Written by: Olivera Tolimir
Oh, another boring post about the benefits of online learning.
The comfort, the flexibility, and the lower cost. Of course.
But wait! What if it’s not about that at all?
We’re taking you on a magical journey of learning Serbian online. Not any learning, not any language. You’ll find out why learning Serbian online is so fantastic!
Ready, set, go!
Finding a Professional Serbian Teacher
Finding a Serbian teacher can be challenging if you’re part of the Serbian diaspora or married to a Serb living abroad.
You may find native Serbian speakers nearby (especially if you live in Chicago or Wien). But can they teach you all you need to know about the language?
Most native speakers aren’t a good choice for a Serbian teacher. It may sound strange, but it’s not. If a person hasn’t gotten an education in the Serbian language (even if it’s their mother tongue), they can’t explain why something is the way it is.
It’s fascinating how people don’t think about their first language and yet are perfectly able to use it.
If you ask an average Serb why they say “Idem u školu” but “Ja sam u školi“, they’ll most likely do a head scratch and mutter a confused: “I have no idea.”
A trained professional will explain it like this:
- The accusative case (in this case: školu) goes after verbs that indicate movement.
- The locative case (in this case: školi) follows verbs that denote location.
It’s much easier now that you know what questions to ask yourself when choosing the correct form. “Am I moving?” If you are, opt for the accusative. If you’re not, go with the locative!
So, it’s not easy to find a person who:
- is a native speaker
- is a Serbian teacher by profession
- lives near you.
Looking for that person online is a whole different story. You can find a suitable Serbian teacher from another part of the world, and the distance won’t be an obstacle! A good tutor will make you love learning Serbian online!
Using Your Phone in Class
Have you ever walked into a classroom full of students using their phones? We, neither! Using a phone is discouraged because it reduces our concentration.
All right, that’s true. But what if you need to check the meaning of that one word in Serbian?
During an online class, no one will think you’re playing Candy Crush if you open a new tab and do a quick Google search. You can even find some pictures that resemble a new term. That way, you’ll remember it more easily!
This method is perfect for everyday Serbian words that don’t have their English counterparts, such as gibanica, rakija, or sarma. Although, we recommend trying all three of them, not only looking at the photos while learning Serbian online.
Self-Learning Resources
We’ve already mentioned the importance of being exposed to a language you’re learning. So, watching films and TV shows in that language is a perfect opportunity to feed two birds with one scone: relax and learn.
Finding an English movie with a subtitle in one’s native language is a piece of cake. Today, we all have access to Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, or another similar service. So, it’s a great way to learn English!
“Um, that’s great, but we’re talking about learning Serbian online here.”
Yes, yes, that’s exactly our point! It’s not easy to find subtitled Serbian movies and TV shows as it is with their English counterparts.
So, what’s the solution here?
If you can’t find Serbian movies online (or you’re not a fan of those you found), investing in an online Serbian course is your perfect solution. For example, in our A1.1 and A1.2 courses, you’ll find a ton of video and audio materials to practice listening!
This way, you’ll be able to learn Serbian online in a fun way, without the temptation to try out those shady streaming platforms, where you can only hope to catch a virus. Or a piracy lawsuit.
Find People with Similar Connections to Serbian
Have you ever been to an English class? Like, English as a foreign language. If your native language is English, switch the English class from the first sentence with Spanish or French.
All right, now think about your first group class. The teacher probably asked every student about their motivation for learning English/Spanish/French.
Do you remember their answers?
- I need it for my job.
- I want to improve my proficiency and apply for a new job.
- I think it will help me in my career.
- I want to be able to talk to people from different countries.
And there’s nothing wrong with it! It’s understandable – English is a world language. So, if we want to cooperate with people from around the world (or meet new people from abroad), we need it. A similar thing goes for Spanish or French.
But why would anyone start learning Serbian online or offline, for that matter? There are plenty of exciting and heartwarming reasons!
- My significant other is from Serbia, so I want to learn their language.
- I’m moving to Serbia for a job.
- I’m a diplomat, so I must learn Serbian.
- I have Serbian roots, so I wish to become competent in my (grand)parents’ language.
- I went to the Balkans for a vacation and fell in love with it!
- I’m a polyglot with a passion for languages, so learning Serbian is next on my list!
So, we can say the reasons for learning Serbian are a bit more diverse and emotional than the reasons for learning a world language.
Because of this, when you sign up for a group course and start learning Serbian online, you’ll likely find at least one person with a story similar to yours. It won’t matter if you live miles away from each other. You’ll instantly connect through the experience of learning one small language together. And suffering through Serbian grammar together, too.
What do you like most about learning Serbian online? Tell us in the comments!
