get it on the internet. Each form comes with its benefits for different learner types and levels.So lets go through the most useful forms of media and the methods you can use to get the most out of them in your language learning experience.Simplified or Learner-friendly News ResourcesThanks to the internet, youll find that you have access to numerous websites or readily available apps suited to learners just like you. These sites offer the news rewritten as simply as possible. Others are geared towards native speakers but seek to compress or simplify the news for other reasons (to appeal to commuters or busy people, for example).These sites are great for beginners and they can benefit elementary and pre-intermediate level learners as well when used in conjunction with standard news outlets. Depending on your language level, you can use these simplified and short-form news sites to ensure that youve understood some of the essential details of a story and, in some instances, correctly determined some of the vocabulary used by newscasters.By using these sites to start out or as learning aids, you should be able to gauge your progress over time. Suffice it to say that when they get too easy for you to read, youll know its time to switch to more comprehensive literature.Chinese: Decipher ChineseEnglish: News in LevelsFrench: 20 MinutesGerman: NachrichtenleichtItalian: News in Slow ItalianJapanese: NHK News Web EasyKorean: VOA KoreaRussian: News in Slow RussianSpanish: Hola qué pasaKeep in m ind that some of these resources were designed specifically for use by students and second-language learners, meaning as you progress, youll find that the vernacular is just a little different. As an example, Nachrichtenleicht for German learners tends to break up longer German words for the sake of an easy reading experience.Dont see your target language above? Or think you could benefit from a more advanced site that still caters to learners? Foreigncy provides more advanced language learners with the news through both text and video before presenting a variety of different activities. Currently the languages available are Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Urdu.Dont worry if some of these websites seem to be above your level. Maybe youve only just started to master the basics. Using some of the tips well discuss below, youll still be able to follow along using whatever skills you do have.If you want to be able to learn as thoroughly as possible with authentic news at a ny level, and if youd like your videos handpicked and optimized for learning, this is a great time to check out FluentU. FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language lessons. Youll find actual news content, including everything from cultural analysis to celebrity gossip, with interactive captions and multimedia flashcards built in.Below, well look at some direct sources for authentic video content, and how to use video content to your advantage.Television and VideosWhile newspapers help you develop your reading skills, video reports can help you practice your listening skills. First and foremost, that means you cant just watch news videos like you would a TV show. You have to pay attention. Passive learning is not so effective here. Below, well get into ways you can learn more actively.Nowadays you can access all kinds of video content pretty easily as long as you have a device with a screen . Networks out there have expanded by posting news clips on sites like YouTube, which will actually help a lot since youre free to pause and repeat a story as many times as needed. Here are a few useful channels.Chinese: CCTVEnglish: BBC NewsFrench: France InfoGerman: DW DeutschItalian: EuronewsJapanese: FNNKorean: TV ChosunRussian: RT NewsSpanish: BBC MundoIf the news articles and reports you encounter seem to be above your level, dont be discouraged. Proceed slowly with the tips below and/or check out the simplified resources above!Pay attention, repeat words and phrasesWhile youre watching, pay attention to the vocabulary being used and repeat as many words as you can, trying to match the newscasters pronunciation as closely as you can. It might feel a little funny at first (especially if you tend to read the news in public places) but eventually youll get used to it.Try this with the words you know first, and when you feel youre ready, or if you want to challenge yourself a litt le, try to pick out new words from the report.Focus on one storyIf youre watching a playlist or watching television, its tempting to try and keep up with as much news as you can even if you dont understand it, but when youre learning through video, it will probably be more effective to select a single story and focus on it until youve learned as much as you can from it. That way youre not overwhelming yourself with news (which is often pretty bleak anyway!).Newspapers and News SitesJust a beginner? Dont be intimidated by the thought of whole blocks of text in your target language. Theres a lot to work with regardless of your level.If youre just starting out, it might be better to concentrate on the many headlines throughout a newspaper or website. Deciphering headlines is a great way to start reading because theyre written to summarize entire articles and generally use simple words.If one of your goals is to increase your awareness of a different nation or culture, you may wish to b rowse the web for a news site based in the area in question, starting with their major publications. Big news sites are generally easy to navigate and stories are neatly categorized, making reading that much easier. To save you some time, weve got just a few useful news outlets here to get you started:Chinese:  CCTV.comEnglish: BBC.comFrench:  Le MondeGerman:  Spiegel OnlineItalian: La RepubblicaJapanese: Yomiuri OnlineKorean:  Chosun.comRussian: Russian.RT.comSpanish: El PaísSkim firstWhen youve grown accustomed to reading headlines, the next step is to grow accustomed to absorbing information from the body of an actual article. Most news articles are structured so that the first paragraph offers a brief summary, while the rest of the article expands on that information.If youre an elementary level learner, a great way to use an article is to first skim its body for relevant information and see if you can piece together what the story is about.Note down vocabularyDont fret about u nderstanding specific words in the beginning. As you progress and as you go through articles, you might find that its worthwhile to note down new words to start expanding your vocabulary, trying to figure out a words meaning through context. This particular activity might be a bit too challenging for beginners or elementary level learners, but remember that its fine to stick with skimming for a while.Challenge yourself to rewrite an articleIf youre advanced enough and have got someone to help you learn your language, like a friend, exchange partner or tutor, you can use newspapers to help you practice writing. One great activity you can try is rewriting an article. Read through a story and then write it in your own words, allowing the other personâ€"who may or may not be wholly fluent in the target languageâ€"to assess your work or see if they can extract enough information to understand it.Getting the Most Out of Any News Source as a Language LearnerNow that you know just how usefu l the daily news can be, its time to take a look at a few things to keep in mind as you browse through.Take notes!Its useful to keep a notebook and pen handy while you learn so youre always ready to note down any new words you come across. Many language learners find that keeping a record of some kind, such as a language journal, improves their learning experience.Consider learning with a language exchange partnerLearning by yourself is no easy task, so you may benefit more if you have an exchange partner to support you throughout your progress. Itll open up the gates to a variety of different activities thatll help you grasp your target language more easily. Having a partner beside you while you watch or read the news can lead to discussions or debates in your target language, both of which are incredibly useful activities.Consider the larger cultural and political context of news storiesOne last thing worth mentioning is that news reports dont necessarily reflect all realities wit h as much accuracy as you might expect. This is a tip for developing an understanding of a culture and a country as much as it is for learning a language within an important cultural context.While many outlets strive to remain unbiased in their approach, others are more willing to adhere to a certain viewpoint, and all sources have their own perspectives and limitations. Take each story with a grain of salt, and also think about how the viewpoint and presentation of each story fits within the larger context of the culture and language youre learning.Pay attention to different perspectives, and then judge for yourself! And One More ThingSo you want to access the news and other media in your target language?  Then youll love learning with FluentU!With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, including movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has inte ractive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive Transcripts You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs Quiz Mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.Access the full FluentU library on your web browser or, better yet, learn on the go when you download the app at the iTunes or Google Play store!