What is the best way to learn a foreign language if you are not in school?

Question

I am interested in learning french by next spring and would love to know if anyone has self taught themselves a language in that time period.

Answer 1

Travel to France and live for a month with ppl who don't speak English

That'll do - is called total immersion

Answer 2

If living abroad is not an option, the second best thing to do is take a class. You don't have to be in high school or enrolled in college full-time to do this; most community colleges will let you register just to take one class, and they're cheap and usually well-taught.

It is possible to teach yourself a language, but you have to be extremely motivated, and look for opportunities to practice what you've learned. Many people are drawn to the flexibility of CDs, books, software, etc. but you need to remember that language is about communication, and the more you practice it with real people, the better you will get.

Also, it depends on what level you wish to attain. I've taught myself a couple of languages using Pimsleur CDs, but only at the basic conversational level. If you have any hopes of being able to read a newspaper or talk about anything more profound than food or the weather, you're really better off taking a class.

Answer 3

Sure, it's easy. Get some tapes, DVDs, whatever, and listen to them all the time. Go to Interlibrary Loan @ your local library and see what they have and then just start reading magazines and newspapers in French circling the words and phrases you don't understand and then look them up in an French-English dictionary. There has got to be one person in your community that speaks fluent French that can help you with the idiomatic part of the language. Where there's a will, there's a way. Sa va?

Answer 4

start by having a basic french class (with CD or with people and teacher)

then, you can improve a lot by watching television in other languages, especially with the Simpson's (Simpson's now help me with my Spanish). it might sound silly, but that part of how i learned English.. back in the days :P you can also find some games or video games in french. chatting on the net helps. singing helps too with the pronunciation. Reading children's book can also help learning some vocabulary without losing whats happening in the story (ohh I'm due to go to the library for some Spanish :P)

but i think children's books (or adult short stories) are a very good way to learn. put the book in your bathroom and everytime, learn a little bit more :P

well.. i guess the secret is in practice, like anything else.

Answer 5

Watch tv in that language, read books not to understand but to see how the words sound and are conjegatged. Then use flash cards and speak speak speak. You really have to literally speak it all the time to become fluent.

Owen Hammond
Director of Sales and Marketing
North American Funding
www.nafaz.com

Answer 6

Try using an instant immersion cd program. A good one is Roseta Stone, altough it's really expensive. Try looking on eBay for a similar program. I found a great Russian one for $10!

Answer 7

Pimsleur language CDS for learning to speak.

Answer 8

Go to the country where they speak the language for a while... And NOT to a tourist area!!! Go as far away from English speakers as you can to keep yourself from being lazy!

Answer 9

by reading books from a local library, by listening to tapes of a specific language you want to learn

Answer 10

Go to the country where they speak that language