Want to Get #Fluent How to Use Instagram for Language Learning

Want to Get #Fluent How to Use Instagram for Language Learning Want to Get #Fluent? How to Use Instagram for Language Learning Did you know that Instagram has over 800 million users?800 million. That’s a ton of photos, captions and epic hashtags.And its all available in more than 30 languages!With so many windows into other cultures, Instagram is perfect forâ€"you guessed it!â€"language learning!So if you have an Insta-addiction, youre just a few searches, follows and likes away from an awesome language tool.Heres how to take advantage of the best Instagram can offer in terms of language and culture lessons. Why Use Instagram to Boost Language Learning?There are two words that seal the deal as far as Instagrams value for language learners: visual media.Remember when you were a kid and all your books had pictures in them? There’s a reason for that. It’s called the  multisensory learning theory, which is a fancy way of saying that when information is presented in more than one sensory format (like pictures that accompany words) its easier to learn and remember.So those beautiful Instagram posts are mor e than just pretty pictures. Combined with the  comments and captions in your target language, they provide a multisensory learning experience.By following the right accounts (well show you plenty below), you can also get up-close cultural lessons about the places where your target language is spoken.And, let’s be real here. Instagram is fun.  I don’t know about you, but any way I can bring fun into my language program is totally on my radar.Want to Get #Fluent? How to Use Instagram for Language LearningHow to Maximize Your Insta-learningInteract with Others!Interaction with other Instagrammers is invaluable for language learners. The ability to exchange opinions and share ideas in this global format is a communication boost that many language programs just don’t offer.To maximize this interaction, comment and read others’ comments. Instagram even has an automatic translation feature so if a caption or comment exceeds your language ability, just hit See Translation to activa te this option.Bookmark Posts for LaterInstagram offers a bookmark feature, which makes it easy to return to posts that you want to review later. Just hit the little bookmark icon on the bottom right under any post and itll be saved for you.When you’re ready to review, go to your profile and click the same bookmark icon in the upper right menu. This will show you all the posts youve bookmarked.Use this feature to create collections of especially helpful or motivational language posts. Its also possible to collect and categorize bookmarks for more than one language, so if you want to become a polyglot, organize a collection for each language you’re learning!Quickly Scan for Video-heavy AccountsAs youre searching for target language accounts to follow (more on that below), remember that Instagram isnt just for static images. There’s also a video clip feature.Choose accounts whose native speakers post a lot of videos so you wont just see the photos and read the captions but also hear the language spoken! This is an invaluable way to round out your comprehension skills and hone your own pronunciation.You can see which Instagrammers post frequent videos just by scanning their account page. All the thumbnails with video camera icons on them are video clips.How to Find the Best Accounts to FollowThe trick to boosting language learning with Instagram is following accounts that have more than gorgeous photographs.  I know, Instagram launched as a photo-sharing platform and, yes, we all agree that the pics are amazing, but for language-learning purposes we need more than just that.Fortunately, finding useful accounts isn’t difficult. Here are the two main types of accounts youll want to follow:Native Speakers in Your Target LanguageNative speaker accounts offer armchair traveling at its best. They bring authentic language and culture lessons right to your phone.Simply put a hashtag and the language or country you’re looking to follow into the search barâ€"just be sure to translate the language or country into the target language, so you can filter out tourists. For example, hoping to find some legit Spanish Instagrammers to follow? Try #España (#Spain) and see what pops up.Search for your hobbies in the target language, too. Think travel, sports or cooking. Your search will produce a list of accounts that you might enjoy, so scroll through them and check out a few.As you scroll through the accounts you find, follow the ones that consistently post long captions and have lots of comments. Those will help you acquire vocabulary, idioms and phrases every time you start scrolling.To give you an idea of what to look for, check out these follow-worthy native language accounts:A Casa Di Cindy  (At Cindys house)  is a charming Italian account filled with gorgeous photographs on subjects that almost anyone would find pleasing. Think pets, cooking, scenery and you’ll get the idea. This is a perfect spot to pick up basic Italian vocabulary that c an be used in everyday conversation.Madrid en tus manos (Madrid in your hands) is an absolutely gorgeous account that Spanish learners will love. Visually appealing is an understatement! This Instagrammer brings the sights, sounds and tastes of Madrid to the screen, and shows all the amazing beauty of this incredible city to its followersâ€"and no one even has to leave home to see any of it!French Words Journal is a cultural delight run by Julien Azarian, a French native who lives in Paris. With captions in both French and English it’s a visually-satisfying way to take French language learning to the next level.If you like this type of authentic, immersive language learning (and who wouldnt?) you can get an extra learning boost with FluentU. FluentU provides real foreign videos, like movie trailers, music videos, inspiring talks and more, thatve been transformed into language learning experiences.Each video comes with interactive captions providing instant definitions, visual lear ning aids and native pronunciations for any word. There are also flashcards and exercises with each video so you can remember new words when youre done watching. Its an entertaining way to absorb your target language the way native speakers really use it, with the confidence that youre actively building your vocabulary.Since its available online or as a mobile app, you can toggle between Instagram and FluentU for fun language learning throughout the day. Check out the full video library for free with a FluentU trial.Language Learning AccountsThese are Instagram accounts specifically designed to teach you a language in bite-sized posts. Theyre often run by other language learners, creating a sense of community that can be very helpful for you when the going gets tough.Again, use hashtags to find these accounts, but in English this time. For example, you can search #Spanish or #learnSpanish for lots of results. Also be sure to check out the Instagram accounts of any language programs that youre already using in your studies.Some accounts feature flashcards and daily words, which are a great way to consistently boost your vocabulary and memory, so look for accounts that post this type of material at least several times a week. You can also  keep a vocabulary list taken from the accountâ€"especially if there are idioms or location-specific phrases that aren’t usually found in other resources.Here are some excellent educational accounts for several major languages:French Words is a wildly popular account, with more than 580,000 followers who check in every day to learn a new French word, quote or expression. Its the language-focused counterpart of French Words Journal, mentioned above.Phrases range from the commonplaceâ€"Quoi de neuf? (Whats new?)â€"to the racyâ€"S’envoyer en l’air  (Get laid; although the literal meaning is to throw oneself in the air). All have pronunciation guides, so whatever is posted can be readily vocalized.Italian Words features a dai ly Italian word or phrase. The authentic expressions arent only entertaining but are also often socially relevant. La Marcia Delle Donne (Women’s March) and mai soli (never alone) were two recent posts. Both garnered hundreds of likes.How to Spanish is an Instagram account to tickle the funny bone. It’s a compilation of everyday expressions that are demonstrated with memes and video clips. It is, quite simply, a fast, fun way to acquire Spanish.“Tengo un departamento en Manhattan” (“I’ve got a condo in Manhattan”) is a post presented by none other than a dancing Bruno Mars. And “Llegas tarde” (“You’re late”) lets Judge Judy hammer the expression home. Watch it for the fun of it. You’ll learn without even trying.English Outside the Box belongs to an American English teacher whose photos and videos of home, family and kidsâ€"in other words, average American lifeâ€"are a great boost to anyone learning English.English with Adriana teaches slang, common phrases and pronunciation. This Australian English educator keeps it simple, clean and uncomplicated. Its a great spot for basic-level English language learners.Irastudyru highlights Russian grammar and vocabulary using illustrations similar to those found in conventional schoolrooms. Its a clear, concise account that focuses on the fundamentals of the Russian language.Russian Words Daily is an absolute go-to account for Russian language learners. The words and phrases are basic and come with pronunciation guides. This account offers great potential for building a foundational vocabulary.Learn Portuguese Daily is another account that helps build a good vocabulary, but this one even includes some texting shortcuts in addition to words and phrases. Each post is accompanied by explanatory captions in Portuguese, English and sometimes Spanish.Learn Japanese is a vocabulary-building account. There are illustrations rather than photographs on this account. The illustrations are inventive and funâ €"and apply perfectly to whatever word or phrase they showcase. A bonus with this account is that it includes kanji, which is great as that’s often a hurdle for Japanese language learners.Instagram is a social network. By its very nature, social media is beneficial for language learning. It’s the perfect spot  for sharing ideas, culture and language.Boost your language learning. Follow some language-friendly accounts and  take your communication skills from #adequate to #epic! And One More ThingYou can start making Instagram and FluentU an enjoyable part of your daily routine today. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive 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 TranscriptsYou 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.