What is the best way to go about learning a new language (other then living in the country)? There are tons of products out there like audio CDs and Rosetta Stone etc. Also do does the approach change if the language uses a completely different alphabet (ie Russian, Arabic, etc)?
tough question......it is the same as asking "What's the best way to learn X"; i.e. different people have different learning styles.
My guess, for myself: have roommates/friends who you talk to all the time - in THEIR language - who ARE from the place you should have gone to.
My sis learned French by paying Rosetta, doing the classes in the car on the way to work or at the gym and then chatting online with French speaking people via Rosetta's website and some headphones with a mic.
I took 2 years of German at college. It was taught by an exelent teacher with unbridled enthusiasm and extreme patience. It was a challenging, but fun class. That's how I learned.
See if you have a local college that has a department for the language in question. They frequently have discussion tables for practice outside of class.
This guy has a pretty interesting program, but it's just his ideas and suggestions and what's worked for him, not necessarily teaching any particular language.
There are plenty of good (free) podcasts, frequently sponsored by tourism boards or nonprofits from other countries tat give excellent language instruction in a very immersion-like environment.
jg
JG Pasterjak wrote: There are plenty of good (free) podcasts, frequently sponsored by tourism boards or nonprofits from other countries tat give excellent language instruction in a very immersion-like environment. jg
Oooh, good tip. I was clueless about that one.
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