<Article> 10 Steps To Becoming Fluent In A Language In 6 Months

[Jamie]

Here's an article that may be helpful to some people.

http://matadorstudy.com/10-steps-to-...e-in-6-months/

[Elaina]

Very interesting article Jamie........one thing though....speaking for myself, I can't afford to live in Paris or some other country to learn their language. I can visit but that is about as far as I can go. I have to work. I am sure the method works and I encourage everyone that I come in contact with when I am interpreting to learn this language.

Believe me, if I could I would but since I can't I won't. BUT I will keep trying to learn Italian........if it kills me ()

Thanks for sharing the article...people who can should do it!!

Elaina

[Jamie]

I also can't afford to live in Spain or another country where Spanish is spoken, but the other tips are pretty interesting.

[Tomisimo]

I agree mostly with what the article says, and it is possible to become fluent in a foreign language.

The second point-- Forget translating: think like a baby!-- is good advice up to a point, but there is linguistic research that suggests this is not possible after a person is older than about 10 to 12 years old. Researchers have found that the brain is especially adapted to language learning before puberty, and after that, it's almost impossible to have native-like fluency.

[Ramses]

Well David (may I call you David?), I think in Spanish all the time and I'm never translating (only if I'm not sure about the structure of something, or if I'm not sure about a word, but I analyze it in Spanish). I don't know if you're familiar with the AJATT technique (http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog) but that guy became near-native within 1.5 year (now he IS native-like). So it's possible, really, it all depends on the way you approach the language.

About living in the country; why would you? Sure, if you can afford it, do so. But with the internet and DVD's you can make your own environment. I've done it with Spanish; I have tons of series dubbed in Spanish and original series. I don't have Spanish TV, but I make my own TV guide (well, I don't make one, but I just choose from what I have and watch it). It just takes some money (or just make copies - which is actually legal in the Netherlands, don't know if you can make home copies in the US) and time to collect native materials. But if you want to become native-like you have to use stuff that natives use. And that's something you can use everywhere, in your own country or in Spain.

[Tomisimo]

Ramses, yes you can call me David

I guess I didn't explain myself. Near-native fluency is certainly possible, there are thousands, if not millions if near-native speakers of a foreign languages. But native-like fluency (indistinguishable from native speakers in all contexts and under emotional stress) is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Note that there is a distinction between near-native and native-like.

[Saffire]

I took eight years of Spanish and had many different teachers and tutors, but it just wouldn't stick for some reason with me. I realized that I had a lot of trouble processing things in situations with pressure and that I was better at learning on my own terms and at my own pace. The pieces started falling into place once I tried Rocket Spanish. I couldn't afford the more expensive language learning programs, which is good because I'm sure that this works just as well. Ahora todo es mucho más claro. It's way better than dishing out wads of cash on a tutor.

[CrOtALiTo]

Hello you are doing spot with your website or you are giving us a counsel about of the way more easy for the learn English, well if you have learn't English in that way very nice and thanks for the counsel.

You are welcome.

I'm gladly in that you are in the forums.