If you’ve ever wanted to learn a language that isn’t offered at Reed, give Italki a try! Italki has tutors and teachers from all over the world, and languages from A-Z (literally). If you’re looking to start learning anything from Azerbaijani to Zulu, check out the site to discover what else they offer! Whether you’re just starting out or want to meet with a native speaker to improve your conversation fluency, you can find the tutor you need at the time you’re available.
Look through the ‘Find a teacher’ tab to find a language you’re interested in! Just select your target language, and browse through the available teachers and tutors. You can filter based on the type of lesson you want, price, time, and more.
In my experience, Italki has been a great resource to find nicher languages. I’ve always wanted to learn Tagalog, a major language of the Philippines and my mother’s second language. However, because Tagalog wasn’t offered at Reed (or, really, most colleges and universities), I found myself stuck behind a barrier between myself and my language goals. Last semester, I had the opportunity to take weekly online classes with a teacher in the Philippines through Italki. Just for Tagalog, there are 172 teachers who support beginners, and even more community tutors for speakers who just want to keep their language skills in practice. The first class I had was a diagnostic to see which level I was at, and from there my teacher assessed how she could best support my goals. It was a fun experience to give Tagalog a try, especially because I initially thought my goals were too far away to reach. Now, I can understand when my mom talks about me behind my back, and isn’t that the best part about learning a heritage language?
If you find yourself wanting to learn something new and unique, look into Italki!