The hardest part about learning a new language is getting started, especially if it is your first time learning a second language. But learning a new language is fun, exciting and rewarding. It is well worth the effort. This list of suggestions takes a few things into account: time, budget, and speaking, reading and listening skills. Here are some tips for acquiring another tongue, that work for the most popular languages.
Let's start with quick methods for those going to another country soon, for a short trip. The quick options are good for beginners and for tourists, and you can learn to get by in a few weeks, if you study hard. But if you want to be able to carry on a conversation in another language, you need to spend a lot of time in that language. This doesn't mean immersion (although effective, it's not always a practical option), but it does mean meaningful practice, like a combination of language learning and watching movies or reading news articles in the target language. I'll write in a later post about how to better immerse yourself while still in an English-speaking country.
The Quick Route
- Pimsleur, Mango, Pronunciator, etc ($ or free). These options focus on speaking and listening skills. I especially recommend Pimsleur for the tourist. They have a collection of audio CDs for many languages, and they start off with basic conversation: greeting people, meeting people, numbers, shopping, and asking directions. Check your local library to see if they offer any of these, either CDs in the library, or free subscriptions online.
- Duolingo (free). Duolingo.com is a great website for learning languages. They currently offer many European languages, and they are developing programs for Chinese, Japanese, and many others, as well. And it's fun! They have listening, reading, writing and speaking activities.
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