Looking for some perfect gifts for language learners? Here’s my guide to some of the best ideas around, suitable for those who are already studying a new language or just looking for some inspiration to get started!
With a great gift to suit every budget, this guide covers everything from simple vocabulary notebooks to complete learning systems.
I’ve also included the amazing italki gift card – one of the most innovative gifts for language lovers available right now!
Alternatively, make sure to check our list featuring the best gifts for camping lovers or gifts for someone moving abroad.
Babbel Subscription
The #1 top-grossing language-learning app, Babbel is a great way to learn any one of 14 languages. You can purchase a 3 month, 6 month, 12 month or 24-month subscription and you’ll be given a download code, which the recipient can use to access adult language lessons.
Each lesson is a convenient 10 to 15 minutes long and helps develop listening, reading, writing and speaking skills, with speech recognition to improve pronunciation.
Best of all, the app can be used with almost any device and will sync seamlessly across all platforms.
Living Language: Spanish Day-to-Day Calendar
These calendars don’t just make ideal gifts for Spanish learners – they are available in French, German and Italian too! Each calendar provides new words and phrases every day and gives lots of interesting cultural information, with tips about everything from fashion to traditions.
The handy easel stand makes it easy to sit the calendar on a desktop and a daily date reference is provided, along with a new verb and its use in a sentence. Each copy of the calendar comes with access to the Living Language online learning lab, with lots more educational resources.
Lost in Translation
These wonderful books make ideal gifts for language lovers! Beautifully and artistically illustrated, Lost in Translation looks at more than 50 words used throughout the world that cannot be translated directly into English.
Instead, the words – which are a mixture of funny, touching and romantic – are visually brought to life throughout the book, giving you an insight into the countries and cultures from which they come.
iTalki Gift Card
The ultimate gift for anyone looking to learn another language, an italki gift card offers a complete and customized learning experience. The way it works is simple – first, you decide the language you want to learn then choose from 10,000 teachers for 1-to-1 tuition.
You can choose to take your lessons at a time convenient to you and each session is based around your interests and tailored to meet your particular goals.
The lessons are conducted via video chat and provided by your choice of professional teachers or community tutors, giving you lots of opportunities for conversational practice!
Fluent Forever
When it comes to studying a new language, memory is key. But with so many unfamiliar words and grammatical rules to master, it is not always easy to retain everything you learn.
So this book is a ‘must read’ for all language students, as it teaches a range of useful techniques to ‘rewire’ your ears and make new sounds become familiar.
Using a combination of linguistics, neuroscience and the mechanics of pronunciation, it brings a whole new approach to learning and enables you to learn hundreds of new words every month!
In the Land of Invented Languages
If you’re looking for something a little different, one of the most unique gifts for language lovers is this fascinating book by Arika Okrent.
While most word geeks will be familiar with the invented language of Esperanto, they might be surprised to discover that nearly 900 more languages have been invented over the years! This book examines them all, in an intelligent but engaging way.
Vocabulary Notebook
This little notebook is invaluable for anyone getting to grips with learning a new language. It includes 100 ruled pages designed to hold 2,500 words, with each page divided into 2 columns.
This allows you to record the word in your own language on one side, with the translation on the other. Nicely bound, this is the perfect book to pop in a backpack for learning on-the-go.
Jabra Evolve 20 SE UC Stereo Headset
Most language-learning platforms are online, so one of the most useful gifts for language learners is an excellent headset. The Jabra Evolve 20 is an ideal example! It features passive noise cancellation, which blocks out distractions such as the conversation of others and allows you to fully concentrate on the voice of your tutor.
It also has an excellent microphone, which is particularly important when used in conjunction with a program that uses speech recognition. Comfortable to wear, this headset is ready to use straight from the box.
Easy French Phrase Book
One of my favorite gifts for French learners is this useful book that contains more than 1500 phrases for everyday use!
While many language systems focus on teaching things like grammatical structure and correct spelling, this book is more useful for the sort of natural communication you use every day.
The perfect learning tool and ideal for travel, this book starts off with an invaluable pronunciation guide and uses clear phonetics throughout, helping you to be understood as clearly in person as in writing.
Final Thoughts On Gift Ides For Language Learners
These gifts for language learners are useful for those already studying and provide some great tools for those who’ve always wanted to learn a new language and didn’t know where to start.
Ideas like these tell the person receiving them just how much you’ve taken their interests into account, and make a great way to show how much you care!
Want more inspiration? Read one of the following guides:
