Language audio crash courses

[moot]

I have some unexpected free time, and would like to avoid using it on AH addiction.
I'd like to learn a new language - either German, Italian or Russian.
Japanese would take too long, and Latin's a dead language.

My father's learned a number of languages over the years, and he's recommended Assimil.
Do any of you guys have any other recommendations?

thanks in advance

[1K3]

Don't fall for "Master this in <###> days gimmick".  Learning a new language is a long-term commitment.

Here's a good read from a blog site I found
Language Studying Tips
http://nihongo.3yen.com/2006-10-27/tae-kims-language-studying-tips/

[mora]

IMHO you'd get more out of a more spoken language like Spanish or French. German is pretty easy though. Easier than Spanish in my experience.

[Bruno]

Online:

FSI Language Courses

Freiheit für Moot...

[1K3]

Use Rosetta Stone software to learn language if you can't take one in a community college or university (or try their online courses)

[rpm]

Learn a language that you will have opportunity to use. I know Spanish as a second language and use it almost daily.

[takeda]

Japanese would be the easiest to speak of all those you mentioned, but the hardest to read and write. Japanese grammar is dead simple, while Russian and German are full of crazy rules, Italian and Spanish not so much, but are sure more complicated than English or Japanese.
I like Pimsleur courses, you can learn quite a bit in a month using just 30 minutes every day, then keep at it if you like it.

[VermGhost]

Originally posted by takeda
Japanese would be the easiest to speak of all those you mentioned, but the hardest to read and write. Japanese grammar is dead simple, while Russian and German are full of crazy rules, Italian and Spanish not so much, but are sure more complicated than English or Japanese.
I like Pimsleur courses, you can learn quite a bit in a month using just 30 minutes every day, then keep at it if you like it.

I don't know takeda, I am going to begin my 2nd semester of elementary Japanese, and the first course was plenty difficult, I did find that kana was not all that hard, but kanji (which we only delved into briefly) is confusing and difficult.  I am a bit of a nationalist, so I do not really support learning spanish that much, latin is NOT a dead language, there is a very good intensive 6 week course at UC Berkley a tutor told me about.  I would say german (high and low and capitalized proper nouns a bit odd to me) italian, russian, or in the end french are ones I would suggest.

[storch]

yes good idea.  rosetta stone's software is excellent.  I use english as second language and it's worked out ok for me.

[moot]

Mora, I already know french and spanish, so something not latin-rooted would be best, to diversify.

Steve, thanks that's perfect to get started

Thanks Ike, I'll check it out.

rpm, I am still split between german, arabic, and japanese.  Considering both personal and professional aquaintances I've made and expect to make in the future, those three are evenly split.
So I'll try all three and stick with the one or two that most easily come to me.

Thanks takeda.  I don't mind complex rules so much.  I was told german or russian was easy to learn once you knew one of the two, what do you think?
I'll check out Pimsleur too.

[lazs2]

I have been doing the rosetta stone spanish and it is very helpful.  I think I have learned a lot but mostly... it seems that I am learning to read and speak more than really converse and understand...  If that makes any sense.

I do hear spanish a lot around here and can watch and listen to spanish stations and... I don't really care how long it takes so all is good.  

It will be worth it tho to be able to belittle spanish speakers in their own language or to pick up more mexican women.

lazs

[Maverick]

If you arte not going to actually use it, learning a language would be a waste of time. I'm not saying learning a new language is bad, just that if you don't use it, you'll lose it. go with something that you can "exercise" so you maintain whatever fluency you gain.

[1K3]

Originally posted by VermGhost
I don't know takeda, I am going to begin my 2nd semester of elementary Japanese, and the first course was plenty difficult, I did find that kana was not all that hard, but kanji (which we only delved into briefly) is confusing and difficult.

I "cheated" by studying and mastering the Hiragana/Katakana 3 months before the elem. Japanese 1 class in UNLV started last fall:p  Because of that I was able to put 110% on other classes.  I only started to get serious in Japanese when the instructor introduced us the adjectives, numbers 1 to trillion, counters, counting time, and of course teh dreaded Kanji (how overrated:D).  I think Japanese is not difficult, it just eats your precious study time for other important subjects.  By the way, this is the same country where patience is (still) seen as virtue:)

[Chairboy]

From an economic strategy, I'd bet that learning Mandarin would be profitable in the long term, based on how the economy of China is developing.  US folks who speak it might have some pretty big advantages, especially in business negotiation.

[zarkov]

I actually firmed up my spoken French and learned some rudimentary spoken Spanish (which I've since forgotten) from the Living Language series.  You really have to stick with it, though - it's an old-fashioned book + tape (now CD) combo with written tests that you have to take and grade yourself on to see if stuff has stuck.

It's old-school but it worked back when I didn't have a TV and was so poor I couldn't go out that much.