Has anyone actually learned a foreign language using only CDs (or tapes)?

Question

You see many kinds of "learn a foreign language" programs sold at bookstores. However, I have never met anyone who was fluent (or at least good) at a language because they bought CDs. I'm wondering how successful people can be using them.

Have you or anyone you have met actually learned the language from using such programs?

Answer 1

I think that cds are a great start if that's all you have. If you've already had some foreign language exposure it will be easire to follow along. The Pimsleur brand is excellent.

Good luck!

Answer 2

One could conceively become quite good at speaking from a cd/tape program, but there is absolutely no way that someone can achieve fluency in a language just from listening to some cds. That being said, those types of programs are helpful for learning the basics and sometimes the intermediate and advanced grammar of a language, but these programs mainly consist of words and phrases that you learn from repetition. It's not the same as studying a language in a classroom setting or conversing with a native speaker.

Answer 3

They're not as good as practicing with a native speaker. However, overall, I still have pretty positive feelings about tapes and cd's. About 20 years ago, I began learning Irish Gaelic from them. I learned a lot of things about the language and about how words and names are pronounced in Irish that I would never have picked up from reading books. I was able to memorize many Irish Gaelic phrases the same way singers memorize verses in the songs they have to sing. So, short of a native speaker, I'd say that tapes and cd's are still the next best thing. Gaelic

Answer 4

I can get by in Dutch thanks to Dutch in 3 months (Hugo) and built a decent foundation in Portuguese by getting a Living Languages course. If you choose carefully you can find a course that will help you enough to do basic conversation. The strictly travel courses are useless, I'd go for something that at least claims to be conversational and costs at least $30. If you want to get in depth, you'd have to spend about $250 on such things as foreign language institute courses.