What Other Tools Help With Learning a Language?

 
  • Classes or tutors. These generally involve more time and expense than self-study courses. If classes or tutors are available in your community, you may have to arrange to meet at a time or place that's not convenient for you. Classes will typically devote somewhat less time to speaking skills, and correspondingly more time to reading, writing, vocabulary, precise grammar rules, culture, history or literature. Tutors can offer more personalized, if less systematic, instruction. Some language students prefer the discipline of regular homework, quizes and exams. Live instructors can use "immersion techniques" with little or no English since, unlike prerecorded Pimsleur programs, teachers can quickly react to a misunderstanding or correct a mistake. But while Pimsleur courses are recorded by native speakers, a teacher or tutor may speak the language with non-native English or American accent.
  • Books. If you are interested in learning to read or write in a new language, rather than speak the language, then books may be helpful. Books can also delve deeper into culture, history, literature or precise grammar -- and are generally portable and economical! The tradeoff is that books are a poor way to practice speaking a language at "real world" conversational speed, and an even worse way to develop a natural accent. But if your goal is to read news, literature or Web sites in a foreign language, or to exchange letters or e-mails in a foreign language, then book study could be more appropriate for you than Pimsleur courses.
  • Online Resources LiveMocha is an online community for language learners who want to practice with each other. Omniglot is a comprehensive language resource site focused on written language.

Of course, none of these methods are mutually exclusive. The most common limitation is the student's own time, budget and patience. However, if your goal is to have practical speaking skills in a new language -- just weeks from today -- the Pimsleur Method could be the best choice, and most convenient choice, for you.
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