Tips on Learning Another Language

As we all know, learning another language can become tiresome and even more difficult to commemorate. In fact, unless you practice it on a daily basis, you may never quite grasp being bilingual. There are, however, a few noteworthy products on the market that prove significantly satisfying results. If you are up for the challenge and have some free time to educate yourself, give it a shot!

Though I lived in Japan for three years, most of my time was spent on a military base. Only during liberty was I allowed to journey into the city and converse with locals. And although I qualify as conversant at the very least, I fear I may never reach fluency status now that I have transferred back to the United States. Recently, I was introduced to Rosetta Stone; software dedicated to teaching fellow linguists the nature of another language. It guides you through multiple lessons as they begin with simple phrases and eventually full sentences. There are no flash cards or memorization tutorials, only a very informative set up sequences that immerse you into the environment of another language. The syllables will be sounded out for you as you proceed to learn each word. These words will then be affixed to full sentences that inform you of the proper location for nouns, verbs, etc. Though I have just begun, I find myself recalling words and phrases that I neglected to remember, or use in the two years since. I believe Rosetta Stone has the highest ratings and positive reviews of any language-learning software in the world. Though the cost is surprisingly expensive, it may be necessary for the distracted learner.

A less expensive approach to learning another language that I recently picked up is the Pimsleur Approach. Unlike Rosetta Stone, it is not offered on CD-Rom and can not be installed on the computer. However, it is also only $19.99! If you are familiar with the respective language and simply want to build on your prior knowledge, I highly recommend this product. Instead of listening to music during my commute to/from work, I insert my Pimsleur discs into the player and repeat the teacher as he guides me through the learning process. Like Rosetta Stone, it too proceeds at a slow pace and allows the student to think of the answers before reciting them aloud. It has instantly reminded me of the proper way to speak the language without having to sit in front of a computer or open a book.

To conclude, serious linguists may want to find a personal tutor to practice with weekly or biweekly. Though the products mentioned above are a fantastic way to introduce a new language to your vocabulary, it can easily be forgotten if not used nor practiced. Another disadvantage I find when using these services is the extremely proper usage of the words. By speaking with a tutor or finding a chat buddy online, you may discover a less formal version that does not make your sentences sound like an audiotape teacher.

Rosetta Stone (2009). Retrieved Oct 30, 2009 from http://www.rosettastone.com/

Pimsleur Approach (2009). Retrieved Oct 30, 2009 from http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/learn-japanese.asp