Transparent Language eBooks

Teach Language Asynchronously

Teach Language Asynchronously

We live in a digital world that allows our students to access information 24/7. Why not use that to your advantage by teaching your students asynchronously? Asynchronous learning is a student-centered teaching approach that employs a wide variety of web, mobile, and cloud-based tools outside of regular school hours, thus removing the constraints of time and place. The tools at your disposal are many: social media, mobile applications, collaborative communication, learning objects, blogs, and beyond. In this eBook, we'll share our best practices and favorite tools for teaching asynchronously.

Create a Communicative Language Classroom

Create a Communicative Language Classroom

Comprehension and communication are two major goals for language learners, so it's no surprise that many language teachers prefer teaching through communicative activities. But it takes time and creativity to create a successful communicative classroom. This method requires spontaneity and a variety of engaging activities and exercises. In this eBook, we'll walk you through some of our favorite communicative activities for reading, writing, listening, and speaking, tested and perfected by a 20-year language teaching veteran!

Around the World in 17 Recipes

Around the World in 17 Recipes

Behind every great recipe lies a story of the people who enjoy it and the culture that influenced it. In this eCookBook, we introduce your tongue to new tastes and new languages, with 17 bilingual recipes, presented in English and the target country's language. We hope you will find a new meal, and a new culture, to share next time you gather around the table. Bon appétit!

Make It Last: 9 Tactics for Memorizing, Understanding, and Retaining a Foreign Language

Make It Last

We've all done it: crammed exhaustively for several hours the night before an exam, fueled by energy drinks and chocolate bars. You pat yourself on the back as you regurgitate the information on the paper the next day, then promptly forget it, as if you'd never learned it at all. This method may help you pass tomorrow's exam, but it certainly won't help you understanding and retain the material in the long run. Learning a foreign language is not just about passing a test—it's about the long-term goal of communication. In this eBook, we'll explore 9 language-learning tactics that ensure deep understanding and long-term retention.

Raising Globally-Minded Children in Your Own Home

Raising Globally-Minded Children in Your Own Home

Our children will inherit a far more diverse and interconnected world than the one we live in today. Globalization is rapidly deepening international connections in business, technology, politics, science, security, entertainment, and beyond. However, the United States continues to fall behind, failing to raise a new generation of globally-competent citizens. That's why many parents are taking it upon themselves to prepare their children for this increasingly globalized world. But that undertaking does not have to feel like a burden. In fact, it can, and should, be fun! In this eBook, we explore thirteen ways to raise globally-minded children, from the comfort of your own home.

10 Ways to Make More Time for Language Learning

10 Ways to Make More Time for Language Learning

One of the most common reasons learners give up on a new language is a perceived lack of time. While daily exposure to a language is paramount to the learning process, you do not need to devote hour after hour to studying. Just half an hour of studying per day will ensure language retention and prevent you from burning out. Think you don't have 30 minutes to spare? We've written this eBook to help you find that time. No more excuses: fit a language into your busy schedule with these 10 simple changes to your daily routine.

15 Habits of Successful Language Learners

15 Habits of Successful Language Learners

Learning a language is a lifelong process that requires repeated exposure and long-term commitment. Learners who form good habits early on are more likely to stick it out for the long haul and achieve their language goals. That's why five experienced language learners from the Transparent Language blog team have written this eBook, chock-full of advice that will help you incorporate a new language into your daily routine.

Top 10 Tips For Language Learning

Top 10 Tips For Language Learning

When you're a self-guided language learner, you must fill the roles of both student and teacher. The team of linguists and instructors at Transparent Language has written this eBook to help you structure your self-guided learning efforts for the most efficient use of your time, and the most successful outcome. You'll gain insight into how to: assess your goals and create a study plan before you begin, leverage free resources and technology, as well as maintain your learning efforts over time.

The Beginner's guide to Mandarin Chinese

The Beginner's Guide to Mandarin Chinese

With more than one billion speakers worldwide, it's not hard to see why many people are learning Chinese as a second language. It's also not hard to see why so many learners get intimidated by the language. In this Beginner's Guide to Mandarin, we'll walk you through nine chapters of basics, including:

  • Introductions
  • Numbers
  • Measure Words
  • Asking Questions
  • Tones
  • and more!
The Beginner's Guide to French

The Beginner's Guide to French

French is often considered the language of love, so it's not hard to see why you'd want to learn it! It's also not hard to see why so many learners get overwhelmed and fall out of love with learning it. In this Beginner's Guide to French, we will walk you through nine chapters of basics, including:

  • Accent Marks
  • Numbers
  • Asking Questions
  • Conjugating Verbs
  • and more!
The Beginner's Guide to German

The Beginner's Guide to German

Whether it's to boost your career, to connect with your heritage, or just to satisfy some course credits, you can't go wrong learning German. But we all know learning a language on your own can go horribly wrong without some excellent resources to help you. In this Beginner's Guide to German, we will walk you through nine chapters of basics, including:

  • Noun Gender
  • Numbers
  • Asking Questions
  • Conjugating Verbs
  • and more!
The Beginner's Guide to Italian

The Beginner's Guide to Italian

Whether it's to boost your career, to connect with your heritage, or just to satisfy some course credits, you can't go wrong learning Italian. But we all know learning a language on your own can go horribly wrong without some excellent resources to help you. In this Beginner's Guide to Italian, we will walk you through nine chapters of basics, including:

  • Noun Gender
  • Numbers
  • Asking Questions
  • Conjugating Verbs
  • and more!
Beginner's Guide to Brazilian Portuguese

Beginner's Guide to Brazilian Portuguese

Whether it's to boost your career, to connect with your heritage, or just to satisfy some course credits, you can't go wrong learning Portuguese. But we all know learning a language on your own can go horribly wrong without some excellent resources to help you. In this Beginner's Guide to Brazilian Portuguese, we will walk you through ten chapters of basics, including:

  • Pronunciation
  • Asking Questions
  • Conjugating Verbs
  • Irregular Verbs
  • and more!
The Beginner's Guide to Spanish

The Beginner's Guide to Spanish

Whether it's to boost your career, to connect with your heritage, or just to satisfy some course credits, you can't go wrong learning Spanish. But we all know learning a language on your own can go horribly wrong without some excellent resources to help you. In this Beginner's Guide to Spanish, we will walk you through nine chapters of basics, including:

  • Noun Gender
  • Numbers
  • Asking Questions
  • Conjugating Verbs
  • and more!