As mentioned in a previous KlikTrans article, the best way to learn English–or any non-native language for that matter–is to live in a country in which that language is spoken. Even though this is certainly the best way to learn, simply because our minds absorb more information when we are in a completely immersed environment, sometimes moving to a different country isn’t all that easy.

A decade or two ago, if you couldn’t travel, then learning a language was much more difficult because then you’d have to resort to books. But now we have the Internet, in which cultural barriers are being broken every day. If you really wanted to, you can achieve the immersion environment that was previously only possible through extensive and expensive travel.

One of the best resources for learning English online is through live chat with native speakers. Skype is one of the easiest ways to do this, and it’s free, too. If you don’t yet have Skype, you can download it here. To join an English speaking community you can check out Skype forums, which have sites that are specifically geared toward non-native learners who want to chat with native English speakers.

Another great web resource that leverages the power of the Internet to bring people together from all over the globe to learn together is Although LiveMocha offers advanced lessons for a fee, you can get tons of free lessons by earning points, based on how much you contribute to the community. For example, if you help a member learn your own native language by correcting paragraphs and audio files that they submit to you and others, then you earn more and more points, granting you access to more features on the site. Native English speakers on the site will in turn help you with any questions you may have.

In addition to LiveMocha and Skype, there are hundreds of online resources in which you can brush up on your English. A few that come to mind are TalkEnglish – www.talkenglish.com and LangoLab – en.langolab.com. LangoLab is unique in that enables users of various proficiency levels to watch native language videos–like commercials– and then it asks you questions to see how well you grasped the material.

These are only a few resources for English language learners. So if you don’t think you can go abroad, remember that learning on the Internet can be almost just as effective, if you find resources that enable you to engage with native speakers.