Want to learn a language but whats the best method?

[what..the?]

I want to learn at home and/or in the car maybe, my boyfriend is interested too so we can test each other and work on learning together, so that might be more appropriate to some packages than others.

We fancy learning either German (that I know a little of) or French (that the boyfriend knows a little of), so we have some grounding to kick start us.

If the package is good we would like to move on to more and more different languages in the future so if we can keep with the same company/package that would aid us long term.

Can anyone reccommmend a good package/company to use in the way of books and or cd/dvds? What ever the best way to learn at home is these days.

Thanks in advance

[Nosha123]

I would go to WHSMiths and see if you can buy GCSE books in the langauage you want to learn.. I did the same with Spanish and taught myself.. then when you are both fluent you can treat yourselves to a holiday there to practice!!!

The audio tapes you can get a re good to - but the GCSE book may have some tests in it.. so you can practice what you have learnt

[what..the?]

thants a good idea thanks

[shomer42]

You learn a language? You can't even splle corrcetly!

[pbeach]

Books and tapes are all very well, and may give you vocabulary and some understanding of syntax and how sentences etc are composed. However the best way to learn might be to spend a holiday at a "learning" school in ythe country you are interested in, as the best way to learn is to speak and listen to it in conversation.

[pbeach]

par example, je parle francais un peu, mais je pense je parle francais meilleur que les autres anglais, parce que j'habite maintenant en france tous les temps.....

[what..the?]

Thanks pbeach

With regards that last post I will get back to you in about 6 months to a year when I can read it lol

[pbeach]

I say what I said, because both my wife and I tried to learn french from tapes and at evening classes, but that didn't really help... we only "really" started to learn french when we moved to France and started talking to our neighbours, dealing with the "fonctionnaires", talking to the Mayor etc etc.
The classes and tapes gave us some vocab and basic understanding, but speaking with the "natives" has helped most of all. We have a teacher who comes to see us once a week and she speaks no english... so we are forced to speak and talk french, the same when we have dinner, or apero's with our neighbours.

Just one word of warning, the translation chip does start to fail after a few bottles of wine :-)

[chrisrob]

I agree with pbeach. I've been "learning" French most of my life but it wasn't until I immersed myself amongst the real French (who didn't speak English) for 6 weeks last year that I felt confident enough to talk on the phone.

[pbeach]

re. shomer42 responding to your simple typo "thants a good idea thanks" with You learn a language? You can't even splle corrcetly!

Il est un trou de cul....

Hmm wonder how long that will last before they delete it...
I have better phrases, but I think I will give them a miss.

[what..the?]

lol thanks for the answers.

"French drops with the wine".......... "klinky klinky" lol

Yes I can understand what you say about talking French on their Turf, you are forced to talk and understand what they are saying. But it is also about the way certain words are pronounced, and if you live amongst the French you cannot help but pick up these small but important points.

Only problem is the work I do daily doesn't give me time to travel I haven't had a holiday in 5 years and I can't even get away the long weekends. So thats why I was thinking more of a 'home based study format'. I do plan to go aboard though in the future to try and use the basics I have learnt and expand my knowledge throught the local people.

Do you find the locals don't mind if you get words wrong?
Are there any countries who are rude to beginners learning their language and our not at all helpful?

[shomer42]

pbeach, how dare you say I am the whole of an ass!

[pbeach]

Normally and certainly in the area where we live, the locals are very friendly and will try to help - even to the point of correcting you when you make a mistake in grammar or pronounciation. However I think you need to get to a certain level of french before they start to make the effort.

However nearly all french would prefer you to at least try and speak french rather than shouting at them in english. In general they appreciate the effort.

However your mileage might vary in the some of the big cities e.g. Paris.

[tamirra]

Im trying to learn Greek and my god its so difficult, good luck in whatever language you choose to try. x

[what..the?]

Thanks pbeach

Tarmirra - thanks and good luck with your Greek!

[pbeach]

Since you can't get abroad may I suggest something like the following, buy a "Hugo" learn french in 3 months or something, its a start. Try and enrol in French evening classes.

Then when you start feeling a bit more comfortable, see if you can buy french "comics" and see if you can read them, I suggest "comics" because they do contain argot, that is common french, as used in normal day to day conversation, if this works ok, then move onto french newspapers. You can access the french press via news at www.google.fr.

None of this will probably help your spoken french and comprehension of spoken french per se, but will certainly improve your understanding of the grammar and vocabulary.

[what..the?]

great thanks for that, I will look into that now!

[Lucy Thomas]

I'm learning Greek like Tamirra. I'm using Rosetta Stone backed up by a good English/Greek dictionary, searching the internet for lessons on Greek grammar, looking at Greek websites and topped off with two lovely weeks in Greece.

I would really recommend Rosetta Stone but it is expensive.

[what..the?]

Thanks for that Lucy

[tamirra]

How are you finding it Lucy, i think what your learning if slightly different to what im learning, as im learning Greek Cypriott and there is a slight difference in the language, why did you choose Greek Lucy? x

[JockSporran]

I am currently learning German from a CD language course. There are many of those and you buy them in bookshops. Practice in bed, listen in the car, whatever you like. Very useful, so much so that I've tried out my German on actual Germans and they understand me perfectly.

Another thing that helps is to watch DVDs and change the language selection to the one you are learning. I have watched many of my favourite films in German and got the jist of what they were saying as I already knew the script in English.

One more thing. Watch foreign films. I have several German films on DVD and sometimes I switch off the English subtitles.