15 Thoughtful Language Learning Christmas Gift Ideas [For Your Friends and Family]
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This article was last updated on Dec 20th, 2024
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Christmas is just around the corner, and let’s be honest—you’ve still got a few gifts to tick off your list, right?
And then there’s that one friend or family member who’s always talking about learning a new language (or who’s already fluent in five).
Well, don’t stress! We’ve got your back with some fun and thoughtful gift ideas that’ll make their language learning dreams come true.
Whether they’re just starting out or already a language fanatic, we’ve got something perfect for everyone. Let’s dive in!
The Ultimate Language Learning Gifts: Courses, Books, and More!
There’s no better gift than giving your loved one the tools to learn a language—whether it’s a course, book, or subscription to a language platform.
Plus, it’s the perfect last-minute gift! No need to wait for deliveries—just instant access to help them start their language-learning journey right away.
The Language Course Gift for Story-Loving Learners! (67% OFF until Dec 24th, 2024)
This is the perfect gift for a family member eager to learn a language. I gave my mom Spanish Uncovered last Christmas and she still talks about what an amazing gift it was!
What makes these courses so great is that they follow an effective yet unique and engaging method—learning through story.
Whether they’re starting from scratch or just need a solid structure, Uncovered will show them exactly how to learn a language, step by step. Which makes them an ideal starting place for people who want to learn a language but have no idea how.
It’s just a fantastic course and language learning Christmas gift!
Uncovered normally cost $297 per course.
However, until December 24th, 2024, when you gift one of their courses, they cost only $97!
That’s 67% off, saving you $200!
Now that’s the Christmas spirit!
You can get StoryLearning’s Uncovered in any of these 15 languages:
Arabic, Chinese, Danish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Turkish.
These courses couldn’t be easier to gift.
Just click the button below to make your purchase (limit: 2 courses per customer).
You’ll receive a beautiful gift card that you can print or email.
Your loved one can then redeem this gift card at their convenience for an Uncovered course of their choice.
All Uncovered Courses come with Lifetime access and at least a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Some courses even have a 365-day double money-back guarantee!
The Gift of Bite-Sized Language Lessons with Pod 101
Pod 101 (or Class 101 in some languages) provides tons of learning materials and is a great way to start a language from zero.
With lessons in 34 languages, they have something for everyone. Their signature podcast-style lessons are perfect for learning on the go, featuring a wide range of audio content and dialogues. Whether you're commuting or multitasking, their audio-based lessons are ideal for learning anytime, anywhere.
It’s a perfect gift for anyone learning a less commonly spoken language, like Hebrew, Cantonese, Vietnamese, or Hindi, just to name a few.
Get 30% off any Pod 101 or Class 101 plan through Lingtuitive.
Gift Them Language Immersion with Short Story Books
Reading is one of the best ways to learn a language, as it boosts vocabulary and helps you learn the language in context. But it needs to be at the right level to be truly effective.
That’s why I recommend Olly Richards' Short Stories. These engaging stories are tailored to specific language levels, with vocabulary, grammar, and nuances that match each level. Each book includes glossaries, summaries, and comprehension questions to support learning.
Each book features 8-10 stories and is available in multiple languages for beginner and intermediate learners.
The stories range from mysteries and adventures to everyday situations and humor. It’s an affordable, thoughtful gift that shows you really know what your loved one enjoys.
Examples of stories include:
A mystery in the Black Forest uncovering a family secret.
A language mix-up at a Parisian café leading to new friendships.
Preparing for an Italian festival, with regional cuisine and customs.
The books are designed to make language learning enjoyable and approachable, combining practical language exposure with the natural flow of storytelling.
Available in:
Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, German, Russian, Norwegian, Icelandic, Swedish, Danish, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, Turkish, Italian, English, French, German… even super rare languages like Welsh and Irish!
Unlock Fluency with a LanguaTalk Gift Card
Taking online language lessons is one of the most fun and effective ways to learn. It’s great for improving speaking skills and offers valuable learning materials, effective techniques, and accountability.
On top of that, what’s more enjoyable than speaking your target language with a native speaker? Especially with someone who adjusts to your pace and listens patiently.
For language learners, LanguaTalk is the #1 platform for online lessons. With top-tier tutors (accepting less than 10% of applicants) and an incredibly user-friendly platform, it's hard to beat. Plus, their customer support is among the best I've ever encountered.
LanguaTalk also makes gift-giving very easy with their pre-made gift cards.
Download this pre-made gift card (by right clicking and choosing ‘save as’)
Here’s how to do it:
Load a gift card with credits HERE
($50, $100, $200, or whatever amount you’d like to gift)Once you’ve delivered the gift, tell the receiver to sign-up for a LanguaTalk account by clicking HERE.
Email: support@languatalk.com mentioning the giver’s name and email used to sign up. They will then transfer the gift card credits to their account.
Your language-loving friend or family member will be in great hands. They can choose their teacher, lesson times, and frequency, with the freedom to try different tutors or stick with one they like. This gives them plenty of flexibility and a truly meaningful learning experience.
LanguaTalk have teachers in 17 languages:
Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Thai.
The Perfect Christmas Gift for TV Show Binge-Watchers
A Lingopie subscription is the perfect gift for anyone who loves watching TV shows. Known as "The Netflix of Language Learning," Lingopie is an easy-to-use platform with dual-language subtitles for all shows and movies. It also offers helpful tools for beginners, like slowing down audio, auto-stop after each sentence, “scene flashback”-flashcards, and more, making it ideal for learning from native content.
They'll have access to a wide variety of shows from Lingopie’s ever-growing library. Plus, Lingopie supports Netflix and Disney Plus, letting you use its language learning tools on a curated selection of shows (a subscription to those platforms is required).
It’s one of the most exciting and popular language learning apps for good reason. Visually appealing, easy to use, and it just oozes fun.
Here are some pre-made gift cards to download and use (just right click and choose ‘save as’):
Here’s how to gift Lingopie:
Purchase the plan you want to gift and sign up with your own email.
Once you have delivered the gift, email support@lingopie.com and tell them to swap out your email with the one of the gift receiver.
When purchasing your Lingopie gift, get a special Lingtuitive discount on every plan:
3-month plan: $33 ($36) - 10% off
1-year plan: $65 ($144) - 55% off
Lifetime plan: $175 ($663) - 73% off
Available in 10 languages:
English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese (Mandarin)
(Dutch and Turkish coming soon!)
(1-year and Lifetime subscriptions gives access to all languages)
It’s an amazing gift that they will for sure love!
The Lifetime plan has incredible value as your loved one will have access to all languages forever. Lingopie keeps adding new content any month so this is a language gift that will last forever!
Books to Inspire Their Language Learning Journey
For those who love diving into language learning, these popular books make the perfect gift.
Affordable yet thoughtful, a great book can spark inspiration and take their learning journey to the next level.
How to Speak Any Language Fluently by Alex Rawlings
Alex Rawlings is a British polyglot, author, and language-learning advocate best known for being named "Britain's most multilingual student" in 2012 after he demonstrated fluency in 11 languages.
In his book How to Speak Any Language Fluently, he shares practical advice for learning new languages. He emphasizes techniques like immersive exposure, extensive reading, and embracing non-perfectionism.
It’s a practical book that demystifies fluency and provides tools, techniques and mindsets for learning any language successfully.
Get the book here:
Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner
A popular book written by Gabriel Wyner, a trained opera singer with a passion for language learning. He shares his approach that combines neuroscience with his own personal experience, using innovative memorization techniques that associates words directly with images and concepts instead of translation, using spaced repetition and focusing on mastering pronunciation.
Fluent Forever is a national best-seller. It’s not just a set of tips but a structured approach to language learning. Wyner’s method might be particularly appealing to those who want to learn languages independently and enjoy a sense of progress through a structured yet intuitive approach.
Get the book here:
Transformative Books for Effective learning
If your loved one would prefer a book on learning in general rather than one focused solely on language learning, here are some inspiring reads that have taught me valuable lessons about life, learning, and how to pick up new skills more effectively.
Make it Stick by Peter C. Brown
Make It Stick by Peter C. Brown explores evidence-based strategies for learning and challenges traditional methods like re-reading and cramming.
It dives into well-known concepts in the language learning world such as space repetition and retrieval practice (self-quizzing), and mistakes as learning opportunities.
The book brings together research from cognitive psychology and neuroscience, providing practical insights on how to make learning more effective and long-lasting.
Get the book here:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
A must-read for anyone serious about learning and especially building good habits and breaking bad ones. James Clear focuses on the small changes that create the big changes in the long run.
This New York Times Bestseller focuses on the daily habits needed to achieve proficiency in any skill, rather than focusing on setting goals. Clear breaks down complex concepts in a simple, engaging way, making them easy to understand.
A life-changing read no doubt.
Get the book here:
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Another science-backed yet clear and practical book. This one made a huge impact on me as it made me rethink certain multitasking habits I had and how counterproductive they can be.
Cal Newport urges the reader to eliminate disctractions and swap them out for more quality high-focused efforts. Prioritizing deep work to achieve greater success and fulfillment.
A profound yet easy to read and engaging book that will surely inspire you to rethink some daily habits that is stealing time and focus. Offering you a guide to achieve a more peaceful and productive lifestyle and workflow.
Get the book here:
7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen R. Covey
This is a classic with over 40 million copies sold. One of the best books I have ever read and worthy of its place on any bookshelf of those who are into personal development.
More a book about character development and principal-based living, creating not only success, but lasting fulfillment and balance.
Being one of the most influential personal development ever created, Covey’s book is widely praised for its clear, structured advice and its ability to address both professional and personal growth.
Get the book here:
Practical, Fun, and Creative Gifts for Language Buffs
Here are some fun, creative, and practical gift ideas for language lovers. These gifts might not be the first to come to mind, but they’ll definitely speak to their passion for learning languages!
Noise Cancelling Headphones
A high-quality pair of noise-canceling, wireless headphones is a must for any language learner. They allow for distraction-free listening, whether it’s podcasts, language courses, or TV shows—anywhere, anytime.
As a language learner, there's nothing more important than getting input through listening in your target language. It’s the #1 skill to focus on, and it improves other areas like pronunciation and speaking ability. Having a pair of noise cancelling headphones will make this a breeze.
Here are some great ones:
A Language Board Game For the Whole Family!
Christmas holidays are made for board games, right? At least in our family it is.
And what better way to combine fun and learning than with a board game ABOUT languages?
With Kloo board games, you can learn vocabulary, phrases and sentences in a foreign language, while enjoying quality time with family. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect combo?
Available in Italian, French, Spanish, and English (for ages 6 and up).
Click on the button below, scroll down, and pick the game that suits you best!
Learn Essential Phrases with a Language Map
This handy gift features a snap-open, foldable design filled with vocabulary and phrases for everyday situations like asking questions, eating out, meeting people, and more.
It includes hundreds of useful words and phrases for your next trip to a country where the language is spoken.
Available in languages such as:
Spanish, Italian, German, French, Dari, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian, Swahili, and more.
Get them here:
Fuel Their Language Passion with a Fun Coffee Mug!
A coffee mug is always a fun and practical gift—who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee?
For a language learner, though, a language-themed mug takes it to the next level. There are many creative options to choose from.
It’s a great gift that remind them of their target language and learning journey.
Some of my favorites include these ones:
Spanglish humorous coffee mug
(for Spanish learners/bilinguals)
Korean alphabet coffee mug
(perfect for Korean learners!)
“I love you” in 40 languages mug
(for the language buffs!)
Hope you enjoyed these gift ideas!
Which one was your personal favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
