Livemocha Full Review

Livemocha is the biggest online language learning community on the Internet. The main idea of the website is to connect people from all over the world in a single goal – to learn languages. People can learn and help each other using their Livemocha profiles; they can chat and exchange experiences when it comes to learning languages.

Livemocha offers a vast diversity of language lessons with new materials constantly added. Lessons are usually divided into several segments, so it is possible to practice all four skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing. They even provide live online classes within virtual classrooms, but this is only available for the English classes at the moment.

All you need to start using Livemocha is to create an account which is free for all users.

Livemocha was founded in 2007 as an online community for language learners. They supported 38 languages, providing basic and advanced courses, some were free, while others required payment. However, Livemocha was purchased by Rosetta Stone in 2013 and the layout of the site has been completely changed. At the moment, the new site is still being developed, and therefore there are no courses available yet, but you can find lessons that can help you learn Hebrew.

Who uses Livemocha?

Anyone can use this website, regardless of the age, the level of proficiency, etc. Livemocha has approximately 12 million registered members from almost 200 countries around the world. What makes this site so popular among language learners is the fact that it provides community based learning. You are not on your own with your book or your course. Instead, you are able to connect with native speakers, to ask for help and to help others. People of all ages are learning languages on Livemocha, and they can communicate with their own peers, learn about different cultures and make friends all around the world.

The true value of Livemocha lessons and exercises is that you are able to improve all four skills within one lesson. You are able to listen and fill in the exercises, to write your own submissions, using the vocabulary and grammar you have learned. You can even practice speaking by reading the sample text and recording the audio. After you submit the recording, native speakers can review your work, or they can even record their own audio to help you learn the correct pronunciation and stress. Lessons are interactive, with lots of videos, audio materials, flashcards, etc.

There are multiple levels to choose from, so regardless if you are just starting to learn Hebrew, or you are already familiar with this language, you can easily choose a lesson that suits you. Every lesson has a level marked next to the title, ranging from L1 – fundamentals, perfect for complete beginners to L9 – superior, aimed at improving your knowledge with more challenging exercises.

How it works?

It is possible to access Livemocha from any country using your computer. Start by visiting Livemocha’s home page, and click on the green button “Create an Account”. You will be redirected to this page:

You need to fill in the data in this form in order to create an account. The final two fields are especially important:

What is your native language? – You will be able to help members who are learning your native language by rating them and leaving comments.
What language would you like to learn first? – After you choose a language, you will see lessons for the language you have chosen. You will also see suggested language partners, i.e. people whose native language you are learning, so that they can help you by reviewing your submissions.

After you have filled in all the fields, click on the “Sign Up” button and you will be able to see “Start Page”. This is the page from which you can always track your progress of learning Hebrew.

The column in the left contains a menu with the following options:

Get new lessons – Click on this option so that you can browse all the lessons on Livemocha. Simply select the language you are learning and the level, and you will see the list of all the available lessons.
My lessons – This page contains the list of the lessons you are working on. You can also see your progress. For example, each lesson contains several parts, such as introduction, grammar, vocabulary, review, listening, etc. It is possible to see how many parts you have finished, and you can easily select any part you want by clicking on its icon.

Help others – This is where you can help others learn your native language. Click on this option in the menu, and you will see the list of submitted exercises which you can review. This is how you can help other Livemocha members. It is important to mention that you do get points for helping others, and you can use those points to buy more lessons later.
Language Partners – Language partners help each other with reviewing exercises. You connect with people on Livemocha by becoming language partner. People who are learning your native language or the people speaking the language you are learning are the users you can ask to become your language partners. Being connected this way provides help with learning. It is possible to exchange messages with your language partners.

The central part of the page contains several shortcuts for quick access the most important features of Livemocha, your lessons and the list of other students who could use your help.

On the right side of the page we can see a menu that is used for profile editing, as well as for tracking the number of points and notifications. You get notified every time someone rates your exercise or sends you a message.

Lesson format

Lessons usually follow this format:

Introduction – Watch and listen to the introduction in which the content of the lesson is presented.
Vocabulary – Learn new words and phrases using flashcards.
Usage – Learn grammar, rules, culture tips using flashcards.
Practice Practice the vocabulary and grammar with interactive exercises.
Read / Write – Read a prompt and then write your response applying the rules you have learned.
Read / Speak – Read a prompt and record your response.
Listen / Write – Listen to a prompt and write your response.
Listen / Speak – Listen to a prompt and record your response.
Language Exchange – Practice conversation with language partners.

The goal of Livemocha is to “remove barriers – to learning, to communication, to global exploration”. The methodology is structured around the Whole-Part-Whole learning model which allows learners to observe, learn and practice the new language. Therefore, this approach breaks downs the learning process into three parts:

Demonstration – The learners experience the language by watching or listening to native speakers communicating. Real-life situations demonstrate certain focus points of the lesson.
Deconstruction – This part represents the full conversation broken down into segments that deal with vocabulary and grammar. Learners start to understand the patterns and rules applied in the conversation.
Practice – The final part gives learners the opportunity to practice what they have learned using interactive activities, that involves writing and speaking, and feedback they get from the native speakers.

Is Livemocha free?

Everyone can create a Livemocha account for free. However, the content on the site can only be accessed using points or beans which you must either earn or purchase.

Points – You earn points by completing learning activities and by helping others. The more you help others and the more exercises you complete, the more points you will earn. Once you join Livemocha, you will get a certain amount of points for free, which you can use to buy your first lesson.
Beans – This is Livemocha currency, which you can use to unlock activities on the site. The prices vary, starting from 199 beans for $2.29, to 2999 beans for $28.74.

How do I know if this service can be helpful for me? How to choose the right plan/level?

Livemocha can help you learn Hebrew with lots of lessons available on the site, and new ones being added every week. You can get additional help from other Livemocha members and you can also pay to get the expert review. This way you will get feedback which will be helpful for you to understand what to improve in order to make progress in learning Hebrew.

When it comes to choosing the right plan, it is advisable to join the site, and try out some lessons. This way you will be able to test the site, and see if the materials are something you would find useful.

Pros

Sense of social community
Lots of different levels available
It is possible to get expert review
You are able to study the lessons at your own tempo
Possibility to record and upload the audio (practice speaking)
You can always see the translation to your native language during the lesson
New lessons are added every day

Cons

You have to pay for everything, even if you want to get reviews from your language partners
Site is currently being redesigned, so you will see a lot of “Coming Soon” labels
There are no courses at the moment, so you have to study each lesson separately. Sometimes it may be difficult to decide where to start.
You need points to access the activities, but sometimes it can be difficult to earn them. This is especially a problem if your native language is not as popular, in which case you will not have a lot of opportunities to help other students and earn points that way.

FAQs

• Who are Language Experts?

These are exceptional members of Livemocha community, who have provided high-quality feedback in the past. Livmemocha Language Experts can leave a rating, as well as text and audio reviews. On the other hand, regular members can only provide ratings.

• How do I get Language Partners?

If you rate someone’s feedback as helpful, by giving “thumbs up”, you will be given an option to invite that member to become your Language Partner. When that person accepts your invitation, you will be able to exchange messages and to see submissions.

• Does Livemocha have an app?

No, there is no Livemocha app available at the moment, but they are working on it.

Final Say

Interactive exercises and communication with the native speakers is something that really distinguishes this platform from all the others. The social network style, around which the platform is built, provides a unique and modern learning environment in which students feel comfortable. Nowadays, communication has no barriers and Livemocha enables everyone to easily connect with each other regardless the culture they come from or the language they speak. Although there are lots of Hebrew lessons available at the moment, it is unclear if the courses will become available in the future.

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