Entries Tagged 'Online Resources' ↓

This post is about the book by 37signals, Getting Real, and the translations available. Finding and reading material that interests you in your target language is a great way to learn. Getting Real is a great book for software developers and just so happens to be available in many languages. You can read more about the book at Getting Real: The Book by 37signals, and here is a little snippet:

Getting Real is the business, design, programming, and marketing philosophies of 37signals — a developer of web-based software used by over 1 million people and businesses in 70 countries.

37signals used the unconventional Getting Real process to launch five successful web-based applications (Basecamp, Campfire, Backpack, Writeboard, Ta-da List), and Ruby on Rails, an open-source web application framework, in just two years with no funding, no debt, and only 7 people.

If you happen to be a software developer and are learning a language in which the book has already been translated, you’re in luck! What you came here for: Getting Real: Translations.

Looking for newspapers from a particular country? Online Newspapers presents you with drop-down lists for each major area of the world:

• North America
• South America
• Central America
• Asia
• Asia Pacific
• South East Asia
• South Pacific
• Middle East
• Africa
• West Indies

Each drop-down list contains countries that exist within the area. Once you select a country, a list of newspapers from the country is presented.

Not only is this an excellent language learning resource, it’s also great for learning about other countries and cultures as well.

Need language learning materials? Your local library is a great place to “check-out.” (Har har.) Libraries are not only limited to books — many also offer tapes, CDs, VHS casettes, and even DVDs. I’ve personally come across many FSI (Foreign Service Institute) courses, Pimsleur courses, and many books too.

Libraries are incredibly useful for previewing material. Preview it at the library or bring it home for a few days or weeks to give things a thorough look. If you like it enough, buy it online or at your local bookstore.

The only thing bad about libraries is going there to find something — waiting for a free computer, or even worse, browsing through the card catalogue. Not anymore — WorldCat to the rescue.

WorldCat makes finding material at your local libraries easy. “Search for an item in libraries near you.” Try it out — it’s free!