In the good old times, when people didn’t know a thing about the internet, let alone, about using it for language learning, magazines were one of the quite popular language learning tools.
They were the storage of fresh information, published to entertain people but also to give them insight into different cultures.
Times have changed, but magazines succeeded to maintain their popularity.
So, today, you can find magazines both online and in printed forms.
If you haven’t used magazines in your target language to help you improve your language skills, now is the best time to change that.
Not only can we show you how to use language learning magazines to improve your reading and listening skills and to expand your vocabulary but also you will learn how precisely to use magazines as an effective language learning tool.
So, let’s dive in.
How to Use Language Learning Magazines to Improve a Language?
Even if it seems that magazines are there to check out in your spare time, they are a useful learning tool. Here are some tips on how you can use them to improve your target language.
Take a Quick Look at The Content
You don't need to read the whole magazine.
First, take a look at the magazine's content, which is usually at the beginning of the magazine. That way, you will see if there's any topic you might be interested in. Also, before you start reading the article, you will already prepare yourself for understanding since you know the topic of the article.
Start With The Shortest
After choosing articles, start reading the shortest ones.
Don't choose the long ones because you'll get tired quickly and the whole point will be lost.
After you finish reading the article successfully, you will feel overwhelmed and motivated to continue.
Then you can slowly go to the longer one.
Test your memory
After reading the article, there's one great way to test your memory.
Mark the words and phrases you don't know or find difficult to pronounce. Get back to them and try to repeat them until you succeed. If you don't know the meaning, read the whole sentence and try to understand the meaning from the context.
The 7 Most Notable Magazines For Language Learning
If you want to know how to learn vocabulary in a foreign language, reading magazines can be one of them.
In the following lines, you can find the 7 most notable magazines for different languages that can help you in your language learning process and help you get your path to fluency.
Bien-dire
This magazine is for French learners, something they should have as one of the learning tools.
It is one of the oldest magazines of this type and is available separately for beginners/ intermediate and advanced students.
The printed version is accompanied by the audio CD, but it costs extra money. There is also an online version of the magazine, but, let's be honest, the experience of reading online and printed versions are completely different. Also, you don't get online everything you would get with the printed magazine.
The magazine is published once in two months.
Hiragana Times
We are sure there are many Japanese students among you. So, we found the magazine worth seeing, or precisely, reading.
The magazine is available both in printed version and online, as well as audio articles available.
As for the topics, there are many different ones to practice your language and pronunciation along with the audio.
Interestingly, the magazine fee is more expensive for those who don't live in Japan.
Besides that, you can find the magazine on White Rabbit Japan for the price of 7.75.
Language Magazine
This magazine is one of the most notable ones in English learning circles.
It is mainly focused on American English, which is ideal for students who want to improve the US English variant, although the other English students will find it quite useful.
Besides writing articles about culture, this magazine suggests language learning techniques and tips for improving your language skills.
The magazine also focuses on other relevant and fresh information about organizations, research, or news.
Therefore, not only is it good for learning about language and culture but also getting informed about other scientific aspects.
National Geographic Россия
The ‘National Geographic’ is a worldwide-known magazine where you can find amazing and fun articles about different cultures, animals, people, and nature generally.
The Russian version of this magazine is ideal for intermediate and advanced language learners where students can improve their vocabulary and practice specific Russian pronunciation, not to mention the alphabet.
An online form is available as well as an annual subscription, so this is something you, as a Russian student, should consider as one of the necessary language learning tools.
Think Language Magazines
Think Language magazines are available in Spanish, French, and Italian.
It is published monthly and writes about culture. There is also an audio part.
And at the end of the magazine, you can find the grammar part.
Besides culture, this magazine is great for practicing reading and listening skills at the same time.
The ‘Think French,’ for example, offers you to improve your conversational skills with articles about bakeries or hiking the French Alps along with grammar lessons, exercises, and entertaining quizzes.
The magazine is available only online.
Tutto Italiano
It would be a shame if we don't mention one of the best magazines for Italian language learners, Tutto Italiano, in the meaning The Perfect Italian.
The magazine is available both online and printed and with or without audio.
The articles are mainly about culture but what makes this magazine worth including in your language process is the articles are published according to difficulty. Besides, after every article, there's available vocabulary.
The magazine is published once in two months but you can subscribe for a year for 99£, and even two for an even better price.
Veinte Mundos
Now, here's something Spanish language learners should pay attention to.
Veinte Mundos magazine, or in English, Twenty Minutes, is an online magazine published by Lingua Editions.
It is a real online magazine, with regularly updated articles available with several different components, such as exercises or audio.
What is interesting with this magazine is that each article is followed by grammar parts, questions about the article, and reading comprehension tasks.
You don't want to miss the chance to practice Spanish with the magazine's entertaining articles and exercises.
Final Thoughts
Once you start using them, you will easily see how these language learning magazines are not only fun and refreshing but also an efficient language learning tool.
This way, even the hardest languages can be a piece of cake.
Looking for other ways to master a new language? Try these top online learning platforms:
Begin your journey with Babbel, where you can enjoy user-friendly, enriching lessons tailored to fit seamlessly into your daily routine, complete with interactive exercises and cultural insights. For a deeper dive into language mastery, Udemy offers detailed courses that cover all proficiency levels from beginner to advanced.
Additionally, Preply provides personalized sessions with native speakers to refine your conversational skills. Get started on Preply with a 50% discount on your first session through this link.
How to Use Language Learning Magazines to Improve a Language?
Take a Quick Look at The Content, Start With The Shortest, Test your memory
What are the 7 Most Notable Magazines For Language Learning?
Bien-dire?, Hiragana Times?, Language Magazine?, National Geographic ?, Think Language Magazines?
