What's the best way to learn a language when you're out of school?

Question

I've heard a lot about those Rosetta Stone things, but it's so expensive! I've looked at other books, and nothing looks good. I work full time and don't really have the time to take a local college class (they are rarely offered anyways) so what are my options for learning a new language?

Answer 1

The absolute best way is to actually go to a country that speaks that language and stay there for a few months. If that's not an option for you (like most people), I would get a language program for beginners (EuroTalk is pretty good because it has a recording component that works on your accent), and try to make friends with someone who speaks the language.

Be prepared to put in as much time as you would if you were taking a college class, because it takes a lot of work to become fluent. Good luck!

Answer 2

I've tried to do that myself. I took a course at the University and at a local community center. The course at the local community center was actually better. You have to invest some time in homework and language lab. The best thing is to take a trip and immerse yourself in the culture. Or if you want to learn Spanish, go to your local Latin Community Center. They are learning English, and you are learning Spanish. One girl here at work joined a Spanish church and she has become very fluent.

Answer 3

Immersion is the best way to learn, but also the most disruptive to your life (unless you are lucky enough to work for a company who sends you to another country) audio/video courses are the next best thing.

I can give you some pointers from my personal experience:

If you want to learn German, there's a really good site from Radio Deutsche Welle

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,1595,2548,00.html

It's a site with High Quality MP3 recordings and PDF documents of written work to learn the written language. There are several levels from Beginner to Professional. The courses are far from boring, being based around a cute store about a man who's constant companion is an invisible imp. And best of all, it's free.

If you would like to learn Mandarin Chinese,

http://www.chinesepod.com is an online mandarin course for English speakers.

My personal favorite language is Esperanto. I can't recommend a course like the one above, but there is a good website to learn Esperanto from: http://www.lernu.net/

My favorite course, hands-down, is "Muzzy in Gandoland". It's a video based course created by the BBC. It comes in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Gaelic, and Mandarin Chinese. I've seen it in Esperanto before, but it is not currently available. It's kind of expensive too, but some libraries carry it and you can check it out.

I wish you enjoyment and good luck in your language endeavors.

Answer 4

May change according to specific languages, but the more cheap and useful way to start is simple: do something you really like, but do in the language you want to learn. For instance you may like comics or novel or movies: try to read/view "studying" them, with the help of a vocabulary. Or find penpals.
Of course that's not enough, but a way to get familiar with.

Answer 5

Hang around people that speak the language that you are wanting to learn. I know a lot of people that have learned that way.

Answer 6

Go to see all the films you like but if they are subtitled. They join the gesture to the words. See the same film again in the original version and find out what you could not understand. I learned English like that. I am French.

Answer 7

The best way is a full immersion in the country.
If you want to learn a new language in a beautifull country, try Italian.
this school is the best www.perusiaschool.com

Answer 8

watch more television drama serials with subtitles, listen to the radio, read the papers everyday, and use the language to talk to people around you.

Answer 9

learn phonics first.
then u will be able to easily master any language