Self-Study of a Foreign Language

It is the general opinion of the American public that in order to learn a foreign language, one must study that language in a classroom environment. Although this can be useful, it is not always effective (or cost-effective), and it is not always convenient. Many are un-aware that they can become fluent in many languages with a low-budget and without the traditional and annoying tests and quizzes and homework assignments.


Step 1: Choosing a language


There is a wide assortment of languages to choose from, and each offers some appeal. Some are simply useful, while others may just be aesthetically appealing. The best advice I could lend a language student is to pick a language that they want to learn. A person who wants to learn Chinese just because it might make them money is more likely to get bored and quit than the person who loves using Chinese. Explore. Go to the bookstore and look at some of the phrasebooks, workbooks, and dictionaries. Search on the internet. It would be a wise choice to go with whatever looks like the most fun and interesting to learn. You may find yourself wanting to learn many languages, but for now focus on one. Pick the language that is highest on your 'list', and just go with it. (Note: Self-study of languages is unfortunately limited to what study materials you can find on your own. As such, if you want to learn less common languages, you may be out of luck. If that's the case, searching for a class or a person from the language's country of origin would be your best bet.)


Step 2: Materials