best way to learn a language?

Im trying to learn a language. I can speak a good amount of spanish but im not fluent and would like to be. After id like to learn italian or chinese. So whats the best way to actually go about learning a language? i know it will depend on the person for what will work better. I often find classroom stuff like spanish101 not very helpful at all. Has anyone used Rosetta stone (i keep hearing alot about it)?

 

Live there you will learn it fast!

Worked for me !

Good luck!

 

In order of effectiveness:

1. Live/spend time in a country where that is native tongue.

2. Spend several hours a day with speakers of that language and force yourself to converse. At the same time, study the technical grammar and vocabulary. Write as well.

10. Study in school and/or with tapes.

I found that there is a point in language study where you "click" and things fall into place in your head about how language is structured. For me, that took about 7 years of language courses in school and three different languages I never learned that well. Then one day it just seemed to fit together, things accelerated dramatically, and I was finally "learning" languages instead of memorizing words and phrases.

 

+1!!!

Full immersion is by far the best way as an adult.

 

i think if you live in a place for a while were they speak it, then its the best way to learn it.

as for my self

i speak english, polish, and a few french words which i learned in school .

 

go abroad and get yourself a local girl friend..... that will do.

 

If you try learning by listening to tapes or going to classes, one recommendation I heard that works is to label everything in your home and office with the name of each item in the foreign language. You can use Post-It notes for this purpose. This will make your everyday life a learning experience in the language. After a few weeks or months, you'll remember every item's name and can remove the labels.

The other thing that people recommend is to watch TV channels in the foreign language. The best approach is to watch it with the "closed captioning" turned on. This gives you the written words on the bottom of the screen to go along with the pronunciation.

 

Start with a class that immerses you in the language. I took 4 years of German in high school, but learned more in one semester of college German. I ended up with 8 years of the language (minored in college) and 20 years later probably couldn't talk my way out of a German McDonald's. You have to use it.

 

I have been trying the CD's in the car. Now my car sounds like the STIGS on Top Gear

 

+

- going abroad
+ getting an import who speaks the language
= sharing some native tongue & then some.

<Film Quote><Better Off Dead><Ricky's Mom>You know, the International Language? Isn't that right, Ricky? Huu-huu-huu... </Ricky's Mom></Better Off Dead></Film Quote>

Of course... she might not feel the same way...
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LOL! I LOVE that movie! "I want my two dollars!"

 

Sorry to bump the thread after so long, but I had a question.

How much knowledge of the language do you guys think is sufficient to start living where its spoken?

I took 4 years of German in high school, and can communicate on paper fairly well and read it ok, but my vocabulary, grammar, and speaking skills are very lacking. So pretty much, I don't know much of the language, but am determined to learn it. I would like to study in Germany, but I don't know if I should bother taking classes (college freshman year) in German, since everyone says its better just to go there.

Any thoughts?

Thanks guys,

Chris

 

I have Rosetta Stone in Russian and Italian. It's very good.

RMX

 

Using it for Italian, interesting approach, I just can't find the time to immerse myself in it. But I'll get there. And others I've spoken to swear by it.

Right now I mostly just swear at it.

DM