Getting Started

Before you can start to learn a language, all you need is ...

• A desire to learn
• Some free time
• To be prepared to be challenged - it won't always be easy
• Be prepared to have fun, and enjoy what you are learning
• and most of all - THIS web site.

Search the pages, have fun, and keep coming back regularly as our site grows and grows.

You do NOT have to have any previous knowledge of languages - and besides, you already know at least one!

30 minutes a day is considered by many to be the optimum amount of time to spend each day - if you spend too long, you often do not retain as much of the lesson, or you may lose interest! Any less time, and you don't really get a chance to practise and revise what you are learning. You should spend the first part of each session reviewing what you have learnt previously, then move on to new material if you are comfortable with the revision.

Some people say that they do not have a spare 30 minutes a day - well what about the time you spend driving to work? I do most of my study on the way to work each day, and you can do this too. You can convert your lessons in to MP3 files, and burn a CD - of course you must be mindful of the copyright laws in your country (I don't want to be blamed for getting you to break the law :) If you are really keen, you can study on the way home as well, or you can use this time to review the material you covered in the morning. Obviously this method does not work well if your preferred study method is reading from a book! But this method is ideal if you catch a bus or train to work.

Talking to yourself as you ride in a bus is probably not as much fun as the other passengers look at you and laugh, so think about your study method and how it fits in to your own cirsumstances. I get many strange looks driving to work as I talk back to my CD player in Japanese!

Whatever method you choose to learn a language, don't be discouraged if you do not learn as quickly as you had hoped. Experiment with other methods, until you find the one that is right for you - and remember the 3rd point at the top of the page 

   * It won't always be easy! 

As you go, you will find tools that enhance your learning. These might include a dictionary, flash cards, sound files, or text books, which obviously are not always free, but many can be found on the internet. There are on-line dictionaries, downloadable flash cards, sound files, and ebooks that ARE free. Many of the sites are listed on our resources page. You will also see ads throughout this site, and the text in these ads will often describe some of the resources that they are pointing to, so keep an eye on the ads - but remember that they are usually trying to sell you something, but often offer something for free to tempt you to try out their products. (Many of the free products are worth MUCH more than what you pay for them :)