Learn Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Malay, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian and Dutch online with these free language courses for beginners.
Oh, the magic of new beginnings. “In the beginning was the myth”, Hermann Hesse wrote, one of my favorite German authors.
Starting something new is such a wonderful feeling. Every time I start learning a new language, it feels like a door opens to this magical new world that didn’t exist before.
Learning a new language for free is even better. MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) are a great way to try something new without too much commitment.
Are you thinking about studying Korean? Do you want to learn Spanish for your next trip to Peru? Are you planning to study in the Netherlands?
By taking a free online course you can see if you really want to study more of the language.
Free Language Courses for Beginners
While the introductory courses only give you a taste of the language, it is great to have a guided course created and taught by real people and experts. Especially in the beginning, a well-structured course gives you a good first impression of the language and the culture.
These courses mainly focus on reading and listening skills in the language, but you will also learn some useful phrases and get acquainted with the sounds and structure of the new language.
Of course, you will not be fluent by the end of a three-week course, but you will definitely learn something useful. They will prepare you to introduce yourself, ask basic questions, and conduct a short conversation in the language.
Here are 16 great free online language courses for beginners to learn Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Malay, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian and Dutch.
So, give it a try!
Free Spanish Language Courses for Beginners
1) Basic Spanish from Universitat Politècnica de Valencia
Where: EdX
When: anytime
Length: 7 weeks
If you want to learn Spanish, this course is a great start. This course has several levels and it is a self-paced course that you can start anytime. It really teaches you the basics of Spanish, which is a great skill to have no matter what. Note that this course is focused on Spanish from Spain, which is quite different from the Spanish spoken in Latin America.
2) Spanish across the Americas: Beginners from UNC
Where: Futurelearn
When: September 2017
Length: 4 weeks
If it’s Latin American Spanish you are looking for, this is the course you should take. Spanish is such an interesting language because it is spread so widely and varies so greatly across the American continent. More than 80% of Spanish speakers live in Latin America.
Personally, I have enjoyed learning and speaking Spanish, and doing so by travelling through South America. I cannot wait to get to know more of Latin America. If you are anything like me and want to explore this region through the Spanish language, this course will be valuable for you.
3) Basic Spanish Vocabulary from UC Davis
Where: Coursera
When: 3 July 2017
Length: 5 courses, each lasts 4 weeks
Focusing on vocabulary in different contexts. Depending on your interests and level, you can choose several specializations: Meeting people, Cultural experience, Sports, travel and the home, and Careers and social events. Or you can just do all of them!
Free Japanese Language Courses for Beginners
4) Introductory Japanese Language from Universiti Teknologi Mara
Where: Openlearning
When: anytime
Length: 10 weeks
Have you always wanted to learn Japanese, but didn’t know how to start? The platform Openlearning.org seems to be new and is not very easy to navigate. However, this introductory Japanese language class is interesting and very comprehensive. It teaches you useful basic phrases you need to know in Japanese, how to count, some grammar, and how to recognize and read Hiragana characters. Have fun!
5) Japanese Language: Introduction to Japanese Scripts from NPTEL
Where: Alison Courses
When: anytime
Length: 2-3 hours
Are you interested in learning the Japanese language? This is a short course that gives you an overview of the Japanese scripts. You will also learn some basics and useful phrases of the language. If you are not familiar with the Japanese script, this is the course for you.
Free Italian Language Course for Beginners
6) Italian for Beginners from the Open University
Where: Futurelearn
When: 29 May 2017
Length: 6 courses, 4 weeks each
If you are interested in the Italian language, this series of 6 courses of basic-level Italian. Learn the basics of the beautiful Italian language. Plus, for your wanderlust, you will learn more about the wonderful Italian culture.
Free Mandarin Language Courses for Beginners
7) Chinese for Beginners from Peking University
Where: Coursera
When: 14 June 2017
Length: 7 weeks
Thinking of learning Mandarin Chinese? The course makes it accessible without learning the Chinese characters. I took this course myself and thought it was a great introduction to the Mandarin language, especially the phonetics and basic expressions. The instructor gives you plenty of opportunities to practice the vocabulary and pronunciation. There is also a second, more advanced course: More Chinese for Beginners.
8) Basic Mandarin Chinese from MandarinX
Where: EdX
When: anytime
Length: 6 weeks
This course is similar to Coursera’s Mandarin course for beginners, but this one also teaches you basic phrases, vocabulary and teaches you an introduction to the pronunciation. However, this course offered by EdX is self-paced, so you can take as much time as you want.
9) Essential Chinese for Travelers on Udemy
Where: Udemy
When: anytime
Length: approx. 3 hours
Maybe you want to learn introductory Mandarin for traveling. This is a very short Udemy course that is free and a great introduction to the language.
Free Korean Language Courses for Beginners
10) Introduction to Korean from Hanyang University
Where: Futurelearn
When: Starts on 29 May 2017
Length: 6 weeks
Korea offers more and more opportunities as a country. This course teaches you basic Korean language skills and gives you an introduction to the country and culture.
11) First Step Korean from Yonsei University
Where: Coursera
When: 26 June 2017
Length: 5 weeks
I took this course a while ago and thought it was fantastic. Korean is a language I definitely want to learn somewhere down the road. This course teaches you to read and write Korean alphabet. You will also learn basic phrases and of course, some interesting facts about Korean culture. If you like it and want to continue learning Korean, you can join the second course: Learn to Speak Korean.
Free Norwegian Language Course for Beginners
12) Introduction to Norwegian from the University of Oslo
Where: Futurelearn
When: Starting on 15 May 2017
Length: 4 weeks
Are you planning on going to Norway to study, travel or work? Interested in Norwegian culture? Both Norway as a country and Norwegian as a language are very interesting. This basic course is a great introduction to this North Germanic language.
Free French Language Course for Beginners
13) Diploma in French Language Studies from the University of Texas, Austin
Where: Alison
When: anytime
Length: 10-15 hours (16 modules in total)
If you have ever wanted to learn basic French vocabulary, pronunciation, and phrases for social situations, you should join this rather short course. You will not only learn the basics of the language, but also more about the French culture, such as French holidays.
Free Dutch Language Course for Beginners
14) Introduction to Dutch by the University of Groningen
Where: Futurelearn
When: Starts in August 2017
Length: 3 weeks
This beginner’s course offered by the University of Groningen (a beautiful city, by the way) gives you a short introduction to the Dutch language. You will mainly learn reading and listening. The course is taught in English.
Personally, I love the Dutch language. It is a challenge because of the sounds, but there are many interesting similarities between Dutch, English and German, not to mention the benefits of visiting the Netherlands – an amazing country with a fascinating culture. So, learning Dutch will definitely be rewarding!
Free German Language Course for Beginners
15) Conversational German – First Contact from Cambridge University
Where: Alison Courses
When: anytime
Length: 2-3 hours in total
Have you ever wanted to learn German? This short introductory course covers the basics you need to know to start your German learning journey. The course mainly focuses on the German pronunciation and includes some vocabulary and grammar. Viel Spaß!
Free Malay Language Course for Beginners
16) Introduction to Malay Language from the University of Malaya
Where: Futurelearn
When: Starts in August 2017
Length: 3 weeks
How cool is that?! You can now discover the language and culture of Malaysia through a 3-week online course for free. Malay is spoken by over 60 million people and is an official language in many countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore.
In this course, you will learn basic Malay vocabulary and phrases. The course focuses mainly on basic speaking and writing. Even the course videos are in Malay with English subtitles, so you can start learning right away.