2007-01-05 02:45:53 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Teaching
You have three common options, I'll go in order of effectiveness.
1) Pick up a book, or a computer program and learn that way. Its for people who don't have time for the other two. Out of the three, its the least effective, because it isn't as intensive.
2) Take a class, and there are two options. Your local community college or community center might have a "conversational" version of the language, but those classes work to the "lowest common denominator". I don't say that as a bad thing, but they go at the speed of the person who just doesn't "get it", so you may be reviewing basic things for weeks and you're so over that. The other option is what is known as immersion classes, like those offered by Berlitz International. They promise a measure of fluency (relatively low, but to a grand degree conversational) but you pay for it, and its rather intensive (Berlitz was running in excess of 1200 bucks for an eight week class the last time I looked).
3) Immersion programs take the idea of what people who have posted before me have said, or "get on a plane and go there". They either seperate you from regular society (like on a college campus) or fly you to the country for a period (3-8 weeks) and you are completely immersed in the program. It is very much an "learn or starve" approach because instructors won't even acknowledge English, so you MUST learn. These programs are great, and some of them are economical (under 1000 bucks) counting on the language.
Most non-community college language programs I have seen tend to be more immersion also. The best sign? If a language course is MORE than 2 days a week, its an immersion class, and that's good. That means very little English will be spoken. In my German 101 as a freshman in college, our professor would only speak English for the last 2 minutes of class (and class was every day, Monday through Friday). Its tough, but after a year of this I understand more German than I do with 2.5 years of training in Spanish!
Good luck
2007-01-05 03:05:45 · answer #1 · answered by gengidashiell 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Best way to learn a foreign language and culture is to spend time exclusively in that culture and only use that language to communicate. So go there and live there.
2007-01-05 02:49:48 · answer #2 · answered by cyahlaytar 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you can't afford to travel to that place directly, you can learn the language by attending language classes, or if you are a very disciplined person, study by yourself. it's also good to join clubs or organizations that cater to language learning or culture. you may meet some of the local speakers there and become good friends.
good luck~!
2007-01-05 02:54:31 · answer #3 · answered by herbie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I got stuck in a hotel in French Guine in Africa with nothing but French Television (with English Subtitles) and french guests to talk to for about 2 months. I had basic secondary school French arriving and now I have fluent French. On the other hand I have been working in the oil business in Saudi Arabia for 5 years with everything English available and only have very weak Arabic. I.E. You have to immerse yourself
2007-01-05 03:25:02 · answer #4 · answered by fsjock 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think it would be best to just go there. i live in africa and it has been a great experience learning new things and the language. it is best if you can practice with people on the street, which i can.
2007-01-05 02:50:33 · answer #5 · answered by picklegirl326 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get on an airplane and go there.
2007-01-05 02:47:32 · answer #6 · answered by alig 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋