Sometimes the desire to learn a new language is present but the money is not. Hiring a tutor can be expensive, as can enrolling in a class. On top of that, finding a tutor to begin with can be a challenge when you’re looking to learn an offbeat language like Hawaiian. Don’t let these challenges stand in your way. These obstacles are moveable; all you have to do is a little research. Lucky for you, we’re one step ahead of you. Here you’ll find some of your options when it comes to learning Hawaiian for free, so read on, find the option that sounds right for you, and get started. Now you don’t have any excuses!
Language Exchange
If you have more time than money on your hands, this is an ideal option. For those of you who don’t know, instead of hiring a tutor to teach you, language exchange allows you to trade your time and skills for your partner’s. Everyone has a skill or subject they can teach, so go ahead and do it! Sites like LRNGO make it easy to connect with a language exchange partner that’s right for you locally, or if that isn’t an option, anywhere in the world via video chat.
Online Opportunities
There a ton of language websites out there that provide basic lessons for free, giving you the foundational skills necessary to delve into the language. For an understanding of how to get started learning Hawaiian, including information on the grammatical structure of the language, Voice Nation has a great site for getting to understand how the language works.
Omniglot is a great place to start for basic historical info, alphabet, and phrase lists—but what really makes this site worthwhile to Hawaiian learners is their links page, giving you recommendations for some of the best ways to learn Hawaiian on the web, including iSpeak Hawaiian, a podcast perfect for those who already have a little bit of working Hawaiian and are interested in getting a better understanding of the culture.
YouTube is another great place to learn a language for free, so check out Learn Hawaiian’s channel, giving step by step lessons in relation to a Hawaiian textbook (for purchase). You can also check out the Hawaiian WikiBook, created by users to offer a free Hawaiian language textbook to the world.
If you’re mostly looking to strengthen your vocabulary, the Hawaiian Words - Translation and Dictionary app is perfect for you, focusing on vocabulary building.
Free Tutorials
In the end, online opportunities will be exhausted as you improve and need more challenges in your language learning. If a language exchange partner doesn’t work for you, you may find it necessary to look to hiring a tutor or paying for an online course to continue your studies. Many online options offer free tutorials so that you can test them and see if they are worth your money. You can also look for Hawaiian tutors in classifieds, and look at Hawai’i Magazine’s article talking about some of the best ways to learn Hawaiian online.
Photo Credit: Ricardo Mangual
