What a year. Despite all of the challenges of 2020, you logged more hours than ever in Transparent Language Online. Thank you for learning with us!

Whether you’re learning to have fun at home, to land a new job, or to connect with family from afar, let’s keep that momentum going. You won’t want to miss these recent updates to help you stay on track in 2021.

Set a daily learning goal (and stick to it!)

You can now set a daily learning goal to hold yourself accountable and reach your proficiency goals. Daily practice is the best way to keep improving, so we recommend starting with 15 minutes each day, though you can customize it to any amount. (Be sure to opt in to emails so we can send you reminders and keep you on track towards your goals!)

Learn on the go with hands-free audio lessons.

You can now fit a bit of language study into even the busiest of days with hands-free audio lessons on the Transparent Language Online mobile apps. Open any lesson in the app and work through three listening and speaking activities while you walk your dog, cook dinner, or do anything else that requires your hands and eyes! (Don’t see the hands-free audio lessons in your app? Check your app store to see if you have an update waiting!)

Keep up with COVID-19 terminology in your language of interest.

You can explore COVID-19 related news, including key terminology, is a series of more than 140 COVID-19 News Lessons published in 12 languages and dialects. The lessons are based on authentic news sources from the target region and introduce fresh, relevant vocabulary relating to the pandemic. (All of the lessons are still available under the “Major News Lessons” category under the “Browse” tab in each language for which they’re available.)

Build professional proficiency.

If you’re learning a language to land your dream job or prepare for an assignment overseas, can now build professional proficiency with the new Language for Professionals course series. These courses are designed to help you increase your ability to use the language effectively and appropriately in real-life situations (both professional and personal!) Each unit features a conversational scenario that facilitates specific, level-appropriate communicative goals. We added courses for six languages in 2020, with more coming in 2021.

Advanced Proficiency for English learners.

Of the 110+ languages available, English is always in our top five most learned (along with Spanish, French, German, and Japanese in 2020). The new Advanced English Reading and Listening Lessons are our first lessons intended for English learners near or at the CEFR C2/ACTFL Superior level. All 10 lessons are based on authentic materials created by and for native speakers, covering political satire, literary criticism, social commentary, and beyond.

But wait, there’s more!

• Korean localization: Native Korean speakers can now toggle our interface into Korean for easier navigation!
• Tags and descriptions in “Browse” category: You can now easily identify which proficiency level, age group, and topics a category or lesson is appropriate for, using the tags and descriptions in the “Browse” tab.
• Direct login to the mobile app: All you need to activate your mobile app is your Transparent Language Online username/password. Goodbye, pesky activation codes of years past!
• Interactive widgets for blogs and Word of the Day: In some of our more popular languages, you can now see the most recent blog post and get your Word of the Day directly in the Resources tab.

So, if you’re ready to learn from anywhere and continue challenging yourself in 2021, log in now to see these exciting updates and start making and reaching your goals today.

(Made it all the way to the bottom and don’t have a Transparent Language Online account yet? Sign up for the 14-day free trial or get it free at a library near you!)