Pony Post: Learn a new language through social media, the Web, or mobile apps

If you missed the boat to take a foreign language at SMU (or if you didn't learn as much as you wanted if you did take one), the realm of technology is offering new methods for you to brush up on a different tongue before traveling abroad.

Budget Travel ran a blog post a few days ago that talked about a few programs that let you learn a new language via your smart device, social media, or in the comfort of your own home for under $100 – easy and affordable options for college students.

Here's the two I found most interesting:

Babbel.com: Website and mobile app that lets you learn a foreign language on your computer, iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. It offers 11 languages to choose from and you get the first lesson free. After that, you set up a payment plan for future lessons and pay as little as $7.45 per month for a six-month course.

Livemocha: The Facebook of foreign languages. This social media app allows you to interact with native or fluent speakers of the language you're trying to learn. A free membership gives you access features for the beginner and intermediate levels of any language, but if you want to really get in depth with more speaking and writing exercises and reviews, you can purchase a subscription -- $9.95 for one month or $99.95 for a while year of unlimited access. This feature also offers more languages – 38 to be exact – to choose from

The Pony Post is a class digital journalism blog produced independently of The Daily Campus.