Before you buy a gift for a language-loving friend, remember to consider what kind of learner they are. Are they a bookish, more practical, creative or something else?
Whatever the answer is, you’re sure to find the perfect gift for them (or for yourself) amongst this 16 great gift ideas. I would love to have all of them (and do already own a lot of them…)!
Magnetic words kit
How about instead of scrolling on your phone as you wait for the kettle to boil, you form sentences on your fridge in your foreign language?
Enter magnetic poetry kits, which are available in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish.
Tea box or foreign snacks
For tea fanatics or people with a sweet tooth, foreign tea or snacks are the way to go.
If you’re not holidaying in a country that speaks the language any time soon, check out foreign shops in your area; you might be surprised at the delights you find!
Subscription to their favourite podcaster’s paywalled content or to a payable app
A lot of podcasts only make transcripts available to paying members; give your friend a step-up in their learning by giving them all those extras, including transcripts, related vocabulary and grammar activities and more.
Or why not offer to pay for Babbel, Busuu or one of the other big apps – make sure to ask what they like. One language nerd’s dream is another’s nightmare! A simple way to gift this is to buy an App Store or Google Play gift card.
Coffee Break Languages books
Coffee Break Languages has brought out a book series for A2-B1 learners. The books are split into three sections: 5, 10 and 15-minute activities, ranging from guided translations, mini grammar challenges, idiom explorations and more. It’s available in 6 languages.
A poster in the language
Etsy is the place to go for original posters in many languages.
You can find silly sayings, beautiful word definitions, gestures and more.
Just make sure to check you’re actually buying a poster and not a PDF, which you’d have to print yourself.
Cards
There are plenty of card sets for learning foreign languages.
Try playing cards that feature common phrases, flash cards with everyday words, or sentence builder cards.
To find a relevant pack in the language you’re looking for, look for cards meant for children learning their native language.
Word game books
For crossword fans, the Lexis Rex series is an excellent one, available in multiple languages.
Other options are word search books, or The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book: Lexical perplexities and cracking conundrums from across the globe.
A non-fiction book about languages
For those who love not just foreign languages, but language and linguistics too, check out my 10 brilliant books on words we should all be reading post.
Slang books
There are plenty of books teaching slang out there; my favourites are from the Dirty Series.
Bear in mind that slang dates pretty quickly, so make sure to buy a book that has been published relatively recently, to ensure your friend doesn’t end up speaking like a Boomer.
Really nice stationery
Highlighters, post-its, note books, fancy pens, stickers, you name it. Language learners love stationery.
Italki gift card
Any language learner will LOVE an Italki gift card; you can purchase a minimum of 20$ and a maximum of 500$. Learners can buy one to two classes with a 20$ voucher; what a win!
Coffee table books
A coffee table book is probably the least risky of all the presents ideas on this list. You can’t go wrong with a beautifully illustrated book full of magnificent words.
Language keyboard skin
A keyboard skin is a silicone layer of keys, that can easily be removed. Not to be confused with stickers, which must be stuck to each individual key (making it a chore to switch between different keyboard languages.
Here are some examples: German, Spanish and French. Be sure to check the model of PC or laptop each skin is designed for!
Label maker
Label makers are great for learning vocabulary for furniture and other household objects.
If you’re buying this for someone you live with, be prepared for every object in your house to be labelled!
Cookbooks in the foreign language
For the keen cooks, a cookbook in a foreign language is thrice the pleasure.
Learners can practise their reading comprehension, learn more about a foreign cuisine, and have a tasty meal at the end of the process!
Picture Dictionary Colouring Books
Lingo Mastery has colouring books in 15 languages; the books contain around 70 pictures, with each picture depicting a different topic. This is great for visual learners looking to try something a little outside the box.
Whether you want to simply label the pictures with the words given, or go all out and colour the whole thing in, this multi-sensory approach will boost your memory of key vocabulary on topics ranging from pets, to landscapes, household objects, professions and more.
Happy shopping!
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