What Is the Best Way to Learn a Language?
By kkthom3
@kkthom3 (279)
United States
December 4, 2008 7:46pm CST
I have been trying for quite some time to learn a foreign language and to eb perfectly honest I haven't been making a lot of progress. I took several years of spanish in high school and a little in college. I had somewhat limited success with these traditional classes.
I also tried those teach yourself books that you can find at the library. These are hard to do mainly because I have to motivat myself and I tend to get lazy. I have also found a few dual language books that are full of short stories where one page in in Spanish and the other is in English. These have been helpful and interesting, but they take a long time to get through.
Another thing that has been helpful to me and probably the most fun is watching movies in another language, especially ones that I have already seen in English because I already know what is happening.
Do you have any methods for learning a language that you have found particularly helpful? Please share.
1 person likes this
10 responses
@Anchopy (1453)
• Paraguay
5 Dec 08
I think that the best way to learn a new language is that someone teach you directly and practice every day with that person. I know a little of English, Japanese and Portuguese, my born language is Spanish and Guarani, and as much as I want to learn Guarani, I can't fully understand my language, I think that it's more easy to learn languages that you know that will be useful in other countries. After I learn a lot Japanese I want to learn Russian because there are plenty software developed by russian people and with manuals that only come in that language.
@kkthom3 (279)
• United States
5 Dec 08
Thanks so much for the comment. I have also been thinking about traveling to a country where they speak only spanish. I have heard that total immersion in a language is one of the best ways to learn. Only problem is that I am a little scared to go to any of the countries in South America. A lot of them seem pretty dangerous.
@Anchopy (1453)
• Paraguay
5 Dec 08
what do you mean with dangerous? it's just that you aren't used to that, but after a while you get used to it. take risks! if you want to learn, come here and find yourself in a country of spanish. There are a lot americans (north americans) here where I live, and after some months of no spanish, they even can sing in spanish without any problem.. you don't have to be afraid.. 
1 person likes this
@chiaeugene (2225)
• China
5 Dec 08
i think you need someone to help you along the way. but i guess u need to recognised the wordings first before you can read them or use them. so i would suggest u try to understand the wordings and maybe u can use an online translation program to help you. once you are familiar with some words, learn to read them. then find someone to exchange simple conversation with you. but i must admit that learning a foreign language is easier said than done and i hope u succeed soon. but most importantly, it is your interest in the language that decide if u will succeed
1 person likes this
@jewilim (495)
• Philippines
7 Dec 08
I know, the best way to learn a language is to practice it everyday. You could stay in a place where they speak that language and practice speaking it. You could really become very good at it if you practice it everyday. As some people have said, experience is the best teacher. We could only learn from our experience and the easiest way to get it is to practice speaking the language as often as you can and by the time you know it you're already very good at it.
@theembittered (1025)
• United States
5 Dec 08
Well for me the best way to learn other lenguage is read, write and practice practice practice and practice. well have a nice day and hope you will have a very good week ;) see you soon and bye bye.
@toxicMDR (104)
• Romania
5 Dec 08
When i was a little boy the cartoons on tv were in english, then i started watching movies, i also made live conversations with people, and in the last 3 years i started using the internet very often and i upgraded my skills. Now people say i can go to USA very easy :)
@rteja11 (91)
• India
3 Apr 09
I am also learning a new language. I am learning Deutsch. I find it easy.
- Firstly to learn any language successfully you have to read daily.
- While learning the language you Should never try to translate it into your mother tongue. Try to think in that language.
- When you don't get any thing don't give up
Those were my views
Can anyone help me with prepositions in German?
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
5 Dec 08
the movie thing sounds like you have a good idea there. i think you pretty much have to communicate every day with someone of the oppisite language. because when i worked with spanish people, i picked up quite a bit of the language. not to mention my son was married for a while to one and knows a lot from that
@redhotpogo (4401)
• United States
5 Dec 08
practice with people that know it. I use language programs. I use a langage program that shows the words, and says them too, so you get the right pronunciation. But its also good to talk to people that actually use the language.
