Clearly there are those who have been successful using apps.
However, we have found that most students who are serious about learning a language do better in a live, online classroom setting with a native-speaking teacher, offering plenty of conversational practice and using college-level texts.
Scholarly command of a language and the ability to function in it in day-to-day life are two very different things.
Languages are about far more than tedious grammar rules and arcane vocabulary.
Languages are about people.
To quote journalist Flora Lewis, "Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things."
As such, learning a language requires context, cultural and otherwise, which, we would submit, a native speaker is best equipped to provide.
The best way to discover a new language is to immerse yourself in it. Listen to the way it sounds, concentrate on the pronunciation, and look at how it is written. Above all, speak it. By listening and repeating, you'll enter a new world of ideas and peoples. A word spoken between ten and 20 times is remembered more readily than a word seen 50 to one hundred times.
Being in the company of others who share your interest in a certain language and culture will reinforce your interest and motivation. Learning together, with shared commitment, creates a pleasant and exciting education experience. As we're often told, acquiring a language through immersion really does feel like magic!
Research has shown time and time again that motivation and the establishment of clear goals at the outset are the keys to a learner's progress.
-
Regularly scheduled classes
-
Accountability from your teacher and the class
-
Individual attention to your learning style
-
Interaction with teacher and classmates
-
Continuity of teaching method at all levels
-
Stay with your classmates as you progress