Can you tell me of a language program I can do at home?

Question

I want to be able to choose from different languages..and I need to learn one fairly fast..and easy! I am serious about this and have tryed finding one online, but I can't seem to.I don't really want to do it on the computer..

by this I mean, Spanish, French etc..
Dutch even! but it needs to be a proven system that works!

know that, when I say "Fast" I want to be able to learn one in about a year and half or two!

Answer 1

I've found that the Power-glide language programs worked well for me, but they were not very fast. Their website is
www.power-glide.com
Another thing that work very well for me was the TPRS method, which I was taught with and learned rudimentary French within one school year. I don't know how that would work out on your own though.

Good Luck

Answer 2

No matter what you use, you're not goint to learn any foreign language fast, especially if it's your first foreign language. So, trying to put a deadline on learning will probably just end up frustrating you more, no matter how hard you study.

The best way to learn a foreign language is the same way you learned English as a child, immerse yourself in it, and then mimmick what you hear without being afraid to make mistakes. Unfortunately, the most effective way to do this would be to live in foreign country, which isn't real feasible for most people, plus it's extremely frustrating and uncomfortable to be in a situation where you don't know what's going on around you (ask anyone who's been a foreign exchange student).

There are a lot of computer based courses out there, so take people's advice on what is good; however, I can't imagine there is a huge difference between them. Regardless of what program you use, you can be more successful learning the language by complementing it with other resources, i.e. watch movies/tv, listen to music, read newspapers/websites, take classes in that language and write down new words you learn to review them later.

As for the language itself, it will be easier to stay with a language that uses the roman alphabet, like English does, i.e. not the Asian, Eastern European, or Middle Eastern Languages. Spanish, French, or German would probably your best bet. There are arguments about which is easier or better, and they all have their strenghts and weaknesses; however, they all take lots of work to learn. You could probably be at an intermediate level (by ACTFL standards) in any of these 3 languages within 2 years if you worked hard at it. Unless you're naturally gifted at languages, learning any faster than that without living in another country would be pretty unrealistic.

I hope I didn't scare you off too much. Learning another language is a great experience, and it can open a lot of doors for you personally and professionally. Good luck.

Answer 3

Javascript...or C++ if you're up to it.
What I really want to learn is Visual Basic...

By this I mean programming language.

If you meant human language, I would say Spanish isn't that difficult. Chinese and Japanese seems interesting too.

You can just buy textbooks if you don't want to use the computer...

Answer 4

The Berlitz method is pretty good and you should be able to find it at any big bookstore.
Good luck!

Answer 5

yes, TPRS is wonderful!
If you get the Rosetta Stone demo, you can see how they teach several languages, and it looks to be closest to TPRS as anything on computer. (Natural Approach, which is one of the roots of TPRS)
Expensive, though!

Answer 6

berlitz