If babies’ brains absorb language like a sponge, adult brains slurp it through a crazy straw obstructed by the names of childhood pet iguanas and useless geometry skills. Unblock clogged mental channels and let a new language flow in with today’s Groupon: for $49, you get a month of private online language classes from Myngle.com (a $116 value). Class requirements include a reliable internet connection, microphone, and speakers; a web camera is optional. Choose from nine languages: Italian, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Chinese, Arabic (Egyptian), Dutch, and English.

Both O, The Oprah Magazine and the Plugg startups conference have recognized Myngle for its innovation in offering convenient, accessible language classes. A month with Myngle includes up to five private, 45-minute lessons (two trial, three standard) and a digital textbook. Students select an instructor from a well-trained cadre based on past experience, native language, location, and ratings from other students. Teachers and pupils convene in an interactive virtual classroom, where they can share multimedia such as PDFs, documents, video, and music, as well as view websites together. With instructors posted all over the world, intercultural interaction ensures a broad-spectrum understanding of your new tongue and the conversational confidence that you can wield the proper colloquialism for Speedos.

Though this Groupon is designed for the basic level of one language, Myngle offers lessons at a personalized pace ranging from old dog to baby genius. You’ll begin to master speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, with frequent evaluation of achievements and subtitled finger paintings to help monitor progress. Flexible hours and the convenience of taking classes in any location equipped with internet, speakers, and a microphone benefits business travellers, busy parents, and bored electronics store employees. Optional use of web cameras increases the level of real time interaction. Students can explore outside of class in Myngle’s online library, which houses virtual gargoyles and supplementary tools including audiobooks, radio and video, chat rooms, newspapers, dictionaries, and podcasts. Check out an introductory video to begin envisioning your living room’s language classroom future.

Reviews

Myngle won the People's Choice Award in the 2009 Plugg awards. O, The Oprah Magazine recommends Myngle, as does the Holland Herald.

• Feel like polishing your French, Spanish, Chinese or even Cebuano skills, but don’t want the hassle of sitting through traditional language classes? Then Myngle is just what you’ve been waiting for – language lessons that come to you. – Holland Herald