Perfect List Of 12 Gifts For Language Learners: Boost Your Language Skills
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This article gives you a list of 12 ideas/gifts for language learner. It contains a mixture of fun games to learn languages, for beginners and advanced learners, to my own ideas I’ve been using myself during my language journeys.
If you’ve been following my advice on learning a language (for travel), you know that I love to approach learning in a very practical way. That’s why I’ve come up with all these ideas and gifts for language learners to boost their language process. I use many of these ideas and things on my own. They’ve helped me a lot on my journey towards being fluent in 4 languages so far.
So, let’s head to the list of gifts for language learners they will absolutely love.
List Of Gifts For Language Learners
- Language travel notebook
- Cards with language sentences
- Dice game
- Storytelling cards
- Retell a story cards
- Flashcards
- Word puzzles
- Digital voice recorder
- Language App/Podcast subscription
- Blank recipe book
- Foreign language books
- Language exchange program
How To Choose The Perfect Gift For Language Learners?
If you haven’t been into a language learning in your life, but you have that friend that is crazy about languages, it might be challenging for you to find the perfect present for him. These questions will help you to choose:
- Is the gift for a beginner or intermediate/advanced language learner?
- What other passions does the language learner have?
- At which stage of a language process is he/she? (learning vocabulary, want to improve speaking, understanding, or pronunciation, want to learn more words as an advanced learner)
- What’s the purpose of him learning the language? (just for fun, will live, study, or work abroad, needs to learn for an exam, is passionate about languages)
Keep these questions in mind, and let’s head to the list of gifts for language learners. Whenever you can’t decide, ask yourself these questions. They’ll hopefully help you to choose the perfect present.
PRO TIP: If you are unsure at which stage of the learning process they are, just be a little sneaky. Come and ask them about their learning journey. They are beginners or intermediate, what they are currently learning, which language skills they’re working on, and why they are learning the language. Just be interested in their language journey and then choose a present based on their answers :).
1. LANGUAGE TRAVEL NOTEBOOK
Language Travel Notebook is a tool that will help everybody learn vocabulary more effectively. It’s a notebook to keep track of vocabulary you want to learn within a specific topic (airport, communication in class, accommodation, booking tours, etc.). You can write down words you want to learn. Then, carry it everywhere with you to look up the words whenever you need them and remember vocabulary more easily.
It guides you through the exact method I’ve developed over the past 10 years of learning languages on my own. It helps you choose vocabulary within 1 topic, write the words down, learn them, and create sentences using the vocabulary. You’ll also have motivational phrases at the end to keep you motivated during the learning process.
As a passionate linguist and almost polyglot ? (speaking 4 foreign languages), I’ve designed a gift that will satisfy every language learner and traveler.
Benefits Of Language Travel Notebook
- Helps you to keep track of your vocabulary and new words you’re learning
- Guides you through a language learning method – learning vocabulary in topics to keep it reasonable
- Helps you to organize words you’re learning and remember them
- Keeps you motivated when learning new words
For Whom To Buy?
- beginner, intermediate, and also advanced
- for everybody with any kind of passion – they’ll write vocabulary in topics they’re passionate about and interested in
- those who want to learn and keep track of new words and vocabulary
- want to learn vocabulary and synonyms of the words
- for all purposes of the language learning
2. CARDS WITH LANGUAGE SENTENCES
The most important thing is to have fun when learning a language. That’s when games like cards or pexeso come into play. These are usual cards, but their images are replaced by sentences in various languages. For instance, if you want to learn Spanish as a beginner, get the Spanish cards. They will contain sentences such as: ‘Cómo estás?’ with an English translation right below it: How are you? Of course, they also include 2 Jokers.
This is a great way to have fun and learn a language you want on the way.
The cards are available in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, or Mandarin. The cards below are currently available in Amazon shop, check them out:
For Whom To Buy?
- beginner learners
- for those who like to play games and have fun + learn languages along the way
- those who want to learn new vocabulary and whole sentences, appropriate use of the words
- for all purposes of the language learning if they are beginners
- great for those who are the only one learner languages in the family, circle of friends (everybody else can play normal cards, and that person has the extra benefit of learning new sentences)
3. DICE GAME
The dice game is an excellent way to learn a language. You already have to know a decent number of words in the language to play this game. Once you’re ready, throw the dice and construct a word out of the letters that appeared on the dice.
You’ll record your words and who had the highest number of words; the person is the winner.
For Whom To Buy?
- beginners (but they have to know a few words already), intermediate & advanced learners
- those who want to refresh their vocabulary, practice it, and want to learn thinking in that language
- for those who like to play games and have fun + learn languages along the way
- those who like to be creative
- better for those who have a friend they can play these dice with (friends or family members who are also learning the language)
- for all purposes of the language learning
4. STORYTELLING CARDS
Storytelling cards with images help you to be more flexible in using the language and new words. Can you relate to the situation when you’re in a foreign country, trying to speak that language (you’ve been learning for ages at school)… but once you’re there, the words simply don’t come to your mind, or you’re afraid of speaking because you feel like you’ll mess the sentences up?
Yes, I know, I’ve been there too.
This game helps you a lot to train your mind. You’ll have images that you have to put in a certain order so that they make a sequence or a story together. After, you have to come up with a story and say it in a foreign language. Difficult?
Well, doesn’t have to be. Just approach it differently. Now, it is just a game, and you’ll practice. You have to practice speaking spontaneously. Whatever comes to your mind. And if you cannot think of that word, try to think of a synonym with which you can describe the story.
This game is a game-changer. It will help you shift your language mindset and be more flexible in speaking and finding words in your head.
For Whom To Buy?
- advanced beginners, intermediate & advanced learners
- those who want to practice speaking, learn new words, and train their mind to speak flexibly, overcome the fear of speaking
- those who like to be creative
- they can play with somebody but also on their own just creating stories
- for all purposes of the language learning
Get ‘Story Cues’ – Storytelling Cards
5. RETELL A STORY CARDS
Retell a story is similar to the storytelling images. But now, it might be even more challenging. The story is already written. You just have to say it in order words. This helps a lot with learning synonyms of words.
Consequently, it makes your speech a lot flexible once you are trying to speaking in real life. It is the perfect way to prepare yourself for speaking. Remember, practice makes perfect.
For Whom To Buy?
- intermediate & advanced learners
- those who want to practice speaking, enrich their vocabulary with synonyms and new words and train their mind to speak flexibly
- those who like to be creative
- they can play with somebody but also on their own just creating stories
- for all purposes of the language learning
6. FLASHCARDS
Flashcards are a usual but amazing way to learn new vocabulary. The best thing is empty flashcards. Simply because you can write the words you want to learn and remember. Choose one of these empty flashcards and make your vocabulary learning more efficient.
For Whom To Buy?
- beginner, intermediate & advanced learners
- those who want to learn new vocabulary and memorize it efficiently
- for all purposes of the language learning
7. WORD PUZZLES
Word puzzles also help you to learn and remember words in a foreign language. Looking for words in the soup of letters (as the Spanish people say with their ‘sopa de letras’ expression) is a lot of fun. It can also calm you emotionally down after a stressful day. So if you don’t feel like learning a language on that day, but you know you should, this might be a perfect way to keep up with your learning process.
For Whom To Buy?
- advanced beginner, intermediate & advanced learners
- those who want to refresh vocabulary and play a game
- for those who are busy but want to keep up with their learning process
- for all purposes of the language learning
8. DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER
When I’m learning a new language, a digital voice recorder is my second best friend (after my language notebook, where I write and keep track of my vocabulary). First, I record myself pronouncing new words I am currently learning.
Then I take the recorder with me when going to work or just for a walk, listening to the words. It not only helps me to memorize the words but also learn to pronunciate them. If you make the effort of recording yourself, it is a lot more efficient than just listening to a record.
Because you have already used those words. So you’ll for sure know their meaning once you’re listening to them once again.
Having a digital voice recorder in your hand and actually talking to it makes you feel like you’re actually doing something for your language progress. And it’s an easy activity.
For Whom To Buy?
- beginner, intermediate & advanced learners
- those who want to learn new vocabulary and memorize it efficiently
- for those who want to improve their pronuciation
- for all purposes of the language learning
9. LANGUAGE APP/PODCAST SUBSCRIPTION
Language App Subscription
Another great gift for language learners is a subscription to a language app. Thousands of learners use language apps to learn and improve their language skills.
I personally use Lingopie. It’s like Netflix for language learning. You can choose a movie or TV series in a foreign language and watch it. It enables you to save the vocabulary you want to learn and create flashcards from it. You can then also record yourself pronouncing the words. After, it’ll correct your pronunciation.
Lingopie is an incredible way to learn languages. It’s relaxing, and sometimes you don’t even realize you’re learning a language. Because you’re simply watching a movie.
You can buy it for someone as a gift. Then give them username and passwort so that the person can start learning a language.
Podcast Subscription
Listening to a podcast is amazing, especially for beginners. It helps you to have the first contact with the language and listen to native speakers. You’ll also learn how and where to use words in sentences. And, of course, learn new vocabulary.
I’ve been using the best language app for travel for a year now, and it is the best language learning app and a podcast in once for me. They use dialogues to teach you new words. I strongly believe this is the best way to learn a language. Because right from the beginning, you learn how and where to use those words.
So yeah, you can buy them a subscription for 3, 6 months, or even a year. Then make a nice card and write down that the subscription is their present. Include the username and password and just tell them they can get straight to learning.
For Whom To Buy?
- beginner & intermediate learners
- those who are busy and don’t want to play games or write their own flashcards – everything is planned and prepared for them in the podcast/app
- those who want to learn new vocabulary, how to use it in sentences, practice their understanding and listening skills, and pronunciation
- for all purposes of the language learning
Learn more about the best podcast/language app
Get Subscruption for Podcast/Language App
10. BLANK RECIPE BOOK
Is this crazy? You might be asking right now… If you’ve read my article about improving your language skills, you know where I am heading now. I always encourage my students to do their favourite activity in the language they’re learning. In this case, an empty recipe book might be a perfect present for your beloved language learner.
If the person loves cooking or baking, give them an empty recipe book to write down recipes in the foreign language they’re learning. Just imagine how cool it will be. Me as a language learner, I can imagine how excited they will be about it. So if their passions are languages and cooking, this comes together perfectly.
Similarly, you can think of other passions the language learner has and get creative. Think of something where he gets to do his favourite activity and, at the same time, practice the foreign language.
For Whom To Buy?
- beginner & intermediate learners
- those who are passionate about other things – cooking, sports, art, science, travel, etc.
- those who want to learn new vocabulary and construct sentences
- it will help them to improve their writing skills
- for all purposes of the language learning
11. FOREIGN LANGUAGE BOOKS
If you still haven’t found your favourite gift from this list, books are always a great idea, especially for language learners. They not only help language enthusiasts improve their understanding and reading skills but also give them a general feeling about the language. The list of best foreign language books has several books in various languages. So you can choose one and give it to somebody as a present. You’ll be on the safe side.
For Whom To Buy?
- beginner, intermediate & advanced learners
- those who want to work on their reading, understanding skills and learn more vocabulary
- for all purposes of the language learning
12. LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM
This is an advanced gift, or however you call it. It is not always an easy and cheap option. Honestly, once you’re in the country where the language is spoken, it boosts your language process enormously. Of course, you have to be motivated.
Still, if you go to that country with the intention of learning the language, there is no better way to learn a language. Just stay with locals and be encircled by people who speak that foreign language. Try hard to communicate with them, and you’ll learn faster than ever.
So what I’m trying to say here is not to buy them an exchange program that costs 5000 USD/EUR or more. No, but you can support them in some way. You can give them a little bit of cash for that purpose. Tell them to save the cash and pay the exchange program with it.
If that language learner is really motivated to learn the language and you know he’ll make it, help him this way.
For Whom To Buy?
- beginner & intermediate learners
- those who have time and want to travel in the country of that language, experience local life and learn the language more quickly and efficiently
- for all purposes of the language learning
Choose The Perfect Gifts For Language Learners
This is the list of my ideas and gifts for language learners. If you are a language learner yourself, I am sure you’ll identify with some gifts from this list. It will be easy for you to choose a perfect present for your friend or family member, who’s learning a foreign language.
If you only have a crazy friend, who is a language enthusiast, and you aren’t… and are not sure which one to pick, just take some that appeals to you. Use my questions at the beginning of this article to choose the perfect present for a language learner. Each of these gifts will be equally beneficial to them.
I hope it inspired you and helps you to learn foreign languages more efficiently. If you are interested in my language learning method, check out my article about 7 useful steps to learn a language for travel. Also, refer your friends to my article about the ways to learn vocabulary faster. Or suggest they read my post about how to improve your language skills. These articles mention things and games included in this list. They will guide them further on their language journey.
Get inspired by my languag learning journey and how I became fluent in 4 languages (and keep learning more).
I hope these gifts for language learners will help you get closer to your language goals and dreams!
