Foreigncy is a new language learning aid designed specifically for intermediate to advanced speakers of Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hebrew, and Russian. Its goal is to help students who already know the basics of a foreign language keep their skills sharp by completing intricately designed lesson plans that incorporate real news articles in their desired language.
How it work
Each week, Foreigncy chooses five articles and prepares them as learning materials by using the following three-step process:
- First, in order to provide the student with context, Foreigncy provides the user with an English summary of the news article she or he is about to read.
- Next, Foreigncy provides the student with a set of vocabulary lists, flashcards, and quizzes meant to prepare them to read the foreign language article.
- Lastly, once the student has a strong grasp of the vocabulary and subject matter, she or he reads the article.
A major benefit of Foreigncy’s approach is that students do not have to find news articles and try to decipher obscure vocabulary words themselves. This type of practice could be helpful for expanding students’ vocabulary simply. It is also likely beneficial for those who are no longer enrolled in a formal language class, but who want to continue to be exposed to a certain language.
One potential drawback of this reading-based approach is that it is not explicitly geared toward improving one’s speaking ability. Users of Foreigncy would still need to have a way to maintain their oral proficiency, be it through talking to a native speaker or using another language learning aid. Nevertheless, when combined with a means of keeping one’s speaking abilities sharp, Foreigncy is a promising language acquisition aid for both practical and purely educational purposes.