Here are some of the most helpful language resources I’ve used for learning the following languages:

Any Language

These are mostly reference tools that are useful no matter what language you are learning.

1. Google Translate

It may not be great at translating longer texts, but Google Translate is still my first choice for looking up single words or translating short sentences. For languages that aren’t written in the Latin script, such as Arabic, I use Google Translate’s transliteration input option to essentially type in Arabic without having to switch to an Arabic keyboard.

Note: Google Translate works best with European languages. It does a very poor job with colloquial/dialectal Arabic and does not support Cantonese.

2. Linguee

Linguee is a reference tool powered by DeepL (another machine translation option, arguably better than Google Translate). It’s great for searching up phrases and expressions because, unlike dictionaries, it will give you the definition of the whole phrase rather than just the individual words. Moreover, Linguee will show you example sentences containing your phrase so you can see how it is used in different contexts.

3. WordReference

WordReference is an online dictionary primarily for English to French, Spanish and Italian. My favourite feature is the language forum where you can ask grammar questions to native speakers from around the world. Usually, if your search doesn’t return any results in the dictionary, you’ll find a post about it in the forum.

4. Forvo

Forvo is a pronunciation dictionary that features recordings from native speakers of various languages. If you’re not sure how to pronounce a word, try searching it up on Forvo.

French 🇫🇷

Reference

Dictionary: WordReference
Verb Conjugation: Les Verbes

Language Learning

1. Comme une Française

Comme une française is a YouTube channel created by Géraldine Lepère. She has over 500 videos ranging from grammar and pronunciation to culture and vlogs. My personal favourites are her videos explaining phrases and expressions, and what to say in specific situations (i.e. how to order a coffee).

2. innerFrench

InnerFrench is another YouTube channel, but this one is focused more on pop culture and cultural topics. The host, Hugo, speaks slowly and clearly about questions like “why the French are rude” and “why the French are obsessed with Veja sneakers”, so you’ll learn the language while also learning a bit about French culture!

3. Damon Dominique

Damon makes content about travel, philosophy, lifestyle and language. His cinematic videos are a window to French culture, and you can be sure to hear French expressions sprinkled here and there, even when he’s vlogging in another country. While most of his channel is dedicated to exploring Paris and the rest of the world, he does have a few French lessons where he breaks down some of the trickiest aspects of the language in his signature goofy way; it’s like having your quirky best friend teach you French. If you’re looking for a fun and relatable teacher, I’d recommend Damon’s French course. (Note: this is an affiliate link that helps support my blog at no extra cost to you!)

4. Easy French

This is a collection of street interviews with subtitles in French and English. These videos bring you natural, unscripted conversations with real native speakers.

Media

1. Dix Pour Cent

This is a popular series on Netflix set in Paris about talent agents and the actors they manage. You can watch with English subtitles then switch to French subtitles and eventually try to understand without subtitles. I actually watched the series three times because I loved it, and it really helped me get used to the speed at which native speakers speak. I also learned a ton of slang, so if you want to talk just like a Parisian, I would recommend this series.

2. Topito

Topito is an Instagram account that posts memes and skits. Add a little French to your feed and see how the younger generation speaks.

3. Stand-up Comedy

I don’t know how I got into French stand-up comedy, but it’s a growing scene with a lot of talent. Advanced learners looking for more interesting content can check out the following comedians:

• Marina Rollman (Switzerland) – snippets of her shows can be found on YouTube, along with short rant-style videos for FranceInter
• Roman Frayssinet (France) – show snippets and his YouTube series, Migraine
• Shirley Souagnon (France) – Netflix special, YouTube
• Blanche Gardin (France) – Netflix specials, YouTube
• Tania Dutel (France) – YouTube
• Adib Alkhalidey (Canada) – Netflix special, YouTube
• Fanny Ruwet (France) – YouTube
• Maude Landry (Canada) – YouTube

Spanish 🇪🇸

Reference

Dictionary and verb conjugation: SpanishDict

SpanishDict is my favourite reference tool ever. It’s a dictionary that includes pronunciation, example sentences, verb conjugations, articles about grammar, learning exercises and vocabulary lists all in one place. Entries also include regional variants, so you can be sure to say the right word depending on which country you’re in. The best part is it’s available as an app, and the dictionary can be accessed offline (perfect for travelling!).

Language Learning

1. Spanish with Antonio

Antonio is one of the only online Spanish teachers that teaches my favourite Spanish accent: el acento andaluz. His Youtube videos and podcast help you progress in Spanish while learning to understand the unique Andalusian accent.

2. Linguriosa

Linguriosa makes some of the most interesting content about language and etymology in Spanish. This channel is more for advanced learners or even native speakers who want to delve into the inner workings of the Spanish language. However, her earlier videos are all about grammar and are directed towards beginner/intermediate learners.

3. Spanish After Hours

Laura makes comprehensible input in the form of vlogs, stories and cute #relatable skits. Her videos are completely in Spanish, but she helps you understand with gestures and little text prompts. This is a nice alternative to grammar-heavy lessons.

4. Easy Spanish

This is a collection of street interviews with subtitles in Spanish and English. These videos bring you natural, unscripted conversations with real native speakers.

Media

1. Series

Spanish series really took off after the sensation of Money Heist (La Casa de Papel). In fact, watching Money Heist during lockdown was how I dusted off and revived my high school Spanish. Other series I’ve watched are: Locked Up (Vis a Vis), Cable Girls (Las Chicas del Cable) and Express. For those interested in the Andalusian accent, I would recommend Malaka, which is a thriller that takes place in Málaga, Spain.

2. Movies

With directors like Almodóvar and del Toro, there is no shortage of great Spanish-language films. Here are some of my top picks:

• Volver (Almodóvar)
• El Laberinto del Fauno (del Toro)
• Roma (Cuarón)
• Y tu Mamá También (Cuarón)
• Amores Perros (Iñárritu)

Arabic 🇵🇸

The following language resources are mainly for Levantine Arabic.

Reference

1. The Living Arabic Project

This is the most extensive Arabic dictionary I have found so far. You can search for words in English or Arabic, as well as by root. While most dictionaries are only in Classical/Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), The Living Arabic Project also contains words from most common dialects, such as Levantine, Egyptian and Gulf. The dictionary is available in the App Store under the name ‘Lughatuna’.

2. Wiktionary

Wiktionary also has terms in MSA and colloquial Arabic/dialects, although not as many as The Living Arabic Project. The problem with Wiktionary is that you can only search for terms in Arabic as it is an encyclopedia rather than a dictionary. However, it’s still a useful tool because many of the MSA and South Levantine Arabic entries have pronunciation audio clips, verb conjugation charts, example sentences and related words that share the same root.

3. Adrian Abdul Baha’s Dictionary

Adrian is the creator of the ‘Learn Palestinian Arabic’ YouTube channel and the learning platform ‘it-Tafsir Institute for Palestinian Arabic‘ where you will find his dictionary. Most of the entries for South Levantine Arabic on Wiktionary are actually contributed by Adrian, and he has been importing them to his own more intuitive and functional dictionary. This is a work in progress, so you will still find more terms and pronunciations on Wiktionary.

4. Mo3jam

Think Urban Dictionary but for colloquial Arabic/Arabic slang. This is my last resort for when I can’t find a word in any of the above references.

Language Learning

1. Learn Palestinian Arabic

As mentioned above, this is Adrian Abdul Baha’s YouTube channel. I learned pretty much all the grammar fundamentals for Palestinian Arabic through his video lessons. He also does read-alongs where he explains each sentence one-by-one, and you can get a feel for how sentences are constructed in the dialect. He is currently working on his dictionary and his own Palestinian Arabic course, which will be on his website along with documentation and resources about grammar and pronunciation. This is truly the ultimate resource for Palestinian Arabic.

2. School of Yalla

Kareem makes short-form content about expressions and phrases in Jordanian/Palestinian Arabic on Instagram and YouTube. I use his videos as listening exercises and to learn vocabulary. He also offers paid online courses, although I have not signed up for any.

3. Learn Arabic with Maha

Maha is one of the OG YouTube Arabic teachers with over 500 videos about MSA and Palestinian Arabic. Her enthusiasm and bubbly personality make it easy to learn even the dullest grammar topics. I especially enjoy her videos on Palestinian/Levantine expressions. If you’re looking for an Arabic teacher, she offers courses online and in-person a couple times a year in Egypt and Palestine.

4. TeamMaha

If you prefer written resources over videos, you can check out the TeamMaha blog about Levantine and Egyptian Arabic. It’s not organized in the best way, but if you don’t mind scrolling through blog posts, you will learn a lot. Their complete guide to the Levantine dialect can be downloaded as a PDF here.

5. Hob Learning

This is one of the newer resources for Palestinian/Jordanian Arabic on Instagram. Faris and Sofia are a couple that makes posts about vocabulary and IG stories to test your listening comprehension. This is a great way to get bite-sized Arabic content as you scroll through your feed!

Media

1. Our Family Life (حياة عيلتنا)

This is a Jordanian kids cartoon series on YouTube recommended by Adrian from ‘Learn Palestinian Arabic’. Most of the episodes are subtitled in English and, in some cases, Korean and Turkish. Since it’s made for children, the language is simple and relatively easy to understand.

2. Salma w Sari (سلمى و سري)

Another series recommended by Adrian, this one only has a few episodes and is set in Jerusalem. It’s a pretty high-quality production and has English subtitles burned into every episode.

3. Faraj Suleiman

Faraj is a jazz pianist and singer/songwriter from Haifa, Palestine. He was my top artist last year on Spotify, and I seriously can’t stop listening to him. His last two albums ‘Upright Biano’ and ‘Better Than Berlin’ are available on YouTube with English subtitles. Advanced learners can study his lyrics to learn the Galilee variant of the Palestinian dialect.

Cantonese 🇨🇳

Being a heritage Cantonese speaker, I never learned to read or write. I decided it was finally time to change that with the help of the following resources.

Reference

1. Pleco

Pleco might just be the best Chinese dictionary out there. It has entries for Mandarin and Cantonese, pronunciation in both languages/dialects (depends on what you consider them to be), example sentences, related words and sentences and stroke order for the most common characters. The best part is you can search in English, Chinese, English transliteration, voice and handwriting! It also includes slang words and expressions, so it’s really hard not to find the word you’re looking for. The only downside is that it’s only available as an app.

2. CantoDict

I use this dictionary as a desktop alternative to Pleco. It’s not as intuitive, but it still has a huge catalogue of characters and expressions, as well as example sentences and audio submitted by users.

3. Cantonese Stroke Order

This is a handy tool that animates the stroke order of your desired Chinese characters. Stroke order is very important if you want to learn to write properly.

4. Bing Translate

Bing is the only major machine translation that supports Cantonese.

Language Learning

1. JyutToi (粵台)

JyutToi is a Cantonese learning channel on YouTube and Instagram but is definitely more active on the latter platform. Their #CantonesePhraseOfTheDay posts include pronunciation and an example sentence.

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2. Easy Cantonese

This is a short series of street interviews and beginner lessons on the Easy Languages YouTube channel. Subtitles are available in Traditional Chinese, English and Jyutping.

3. Cantonese with Brittany

Brittany is a Cantonese speaker from Canada who makes lessons and vlogs in Cantonese.

Media

1. Pomato (小薯茄)

Pomato is a Hong Kong YouTube channel that posts skits and game videos very regularly. Most of their skits have English subtitles!

2. 生活小領悟| Iced milk tea & chill

Iced milk tea is a Cantonese podcast hosted by ‘Iced Milk Tea’, who is a young medical professional in Hong Kong. The episodes are mostly about life experiences and can be quite relatable to others who have just graduated and are starting their professional lives.

3. TVB

TVB is the classic broadcaster of Hong Kong Cantonese TV series. If you search them up on YouTube, you’ll find that they have a ton of channels and have posted many of their series for free, although only some have English subtitles. My favourite series are No Regrets (巾幗梟雄之義海豪情) and Rosy Business (巾幗梟雄).

Norwegian 🇳🇴

I must say it’s been over a year since I stopped learning Norwegian, but here are the language resources I used when I was studying it.

Reference

Machine translation: Google Translate
Dictionary: Norwegian Dictionary (app)

Language Learning

1. Simple Norwegian

This YouTube channel features lessons and interviews similar to the ones found on Easy Languages.

2. Learn Norwegian with Preben

Preben has a YouTube channel and Instagram account dedicated to teaching Norwegian. He also offers courses and conversation classes on his website.

Media

1. NRK

NRK is Norway’s national broadcasting company. I follow NRK P3 on Instagram for pop culture, news and podcast content in Norwegian.

2. Førstegangstjenesten

My Norwegian friend recommended this comedy series about conscription in Norway. The four main characters are played by comedian Herman Flesvig and are meant to be caricatures of stereotypical Norwegians of the younger generation. It’s available for free on NRK TV (if you need English subtitles, you can activate closed-captions and use the Google Translate plug-in on Chrome).

Italian 🇮🇹

I took one beginner Italian course during my undergrad and had a brief streak on Duolingo, but I’ve since put it on hold to focus on Arabic. This is more of a bonus section just to mention Learn Italian with Lucrezia. Lucrezia is one of the first language YouTubers I discovered, and she has videos about grammar, expressions, pronunciation and more. She is from Rome but vlogs all over Italy (with English subtitles!). She has so much content; I’m convinced you could become fluent just by watching her videos.

Those are my favourite language resources for learning French, Spanish, Arabic, Cantonese, Norwegian and Italian. Did I miss any? Let me know your favourites in the comments below!