Like Parlo, Barnes & Noble University offers languages lessons for a price. In this case, around $49.95 per course, plus the cost of books. Barnes & Noble University has beginner courses in French, Italian, and Spanish that are based on the Living Language courses published by Random House. The courses at Barnes & Noble University are similar to self-study courses, but you get to interact with the instructor and other students using an online bulletin board.
Perils and Pitfalls
Using the Web to learn a language has several perils and pitfalls that you should be aware of. The first of these is that you're generally getting little or no interaction with teachers or other students. You will be doing a lot of reading, listening, and repeating. There is no opportunity for conversational practice that will help you sharpen your skills and fluency in the language. And if you start developing bad habits (it's easy to do, believe me!) there will be no one around to help you break those habits. And unless you know someone who speaks the language you're studying, you'll lose out on crucial conversation practice. Most language learning Web sites are oriented towards beginners.
Anyone possessing more experience with a particular language will have difficulty finding more advanced material. When they do, they'll find that most of the material is written; there is little in the way of spoken work. While working with written material is a good way to pick up new vocabulary and grammar, you're not applying this knowledge to conversation. And you're not hearing the words being used, so you can't pick up any subtle nuances in pronunciation and usage.