Foreign Languages from Scratch Online – 26 Languages for Free!

Welcome to Lingust – a free educational portal for self-studying foreign languages from scratch. Here you will find step-by-step online lessons for 26 languages: from popular English, German, French, and Spanish to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic. No prior knowledge is required – start with the first lesson of any language.

If you once studied a foreign language at school or university but have forgotten it, these lessons will help you quickly restore your foundation and move forward. Each course is designed to smoothly guide you from the alphabet and pronunciation to grammar, vocabulary, and listening comprehension.

Choose a language to learn

Currently, 26 languages are available. Click on the language you are interested in to go to the course:

How lessons are structured on Lingust

Each language course on the site is a sequence of online lessons that take you from the very basics to a confident grasp of the language foundation. Here is what awaits you:

• Step-by-step learning. Lessons are structured from simple to complex. You start with the alphabet and pronunciation, then move on to grammar, vocabulary, and texts.
• Exercises with answers. After each lesson, there are practical tasks. Enter your answer, then check it against the key. This way, you immediately see your progress.
• Audio materials. Many courses include audio to practice pronunciation and listening comprehension.
• Completely free. All lessons, exercises, and audio are available without registration and without payment.
• Community support. Under each lesson, you can ask a question in the comments. Other students or professional linguists will answer.

Which language to start with

If you haven’t decided yet, here is a quick guide to the most popular languages on the site:

• English – the language of international communication. The author’s course ‘Correct English’ will guide you from zero to an intermediate level: over 2000 words, grammar, listening, and dialogues.
• German – the second most demanded language in Europe. The course covers grammar, pronunciation, and basic vocabulary for self-study.
• French – the language of diplomacy and culture. Step-by-step lessons with audio will help you master pronunciation, which is often considered difficult.
• Spanish – one of the easiest languages to learn. 60 lessons taking you from the alphabet to reading Spanish literature.
• Chinese – the language of the world's largest economy. Lessons feature character animations and tone audio.
• Japanese and Korean – popular Asian languages with unique writing systems and cultures.
• Turkish – features logical grammar and growing popularity due to culture and tourism.

The other 18 languages – from Arabic and Hebrew to Norwegian and Serbian – are waiting for you in the list above. Choose a language and proceed to your first lesson.

Why learn a foreign language independently

• Career and work. Knowing even one foreign language increases your competitiveness in the job market. English, German, and Chinese – each opens access to specific industries and markets.
• Travel. Even a basic knowledge of the local language radically changes the quality of your trip: you understand signs, communicate with locals, and find non-touristy places.
• Culture and worldview. Language is the key to another nation's literature, cinema, music, and philosophy. Much cannot be conveyed through translation alone.
• Brain training. Learning languages improves memory, attention, multitasking skills, and even slows down age-related brain changes.
• Freedom and flexibility. Self-studying allows you to learn at your own pace, without being tied to a schedule or location. All you need is the internet and a desire to learn.

Tips for beginners

1. Study regularly. It’s better to spend 20–30 minutes every day than 3 hours once a week. Consistency is the main key to success.
2. Don’t skip lessons. Each subsequent lesson is based on the previous one. Move forward only when you have fully mastered the current material.
3. Do all the exercises. Theory without practice is quickly forgotten. Type your answers yourself, and then check them against the key.
4. Use audio. Listen to the pronunciation and repeat out loud. This is critically important for any language.
5. Don’t be afraid of mistakes. Mistakes are a normal part of learning. It is important to keep going, even if progress seems slow.

In the future, we plan to increase the number of available languages, as well as expand materials for existing ones.