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We’re going to presume here that whatever language you choose to learn； you want
to learn well。 If you merely want to learn a smattering of greetings and phrases in a lot of
languages； great。 You’re in for a lot of fun； particularly when you see； if you haven’t
already； how far even a few words can carry you。 In that case； the departure from the
method outlined here is obvious。 You don’t need mastery of the grammar。 Most big
bookstores offer racks of phrase books for travellers in up to twenty…five different
languages。 Buy all you want and study your favourite ten or fifteen of the first hundred
phrases in each。
Don’t feel frivolous if you feel you want to learn a language but don’t know which
one。 You’re part of a movement to correct a weakness that has bedevilled America since
the founding of our nation。 Do you like opera？ Try Italian。 Diamonds？ Try Dutch。
Commercial advantage？ German or Japanese。 Cutting edge positioning for the world
down the road？ Chinese or Arabic。 East…West barrier breaking and door opening？
Russian。
French is second only to English as an international language； spoken far beyond
the borders of France itself。 Spanish enables Americans to become more complete
citizens of the Western Hemisphere； while a resurgent Spain itself becomes an
increasingly important part of Europe。
If willingness of subject peoples to learn the language of the conqueror is any
indication of the conqueror’s popularity； then the winning conqueror is England and the
loser is Russia。 Those forced into Moscow’s postwar empire had an aversion to learning
Russian； but in spite of Communism’s failure； the Russian language remains the most
widely spoken of the Slavic languages。 It can be your key to the dozen or so related
languages （Polish； Czech； etc。）。
Maybe you want to learn a difficult language； like Finnish； an easy language； like
Indonesian； a useful language； like French； or an obscure language； like Albanian。
My motives for learning various languages have ranged from chance and youthful
energy （Norwegian） to wanting a vital tool for my work （Spanish） to processing refugees
（Hungarian） to getting dates with women whose looks I liked （Swedish） to proving I
wasn’t an idiot for almost flunking Latin （Chinese）。
Nobody who sells language learning books and devices will ever frown in
disappointment at your choice of a language。 Don’t feel you have to apologise or explain
that you want to learn Czech – or Catalan or Yoruba or Urdu or Kurdish – for no other
reason than you’re tired of walking around a world as exciting as this one speaking only
one language！
Gathering Your Tools
You’ve decided which language you’re going to learn； and you’ve made a deal with the
grammar of that language： you agree to learn it； and in return it agrees not to rush you；
bore you； discourage you； or hurt you。
Now it’s time to go shopping。 Find a bookstore that offers a broad selection of
language learning materials。 Don’t settle for one where the clerk is not sure but says；
“We might have something in French and Spanish over in ‘Language。’”
BASIC TEXTBOOK
Find a basic book （textbook； workbook） that gives you a good grounding in the grammar
of the language。 Never mind if it seems to give you grammar and little else。 Never mind
if it reminds you of the books that depressed you back in high school and college。 We’ll
find all the excitement – reading and conversation – elsewhere。 Grammar is all you need
from this one。
DICTIONARY
Most language dictionaries are two way： English…French （or whatever） and French…
English。 Make sure the dictionary you buy at least lives up to that。 （I have walked out of
bookstores with dictionaries I assumed were two way that turned out to be only one way；
and the way I wasn’t looking for！）
A lot of dictionaries are infuriatingly inadequate。 They don’t even have words like
negotiate and proprietor。 Spend a little time making sure you’re getting something
substantial。 It’s a good idea to look through a newspaper and make a list of some of the
more complicated words in the news columns。 Those are the words you’ll soon be
looking up。 Does that dictionary have them？ Price； colour； and the neatness with which
the dictionary fits into your pocket； brief case； or handbag are a lot less important than
finding a dictionary that can deliver。
PHRASE BOOK
Buy a phrase book for travellers。 Berlitz publishes a series in eighteen languages； and
others keep popping up in bookstores and the racks of airport newsstands。 They’re
inexpensive and easy to use。 These books； smaller than a piece of toast； offer little or no
grammar； but they bristle with practical words and phrases； listing the English followed
by the foreign language and then a transliteration that guides the rankest beginner to an
understandable； usually a creditable； pronunciation。
Don’t be put off by the na。veté； inexpensiveness； superficiality； and comparative
weightlessness of these travellers’ phrase books when laid alongside your impressive
dictionary and your complex grammar book。 Good zoos need hummingbirds as well as
elephants。
NEWSPAPER OR MAGAZINE
Find a newspaper or magazine in your target language。 Most big cities have newsstands
where you can buy publications in a dazzling variety of different languages。 Otherwise；
call the nearest consulate or embassy of the country whose language you’re out to learn。
Usually they’re proud and pleased to help you。 If you have a choice； go for a publication
from that country itself； rather than one published by immigrants from that country in
America。 Certainly no foreign language publication printed in America is likely to
contain language more authentic than publications printed in the home country； and it
may very well be less authentic。
A friend of mine who set out to learn French immediately bought a subscription to
Le Monde； a popular Paris daily。 That’s overkill。 If he were to learn every word in any
one issue of Le Monde； it would be “mission accomplished。” One issue of one
publication in your target language at this point is all you need。
STUDENT READER
It may be difficult； but if possible see if you can locate a schoolbook or some reading
material from the country at about a sixth grade level。 Such books are obviously excellent
bridges from the rudiments to the real world。 If you can’t find one； never mind。 Your
newspaper or magazine will seem elementary to you soon enough。
PORTABLE TAPE PLAYER
The invention of the handy portable cassette tape player catapults language learners from
the ox cart to the supersonic jet。 You can now inhale a foreign language through your
ears。 “You can’t expect me to do two things at once！” is a bygone complaint。 Listening to
foreign language cassettes as you go about your daily deeds is a high form of doing two
things at on