How to Learn a Foreign Language

If you dream of speaking Spanish or French like a native, you can begin taking steps to fluency immediately. Speaking a second language well is difficult, but there are ways to get started and make language-learning easier.

1. First: Start an introductory program

   Whether you select an online program or a book set with CDs, it is vital to use some kind of introduction to the language that gives you information on its basic structure and its grammar rules. Several popular options can help you lay the linguistic foundation that makes actually mastering a language much easier. Another good possibility is taking a class locally through an adult education program or a community college.

2. Second: Study regularly

   You cannot pick up a language without using it nearly every day. Between 3-5 times a week, set aside at least half an hour to read, study and practice. Move through the teaching program you have selected or the class you are taking step by step in logical order. Speak the language out loud as you study; this helps you absorb the material.

3. Third: Use online resources

   There are a number of ways to increase your exposure to your new language online at no cost at all. On your computer or your smartphone, you should easily find radio or TV stations in most major languages; stream these in the background while you are working on other things to let your subconscious begin to absorb the sound and patterns of the foreign language as used by native speakers. You can also find applications that give you a new word every day or that drill you on grammar points. Finally, podcasts for language learners are an excellent resource.

4. Fourth: Visit a locale where people speak your new language

   There is no substitute for actually putting your new language to work in real life. If you are studying French, head to Paris or Quebec, for example. Most learners find that they make more progress in 24 hours in a foreign country than they made in a month back home.