Frequently Asked Questions about learning languages


Learning languages on your own

Frequently asked questions

Languages \| FX Micheloud's homepage
1. Basic principles How is it possible to learn a language on its own? Who are you? I was bad with languages at school. Do schools teach languages ? Is it possible to learn a language without leaving home? Everybody tells me it's impossible. How long does it take? Do language tapes really work? Can I study while driving my car? What about group classes? 2. Ideas and doctrines A. Common misconceptions All I need is a dictionary and a good grammar book Efficient learning must be painful. I can learn while sleeping - without efforts. B. Schools of thought in language teaching The "old" school US army language programs developped during WWII. What are the defects of the army approach? What is the contextual (situational) school? 3. The best programs (book and tapes packages) A. Foreign Service Institute and Defense Language Institute programs What is the Foreign Service Institute? What about the Defense Language Institute? What kind of books and tapes do they produce? Which languages are available? Where can I buy them? Why American books - can't you be less imperialist / they are so ... ? B. Dr Pimsleur tapes Who was Dr Pimsleur? How does his method work? How long do I need to complete their method? Is it efficient? What will be my skills in my target language when I'm over? How much does it cost? Where can I buy these programs? C. Other programs How can I tell a good program from a bad one ? What do you think of Berlitz ? And Assimil ? And the Teach Yourself serie? Et la méthode "Nonante jours"? What about grammar books ? 4. Tricks of the trade and common problems How should I learn grammar rules - syntaxic patterns? What is the best way to learn vocabulary? I have a hard time remembering some words. What should I do? Is pronunciation important? I want to improve my reading ability. What can I do? I'm not very fluent in my target language but I understand it perfectly. I can't write well in my traget language. I don't understand what people say when they speak quickly. I stopped in the middle of the course and now I want to go on. If I can get understood - that's all I need. I want to learn several languages at the same time. What do you think? 5. Maintaining and practicing your language Will I remember the language I learned ? How can I practice my language if I don't live in the country ? Where can I listen to my language ? What about books ? How can I buy newspapers and magazines ? If you have more questions, you can contact me. Disclaimer I have made every effort to ensure that this text is free of errors or copyright infringement. Nevertheless, some may have slipped through. Also, these pages only reflect my opinion on language learning, limited by my own experiences and knowledge. I invite you to contact me if you feel something is wrong and should be corrected. (requests about American political correctness will be dismissed)