I really would like to begin learning French. It would help my teaching career, and I’ve always wanted to be a true bilingual Canadian. I’m not sure of the best way to learn it though. I’ve been trying listening to some podcasts, and while I’ve gotten better, my interest level has waned. I’ve also heard of those “Rosetta Stone” programs. They look neat, but expensive. I’ve never taken a french class before. Perhaps that’s the best option. Aside from moving to France, how would you go about learning another language? Any ideas that are cost efficient?
I have heard Rosetta Stone is not horrible - but only buy the first set of discs to make sure you use it and learn from it. Yes, I know you “save” buying all of them at once, but if you only wind up using it for a couple days and quit, you didn’t save much.
The best bet is to take a long vacation and submerge yourself somewhere that only speaks the language you want to learn. You will be amazed at how quickly you learn when you need and want stuff!
Then there is the old adage that the best way to learn a language is in bed…but lots of married people find their spouse might not approve of this method.
I’ve recently been working at re-acquainting myself with Greek, which I used to speak. I’m planning a vacation in a few months and I’d like to be able to at least make myself understood.
I looked at a lot of online resources, including Mango Languages, Rosetta, and a few others, and even went through some of the basic material at Mango, and ended up deciding they were all useless. The thing is, you can learn basic vocabulary with an automated program, but the first time someone looks at you and speaks the language at full speed with a native accent, you’re lost. You really need a live human to practice with to learn a language IMO.
I ended up finding a Skype-based tutor from VerbalPlanet.com. I’ve only had one lesson so far (this morning in fact) but I can tell it’s going to get me where I need to go. It’s about $22/lesson, you do it over Skype, and you can sign up for as many/few as you want. You can read through the instructor’s profiles and reviews, and pick someone who seems good to you. Some even offer free trials.
Try duolingo.com
It’s a fairly new online site for learning languages. I’m using it now to learn Spanish.
It’s got a structured learning path and is presented kind of like a game (you get three “strikes” (hearts) per lesson. It’s engaging and I like it a lot.
Given how historically important the language barrier in Canada has been (“Two Solitudes”, anyone?) I’d have thought the Canadian government would have some very good tools for any citizen who wanted to become bilingual. Have you checked to see if there are programs, free classes, or anything of that sort?
Start watching TV in French. Choose the French audio track and subtitles on the DVD of a movie you already know well in English, and see if you can start to get a feel for the language. You might be surprised at what you can start to pick up.