Smart people never stop learning new things. They’re naturally curious, and self-improvement is simply a part of their make up.  There’s plenty of free apps and web sites where you can learn anything you want – from a new language to cooking techniques.

Here are five of my favorite learning tools available for the asking. (Just log on and learn!)

1. How to read faster

Spreeder will have you gobbling up information faster than you ever thought possible using the site’s unique speed reading tutorial. You can set the speed text appears and gradually improve your speed reading skills – eye scan drills, key points, etc.

Another use? Let’s say you have a paper due for school tomorrow. It’s late and you don’t have time to read that 50-page white paper on the eating habits of the dreaded El Wanco wombat. No problem. Cut and paste that intriguing article into Spreeder’s text box and Spreeder extracts key points so you don’t have to read all those pages to get to the “meat” of the article, report, white paper or other academic research. Spreeder is a time-saver and a learning tool – one you’ll keep on your desktop. I do. It cuts research chores down to size.

2. How to quickly research a subject

Designed as a starting point for research, Schoolr is a research specialized search engine which points you to Wikipedia, Wolfram Alpha, Google, dictionary sites and other helpful web spaces looking for the latest information on the topic of your search.

3. How to type faster

Rapid Typing is all about keyboards and entering data faster and more reliably.

There’s a typing tutor download (free), an on-line typing “school,” a stat sheet to record your progress, a typing lessons editor for teachers and a “play” area for kids that turns learning to type into a game that’ll have you and the whole family touch typing in just a couple of hours.

If you’re a “hunt-and-peck” typist, learning to type without staring at the keyboard will increase your productivity and fast. It’s fun and easy, and you can work on- or off-line, whichever makes you most comfortable.

4. How to sit in on university lectures

Lecturefox is a free web service that allows you to sit in on lectures on all kinds of topics given by professors and other scholars from major learning institutions like MIT, Yale University and other schools – all from the comfort of your laptop.

For example, today there are recorded lectures from Yale on “France since 1871,” “Introduction to Literature Theory,” the “Psychology, Biology and Politics of Food” and other things that’ll get you thinking and make you sound smart at your next lodge meeting. Just log in, scroll through the lectures and learn something new everyday. Free.

New topics are uploaded daily so bookmark the site. In just a few visits, you’ll discover your favorite professors and lecturers who provide the latest information in the most detail.

You don’t have to be an egghead to learn about Roman architecture. Just bookmark Lecturefox and learn for the fun of it. You don’t even have to “know this for the quiz” because there are no quizzes.

5. How to learn languages at your own pace

Livemocha is a combination of social media and language learning. You learn by communicating with others interested in learning your native language. You’ll make friends who share your interest in learning and, “si, hablo español” as you get to know more about interesting, educated people from around the world.

Simply type in your native language into the form field. Then, type in the language you want to learn. With a click, you’ll be sent to a chat room where people are bi- and even tri-lingual. And, instead of learning a foreign language from a book or boring audio disks, at Livemocha, you learn by carrying on discussions that interest you with people who want to learn your native tongue.

Think of it as a language swap meet. “I’ll teach you English if you teach me Swahili.” It’s that simple.

So, if you’re curious. If you’re into self-improvement. If you want better grades at school, there are lots of applications and web sites that’ll set you on the path to a bigger brain.

This was a guest post by Edward Khoo who writes about blogging tips, internet marketing, and web 2.0.  Want to guest post on this blog?  Just drop me a line.

What other learning apps and websites do you use?  Tell us in the comments!