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Best System for Learning a Foreign Language?
amrust asks: "I've set a New Year's Resolution for myself. Starting next year, I want to teach myself Spanish. However, looking in local bookstores and online, there are so many different programs and systems to choose from, that I can't decide which method is best. I'd like to learn the Spanish language itself, not just a few choice phrases and words, for traveling. I have a lot of patience for serious in-depth study, at home. I would prefer an easy-to-learn (but comprehensive) system that includes audio CDs, as well as textbook material, to follow along with. Which system can you recommend for someone just starting out, assuming they currently speak English, and have never previously taken a foreign language course?"
I am currently learning Spanish using Pimsleur and it's very effective. Half an hour of audio work per day, and the retention of what you learn is very high. Successive lessons bring up material from earlier lessons, providing a rather organic conversational approach to the language.
I only had two weeks to learn Spanish, so I went with the audio-only approach. There's a comprehensive entry at Kuro5hin on how to learn a language that covers other learning methods and technologies, providing a good overview of what options there are.