6 Tips for Learning a Foreign Language

1. Find a fun entry into language learning. - Learning a new language should be a fun adventure, not a chore. It should also be affordable. What you want is a good basic course that is well-structured and thoughtfully crafted. We obviously recommend GamesForLanguage as a great (and FREE) way to get started for French, German, Spanish & Italian- but there's lots of good material around the Internet.

2. Practice regularly. - As with any skill that you are trying to learn, progress and mastery come with regular practice. A good daily routine is 15-20 minutes a day.

3. Repeat words and phrases often and record your own voice. - Start right away with learning “real” language. You want to be practicing phrases and sentences that are part of a conversations that you would encounter. At first you'll feel that you are way in over your head, but you'll be surprised how quickly you improve.

4. Find a favorite singer and listen to songs. - Better still, sing along when you can. In her article about “music-based learning,” Mary McLaurin explains: “Music exaggerates stresses [and sounds] and makes them easier to hear and understand. … It's a much more subtle way to get at the grammar and syntax.” 

5. Start reading fun things. - For example, follow Twitter posts in the language you want to learn. Or find online news texts, etc. Reading, any kind of reading, has a huge, positive impact on second language learning. There is a new FREE Google extension and Android app (iOS reportedly in June) from lingua.ly which lets you tag words you don't know and adds them to a word list for later practice. I use it regularly.

6. Reinforce your learning with things you enjoy. - Watch a movie from time to time, look at YouTube videos, or news videos in your new language. Find a language-exchange partner on a social networking site and start conversing via Chat or Skype.

These Tips are not just for beginners, but they work really well when you're a beginner with a plan. Just go for it!!