You need to register first but the site also provides a preview for you to try the free service.  The registration is easy, just a few basic details and you're ready to go.  All you need to remember is your email address and your chosen password to login.

The lessons are all web-based so no download is required.  Free online typing courses in Spanish, French, Italian, and English is offered.  You will also be given between 18 different keyboard layouts to choose from.

The courses are entirely free but but there is a PayPal link if you wish to make a donation.  Advertising is limited to a couple of minimal adverts supplied by Google - but nothing intrusive. These appear only on the home page, once you start on the first of your 27 lessons you're in an advert-free zone.

The average lesson lasts for about five minutes. On the screen you have a graphic of your keyboard with the letters you're going to use highlighted in different colours. These correspond to your fingers - the ring fingers are a rather fetching emerald green, for example - and you practice using the selected keys.

You're presented with a block of text to copy type. To begin with it's groups of four letters. You can adjust the size of the text so that it's comfortable to copy and away you go. The letter to type is underlined and once you do this correctly the cursor moves on. It doesn't move until you get it right. Once you get through to the end you get the result.

You will be scored in terms of the percentage of errors, the number of seconds it took you to complete the lesson and the rate of keystrokes per minute which you achieved. To begin with the only one that's of any importance is the error rate. If it's more than 3% you're encouraged to repeat the lesson until you get the error rate down below that figure.

The course covers letters, most punctuation and some controls such as the space bar and shift keys. Essentially it uses the three central rows of keys on a standard keyboard plus the space bar. It doesn't cover numbers and on that basis you might want to think of it as an introduction to keyboard skills rather than a definitive course.

There are some useful hints too: "Typing fast and accurately is important, but having a good posture is vital. Keep your back straight." There's nothing heavy or patronising - just useful points to remember.

So if you want to learn how to type for free, here's a site that enables you to do so.  Have Fun!