There are many language learning apps out there, but online courses can do one thing that these apps aren’t doing or can’t do — Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can teach you about the culture of the parent country.
To get a sense of what I’m talking about, take a look at the intro video for edX’s Mandarin Chinese for Business course.
You can learn Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Italian, French, and other languages from these free university online courses. Class Central has created a collection of such courses that teach more than 20 different languages. You can also search the catalog for more courses in your language of interest that may be paid or offered by non-university entities.
And if you want to learn English, you can find plenty of resources and courses in my previous article Learn English as a Second Language (ESL) with Hundreds of Courses and Sites.
We particularly recommend four highly rated courses that have made it onto Class Central’s The Best Online Courses of All Time list:
- Introduction to Dutch (FutureLearn)
- Basic Spanish 1: Getting Started (edX)
- Introduction to Frisian (FutureLearn)
- Tsinghua Chinese: Start Talking with 1.3 Billion People (edX).
While many courses are constantly available, some are session-based. If your chosen course is not available right now, you can Follow the subject, institution, or provider to receive emails announcing upcoming courses.
And if you are learning these languages, check our Best Courses Guides (BCGs) to Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, American Sign Language (ASL), Latin, English Grammar, and Linguistics.
Index
Click on a language below to see all free university courses that teach that particular language, or check the Language Learning list for more about learning languages.
Note that while most of these courses should be available year round, some might only be open for enrollment at certain times.
More Free Courses
If you don’t find what you need in the course list below, browse Class Central’s catalog of 250K courses or visit our thematic collections:
- Massive List of Thousands of Free Certificates & Badges
- 2000+ Free Developer and IT Certifications
- 470+ Hours of Free LinkedIn Learning Courses with Free Certification
- 900+ Open University Free Certificates
- Harvard Computer Science Courses with Free Certificate
You can find all the Class Central free certificate articles here.
Language Learning
- Working with Translation: Theory and Practice from Cardiff University ★★★★★(156)
- Multilingual Practices: Tackling Challenges and Creating Opportunities from University of Groningen ★★★★★(23)
- La España del Quijote from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid ★★★★★(21)
- Introducción al griego clásico: lengua, nombres y mitología from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid ★★★★☆(13)
- Environmental Challenges: Scarcity and Conflict in the Natural Environment from University of Leeds ★★★★☆(6)
- Language Revival: Securing the Future of Endangered Languages from University of Adelaide ★★★★☆(4)
- Imparare il latino attraverso lo studio dei papiri from University of Naples Federico II ★★★★★(4)
- Griego clásico a través de las Guerras Médicas from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid ★★★★☆(3)
- English for Doing Business in Asia – Speaking from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ★★★★★(2)
- Multilingual Learning for a Globalised World from University of Glasgow ★★★★★(2)
- Introducción al griego clásico: verbos, oraciones y filosofía from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid ★★★☆☆(2)
See more Language Learning courses →
Spanish
- Basic Spanish 1: Getting Started from Universitat Politècnica de València ★★★★★(443)
- Basic Spanish 3: Getting there from Universitat Politècnica de València ★★★★★(147)
- Getting started with Spanish 1 from The Open University ★★★★★(3)
- Getting started with Spanish 2 from The Open University ★★★★★(1)
- Intermediate Spanish: Understanding spoken Spanish from The Open University ★★★★☆(1)
- Spanish for beginners: Learn in paradise from The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
- Spanish for Beginners from Universidad a Distancia de Madrid ★★★☆☆(7)
- Basic Spanish 2: One Step Further from Universitat Politècnica de València ★★★★★(60)
- Learn Spanish: Survival Spanish for Beginners from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
- Learn Spanish 1: Basics, meeting people and describing places from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
- Learn Spanish 4: Spanish Prepositions, Adverbs, and Tenses from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
- Learn Spanish 3: Time and Direct Object Pronouns from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
- Spanish Vocabulary: Meeting People from University of California, Davis
- Learn Spanish 2: People and their interests from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
- Getting started with Spanish 3 from The Open University
- Beginners’ Spanish: Getting around from The Open University
- Beginners’ Spanish: food and drink from The Open University
- Advanced Spanish: Language in context from The Open University
- Spanish Across the Americas from Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
- Teaching Spanish pronunciation from The Open University
French
- Getting started with French 1 from The Open University ★★★★☆(6)
- Francés Introductorio from Universidad Anáhuac ★★★★★(2)
- Getting started with French 2 from The Open University
- Intermediate French: Understanding spoken French from The Open University
- Getting started with French 3 from The Open University
- Beginners’ French: food and drink from The Open University
- Beginners’ French: A trip to Avignon from The Open University
- Intermediate French: 14 July from The Open University
- Advanced French: At the science museum in Paris from The Open University
- Upper intermediate French: discovering French cinema from The Open University
- Intermediate French: Holiday plans from The Open University
- 法语微课堂 from North China Electric Power University
Chinese
- Tsinghua Chinese: Start Talking with 1.3 Billion People from Tsinghua University ★★★★★(112)
- Getting started with Chinese 1 from The Open University
- Chinese Language in Culture: Level 3 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Getting started with Chinese 2 from The Open University
- Introduction to the Chinese Language from University of Malaya
- Getting started with Chinese 3 from The Open University
- An Introduction to Chinese Sign Language and Linguistics from Shanghai International Studies University
- Conversational Chinese: Leisure Activities and Daily Life from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NCYU)
- Conversational Chinese: Travel and Tourism from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NCYU)
- Unlocking the Secrets of the Chinese Language from University of Malaya
- Getting started with Chinese business culture essentials from The Open University
- ภาษาจีนเพื่อการสื่อสาร | Chinese for Communication from Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University
German
- Getting started with German 1 from The Open University ★★★★★(1)
- Getting started with German 2 from The Open University
- Getting started with German 3 from The Open University
- Beginners’ German: Places and people from The Open University
- Advanced German: Language, culture and history from The Open University
- Intermediate German: Understanding spoken German from The Open University
- Beginners’ German: food and drink from The Open University
- Intermediate German: The world of work from The Open University
- German-I from NPTEL
- Advanced German: Regional landscapes from The Open University
- German II from NPTEL
Sanskrit
- SSB-003: Sambhashanam from IGNOU ★★★★★(1)
- Introductory Sanskrit: Grammar from Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth
- SSB-001: Pratham Bodhah from IGNOU
- SSB-002: Dwitiya Bodhah from IGNOU
Korean
- Intermediate Korean: Exploring the Language and Culture of Korea from Hanyang University
- Introduction to Korean from Hanyang University ★★★★☆(3)
- The Korean Alphabet: An Introduction to Hangeul from Sungkyunkwan University ★★★★☆(2)
- ภาษาเกาหลี 1-2 | Korean 1-2 from Prince of Songkla University
- ภาษาเกาหลี 1-1 | Korean 1-1 from Prince of Songkla University
- การฟัง-พูดภาษาเกาหลี 1-2 (Korean Listening – Speaking 1-2) from Prince of Songkla University
- การฟัง-พูดภาษาเกาหลี 1-1 | Korean Listening – Speaking 1-1 from Prince of Songkla University
Italian
- Italian for Beginners 1: Meeting, Greeting and Eating from The Open University ★★★★★(2)
- Italian for Beginners 4: Likes And Dislikes from The Open University ★★★★★(1)
- Italian for Beginners 2: My Friends and Family from The Open University ★★★★★(1)
- Italian for Beginners 5: Time To Travel from The Open University ★★★★☆(1)
- Dialetti in Italia from University of Naples Federico II ★★★★★(6)
- Italian Language and Culture: Beginner (2025-2026) from Wellesley College ★★★★☆(3)
- Italian for Beginners 3: My Daily Life from The Open University
- Italian for Beginners 6: Out And About from The Open University
- Getting started with Italian 1 from The Open University
- AP® Italian Language and Culture (2025-2026) from Wellesley College
- Beginners’ Italian: food and drink from The Open University
- Getting started with Italian 2 from The Open University
- Getting started with Italian 3 from The Open University
- Intermediate Italian: describing people from The Open University
- Benvenuti in Italia! Orientarsi con l’italiano – Part 1 from Politecnico di Milano
Other Languages
- Introduction to Dutch from University of Groningen ★★★★★(308)
- Introduction to Frisian from University of Groningen ★★★★★(29)
- Conversational English Skills | 生活英语听说 from Tsinghua University ★★★★☆(12)
- Noongar Language and Culture from Curtin University ★★★★★(4)
- Introduction to Arabic from The Open University ★★★★★(1)
- Let’s Learn Thai Language from University of Malaya ★★★★★(1)
- Getting started on classical Latin from The Open University ★★★★☆(1)
- Steps in Japanese for Beginners1 Part1 from Waseda University ★★★★★(2)
- Russian Formalism – Introduction to Theory of Literature from Yale University
- OUL-001 Huroof Shanasi Aur Talaffuz from IGNOU
- Let’s Learn Portuguese Language: Basic Conversation Skills from University of Malaya
- Introduction to Portuguese / Iniciação à Língua Portuguesa from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
- Introdução à Libras from MOOCQUECA
- A voz do outro: Prática de fluência e ritmo Libras/Português from MOOCQUECA
- Arabic for non-Arabic Speakers from Qatar University
- Getting started on ancient Greek from The Open University
- Continuing classical Latin from The Open University
- Fun with Vietnamese Language from Yunnan Normal University
- 玩转越南语-零起点快车道 from Yunnan Normal University
- Let’s Learn Thai Language: Basic Conversation Skills from University of Malaya
- หลักการใช้ภาษาไทยสำหรับครู | Thai Grammar for Teachers from Hat Yai University
- Beginners’ Tamil: a taster course from The Open University
- Learn Bahasa Melayu: Grammatical rules in Malay from University of Malaya
- Learn Bahasa Melayu: Introduction to the Malay Language from University of Malaya
- ภาษามลายูเพื่อการสื่อสาร | Malay for Communication from Yala Rajabhat University
The post 110+ Free University Courses to Learn a New Language appeared first on The Report by Class Central.
