What is the best way to learn a foreign language?

Question

i want to be able to speak it fluently like someone from that country would. can i learn something the same way i learned english(my first language) as a child?

okay i figured it out. i have a friend who was born and raised in russia. she speaks russian fluently like a russian only to those she knew in russia. she said she came to america at 10 or 11. she learned english from listening to everyone else. but what shocks me is shes speaks english like an american and russian like a russian. i had no idea she was russian till she told me and when i heard her speak it.so i guess i should be asking how can i learn a foreign language w/out being able to surround myself in the culture or language?

Answer 1

knowing more than one language is hard when your a child but it does benfit later on.

ok i know a lot of languages, and am young for my age, but that is because i put my mine in to it. if you really want to learn always pratice the basic. listen to the music when you are free and if you work there might be some co-workers there you can try to talk to them no matter how wierd you sound, or if you go to school the better there is like 1k or more kids that has to speak the language you want to speak.
the main thing you want to do is listen to it alot no matter what, and start to read, and sing songs in that language.so that you can get used to the sound. never give up is one thing.watch tv in that language.
am learning a new one right now that is part of the romance languages, and am doing all of this that am telling you and it has worked for me.

one thing i do have to say its really ez to learn a language in the category you already speak. they have alot of the same sound, and rules that your language speaks.
just look up indo-european languages, and germanic language.

Answer 2

I wouldn't say you can learn it the same way (because when you are a child you have the ability to learn things and remeber them much better than you do know), but you can defintely use the same theory and combine it with studing and classes. The best way to become fluent in a language is to use it in your everyday communication either online or with a friend that speaks the language in question.

Alternatives to this are taking classes in a college or private and watching TV and movies in that language (with or without sub titles) The more you learn the less you should use them because it will take away from the purpose.

Ideally the best way is to live or visit for a couple months a country where they speak the language. The fact that you will have to use it will help you become more comfortable and allow you to pick it up quicker.

Good luck!!!

Answer 3

I've heard that total immersion is the fastest way to learn a language, where you just move to the place that speaks the language you wish to learn.

Language skills drop off a lot once your (I think this is the right term) Hypothallamus is fully developed. It's the part of the brain that stores language and figures language skills out.

When you get older, it's less about learning the language and more about memorizing facts.

Short of moving (which is extreme, I know), you could always buy books on tape in the language you wish to learn. If you continuously listen to the inflection and vocabulary, your brain will eventually figure it out. A little side work with some language software wouldn't hurt, either.

Answer 4

The best way to learn a language is immersion. When you learn from a text or similar language program, you speak in the proper form of the language. You usually don't learn the slang. If you take a course, you might be taught slang. The only way to do it though is to be surrounded by people who speak the language. This is why your friend speaks so well.

Answer 5

In school we usually have this speaking partner program, it's the only way to pick up their accent! For your friend it was easier 'cuz she was younger. I didn't speak much English until I was like 16 and even now, after a gazillin years of English at college you could totally tell I'm not a native speaker

Answer 6

The best way is staying for a while (1 year or so) in the country which language you want to learn.

Answer 7

If you want to speak the language fluently and without accent, I think the best way is to live in that country, that way you are forced to practice it (speak, read, write) and you learn from the experts - native speakers.

Answer 8

In my personal oppinion i think one of the best ways is to be surrounded by it. Let me explain it; when you learned to walk was because it was a need, the same with language. You have to be in a cimcurstance that makes you learn the language a need. Trust me that learning a languange is not a caprice.
On my case i was surrounded by english (spanish my native language) because all:videogames,movies, internet was all in english and i had to learn by means of need.

Answer 9

You actually answered your own question already, probably unknowingly.

"as a child', that is the key here. Growing up with several languages around you is the best (and easiest way) for any human to learn those languages all alike and easily.

As long as each person (teacher/nanny/relative etc) keeps up that ONE language only. For exampe uncle Eduardo speaks only italian with you, never french or english, and auntie Charlotte will only speak french, never german or english, then you will not get confused.

People who have grown up like that don't even understand the struggle of other people complaining how difficult it is to learn another language. They just grow into it, and with that mindset already prepared, they will always be able to add another language later.

There is no "too early" time in a human life to start. But unfortunately, there is a "too late" time for humans.

I would say, if you are over 10 years old, you will not really learn your SECOND language anymore. You might learn some vocabulary, some grammatics, yes, you will be able to stumble through it and maybe the waiter will understand your order in a restaurant, but you will most likely not learn it as though as it was your "equally other language", just like your first.
No problem to add a fourth, fifth, sixth language in case you started early, as I said.

The key is: your brain needs to be adjusted to "add" another language. Once you did that with a second or third language, you will easily add another one.

But as a german tutor I have met Americans who never spoke anything else than their own version of american english, and they just cannot wrap their minds around the plain concept that other languages just work in another structure, another way.
They keep thinking in their american english structure and just try to fill in word-by-word translated german words, which will never form a german sentence. An english sentence will always stay an english sentence, even if you replace the words with their german translations.

Here an example to show what I mean. I am giving a german warning and then replace those german words (each one by one). So the result should be 100% english, right? See for yourself!

"Nimm' Dich ja in Acht!" (german warning, means something like "you better watch out").

Nimm = take
Dich = you
ja = yes
in = in
Acht = eight (8)

english translation word by word:
take you yes in eight!

Do you understand what I mean?

This is the way people are thinking if they have spoken only one language in their lives, and here it is completely irrelevant WHICH language that was. Everyone with only one language will always think in this one pattern, this one structure, this one grammatic, and they all will just take their own language, translate word-by-word into the other language and then believe they are actually speaking another language.

Like in the example, "Take you yes in eight" is a string of english words, but it really is german, only translated into english. Only germans who can re-translate in their minds will understand what it means, people not familiar with that german saying have no chance at all.

I assume you are already older than 10 years. You should blame your parents, but once you're done with that, you can still try to leave the country and find a place where nobody (really nobody!) speaks english.

That's your only chance. You will not learn a new language as long as you have the chance to think/read/speak english.

Because you are too old, your brain is not "set" for another language, you will always fall back into the only pattern you know. And a teacher who speaks english is not really helpfull. Whenever a question comes up, why this grammatic is so-and-so, you are again using your english structured brain.

It is actually a physical thing: every language you are speaking has its own section within your brain, and in case you have already 2 or 3 sections, you know how to add on a fourth or fifth. But when there is only one, you will most likely not be able to build up a second section within your brain for the new language.

BUT THAT IS CRUCIAL!!!!

Without that new brain section you will not be able to do it. Trying to learn a new language with your english brain section has no chance.

I am sorry to tell you that, but this is my own experience.

Answer 10

Study it everyday,watch a lot of movies in the given language and listen to native speakers(via tape or something) for a least an hour a day.And of course speak it whenever you can.