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How to Learn Any Language: Quickly, Easily, and on Your Own!
by
Barry Farber
That may be the most frequently told joke in the world -- it's repeated every day in almost every language. Unfortunately, Americans are notoriously bad language learners. That's partly because before this current era of globalization we didn't really need to speak other languages, and partly because the language instruction techniques previously available to the average A...more
Hardcover, 172 pages
Published
August 1st 2002
by MJF Books
(first published 1995)
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Trevor gives a good summary of what you'll find in the book, and I don't have much to add. Instead, I'll talk about how it relates to work that we're doing at Geneva University, developing speech-enabled software to help people learn a new language. If there's one thing that comes across in Farber's advice, it's the importance of regular practice. As he says, you get better at a language by using it, and you should use it in as interactive a way as possible.
There's a sliding scale here. The ver...more
There's a sliding scale here. The ver...more
view all 33 comments
Nov 20, 2010
notgettingenough
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-sort-of
Update: I'm starting to wonder if the whole language thing is overrated. I'm in a French-speaking country without a word of French to my name and it doesn't seem to matter that much. I find the Swiss are pretty much like the French. They may hate Englishmen. They may hate that thing where Englishmen think if they speak English slowly and loudly nobody in the world won't understand them.
And even if you ask them sweetly 'do you speak English?' they reply back 'non' which, to be honest, I find just...more
And even if you ask them sweetly 'do you speak English?' they reply back 'non' which, to be honest, I find just...more
I actually read this in hardcover. This is one of those titles that explains why I don't go into the bookstore very often. Putting me in a bookstore is like putting an alcoholic in a bar -- we're both going to get something! I found this little tome in hardcover in the bargain rack, and as I was contemplating ways in which I could improve my Spanish skills, I found it serendipitous that I and this book had crossed paths. It was a very quick read -- and also very enjoyable. Farber's personal stor...more
This review will be short and simple. I finished reading the entire book in...... about 5-6 hours. And I took a few short breaks doing it.
If you like learning languages, this is a good book to read. I got it on recommendation from a site as I was exploring ways to learn Japanese (already started that, really, but anyway).
This book is not going to give you instructions on learning any particular language. You're not going to be able to start learning any language just from this one book - you're...more
If you like learning languages, this is a good book to read. I got it on recommendation from a site as I was exploring ways to learn Japanese (already started that, really, but anyway).
This book is not going to give you instructions on learning any particular language. You're not going to be able to start learning any language just from this one book - you're...more
Just a side note - I've read this on my mobile phone in just a few hours of boredom, being stuck on one event and having nothing else to read. As I love to learn languages and prefer to read books in the language the authors wrote them, this book was refreshing, in a way I could immediately familiarize with this author and his own zeal.
The information about the language learning techniques (like cassette players) is a bit outdated, but that isn't relevant - what matters is the motivation 'speech...more
The information about the language learning techniques (like cassette players) is a bit outdated, but that isn't relevant - what matters is the motivation 'speech...more
I first picked up this book two months before I came here to Japan. That was ten years ago. Of the various books I've looked at that try to teach you how to learn a language, this one stands out from the rest for the sheer enthusiasm that Mr. Farber shares with the reader. His techniques are sound, and his recommendations are effective, but it's his expression of the sheer joy of learning languages that oozes out of every page of this book that gives it a permanent place on my shelf. Techniques...more
This is a really wonderful book. A few years ago I tried to learn Italian, but gave up as it was taking over my life and I didn’t really feel I was getting anywhere with it. This book would have been a great help and now it has even inspired me to have another go.
If you are going to learn a language you have to expect that it is going to require effort on your part. There are lots of ‘courses’ out there that tell you that you can speak Chinese in three months – but you are an intelligent person...more
If you are going to learn a language you have to expect that it is going to require effort on your part. There are lots of ‘courses’ out there that tell you that you can speak Chinese in three months – but you are an intelligent person...more
In many aspects, this book is quite outdated: with internet access, you don't have to chase Mexican waiters in your local taco joint to practice your Spanish, or try to find a newspaper in Tagil at a newsstand. Instead, you can make use of YouTube videos, Wikipedia articles in your target language, or one of many websites for language learners - all useful additions to more standard language-learning tools. And yes, as some other reviewers noted, at times Farber's jokes and explanations can be i...more
Farber developed a strategy for learning languages which he called the “multi-track attack.” Farber suggests that individuals seeking to learn a new language purchase a grammar workbook/textbook, a dictionary, a periodical (newspaper or magazine), language flashcards, a phrasebook, foreign-language cassettes (cds, mp3s), highlighters, pencils, and notecards. He recommends working through five chapters in the workbook, and working through the rest slowly, over an extended period of time. Next, F...more
Aug 02, 2011
Tijana
added it
I read this book out of pure curiosity, although I am not particular fan of "How to..." books. Well, the book proved me right. The author is definitely really good at inspiring you to learn more, to bravely embrace your desire to learn a new language, no matter how silly may be the reason for choosing some particular language. On the other hand, some of his suggestions I find completely insane (like using the time waiting for the elevator to review new words). Not to mention the changing of his...more
The title largely describes the book's contents.
The bad, first.
Published over 20 years ago, it has rather fallen behind the times. In this era of iClouds and iPads, extolling the virtues of "portable cassette players" seems charmingly daft. Naturally, there's not a hint of online chat, DVD-ROMs, iTunes U, etc.
Also, the allegedly-useful system for improving vocabulary memorisation is as old as the hills and, truth be told, utterly useless. Yes, you can find weak English rhymes for Spanish, Itali...more
The bad, first.
Published over 20 years ago, it has rather fallen behind the times. In this era of iClouds and iPads, extolling the virtues of "portable cassette players" seems charmingly daft. Naturally, there's not a hint of online chat, DVD-ROMs, iTunes U, etc.
Also, the allegedly-useful system for improving vocabulary memorisation is as old as the hills and, truth be told, utterly useless. Yes, you can find weak English rhymes for Spanish, Itali...more
This book is more anecdotal than educational. It spends most of the time on stories telling how the author learned different languages and on quirks of all kinds of languages. It inspires you to learn another language though (or two or three).
I very much agree with most of the language learning system that is described, but it also makes a few assumptions that won't work for everyone.
For once, the claim that the system is "inexpensive" - it really depends what you consider inexpensive. The aut...more
I very much agree with most of the language learning system that is described, but it also makes a few assumptions that won't work for everyone.
For once, the claim that the system is "inexpensive" - it really depends what you consider inexpensive. The aut...more
الكاتب الذي يتكلم 25 لغة يقدم خلاصة خبرته في تعلم اللغات في هذا الكتاب.
يحكي الكاتب في البداية عن تعلمه اللغات من الماندرين -اللغة الصينية-وهو طفل مرورا بالروسية وهو في الجامعة وغيرها من اللغات.
ثم يشرح الطريقة التي توصل اليها وتعتمد بالأساس على استغلال الوقت والدراسة بأكثر من طريقة في وقت واحد
بمعنى استخدام مواد للقراءة وتسجيلات صوتية بعد دراسة اساسيات القواعد مباشرة.
وجدت كلامه مقنعا وانتوي تطبيق الطريقة هذه
يوما ما :)
ويتحدث ايضا عن أهمية تعلم اللغات أحسست ان هذا الجزء كان موجه للامريكان
أكثر من...more
يحكي الكاتب في البداية عن تعلمه اللغات من الماندرين -اللغة الصينية-وهو طفل مرورا بالروسية وهو في الجامعة وغيرها من اللغات.
ثم يشرح الطريقة التي توصل اليها وتعتمد بالأساس على استغلال الوقت والدراسة بأكثر من طريقة في وقت واحد
بمعنى استخدام مواد للقراءة وتسجيلات صوتية بعد دراسة اساسيات القواعد مباشرة.
وجدت كلامه مقنعا وانتوي تطبيق الطريقة هذه
يوما ما :)
ويتحدث ايضا عن أهمية تعلم اللغات أحسست ان هذا الجزء كان موجه للامريكان
أكثر من...more
I was not a big fan of this book for a few reasons. I know its just supposed to be a bit of helpful nonfiction, but the writing was just not that good. I'm surprised this person was able to publish.
The method examples went on and on for about 10 pages. Seriously. Do I need to hear more about how the Italian word for wife is moglie, pronounced mole-YAY and about how the night before the wedding the husband learned his wife had an unusual pet and was imagining lions and skunks but the morning of...more
The method examples went on and on for about 10 pages. Seriously. Do I need to hear more about how the Italian word for wife is moglie, pronounced mole-YAY and about how the night before the wedding the husband learned his wife had an unusual pet and was imagining lions and skunks but the morning of...more
Whatever you think of his recommended study methods, you can't fail to be infected by the sheer joy he takes in his subject. He inspired me to drag out my Chinese books, put a handful of flash cards in my pocket and (indirectly) mosey on over to livemocha.com, all at once!
The writing style can be irritating--at least three farfetched similes per paragraph--but his enthusiasm shines through and makes up for it all. Some reviewers have criticized his "paint a word picture" method of learning new v...more
The writing style can be irritating--at least three farfetched similes per paragraph--but his enthusiasm shines through and makes up for it all. Some reviewers have criticized his "paint a word picture" method of learning new v...more
Farbers offers an easy to read "How-To" to tackling the one item on everybody's bucket list. Multiple track attack, hidden moments, and the magic memory lane are but a few chapters to mastering the skill of learning another language. Not as detailed as Berlitz or Pimsleur, it does not seek to the reader one specific language. He instinctively knows the bulk of the Herculean task is left with learner. He breaks it down to the simple, bite size chunks needed to tackle this adventure. This book tel...more
I liked the sit back and enjoy his stories aspect of this book. The author really has a fun history and a great story to tell about how he learned a bunch of different languages. He gives sound advice proven to be true by his own experience. The one thing I was waiting for was a concrete plan. He includes a plan, but for me it felt incomplete and fuzzy. As a language learner, the more specific details of a plan the better. A good read that will give good ideas to your language study.
Though only about one third of this book involves actual advice on learning languages, the information provided could potentially be invaluable. The author's story of how he became a language learner is amusing to say the least. Farber's advice for language learning applies to reading books, as well as learning a new language. I was able to finish reading this book within about three days while reading only during spare moments (mostly on hold while calling someone at work). Invaluable!
Yes, it's outdated... but the basics still apply, and it's a wonderful book about learning languages. At the minimum, the author's passion for learning is inspiring. Look - it's in the bargain section of bookstores or online, and it's worth the $6 or $7 if you want to gain insight on how to overcome past obstacles of language acquisition and move forward quickly. The vocabulary section (mnemonics) alone is worth a good read. Thx
This is a tiny book, and one of the most explosively written books I've ever read. Nothing about the author is subtle, and his manic enthusiasm for language learning jumps off the page. Despite its size, it offers concrete advice on self-learning languages, lots of fun anecdotes, and a ton of motivation. If you're learning a foreign language, it's impossible not to find yourself re-enthused after going through this book. Love it!
This book has renewed my interest in learning a foreign language. Actual… it's renewed my interest in learning SEVERAL. Farber makes the prospect of LEARNING a new language sound just as fun as the idea of KNOWING a new language. He kindled my interest in some languages I never cared about before. I genuinely hope to put into practice the techniques of this book in the near future.
Outdated but has a solid methodology to learn languages for even the most timid and unsure student. It's easy to skip around and read only what interests you, which is good because his narration is obnoxious. He says things that are offensive but he wrote this book during a time when a white man could get away with such things.
One example: his description of hearing Indonesian for the first time: "To me at the time, it was the white-suited bwana speaking something pure "jungle" to one of those...more
One example: his description of hearing Indonesian for the first time: "To me at the time, it was the white-suited bwana speaking something pure "jungle" to one of those...more
His attitude needs a little adjusting (but then, so does mine) and in the end all I really got from this book is to learn the language all you have to do is work hard and use multiple aids.
Still. Not bad for a day read. It gives me the boost to stop trying to find MORE aids, and just use what I already have and work hard with them.
Still. Not bad for a day read. It gives me the boost to stop trying to find MORE aids, and just use what I already have and work hard with them.
I read this book to get ideas of how I could teach foreign language to my kids (I'm homeschooling in the mornings now), but I got a lot of ideas of how I could improve my own German and Spanish through study at home. The book motivates you to go out there and learn lots of languages, like the author did!
Actually, my rating would be higher if I was not already well versed in acquiring languages. I hoped to learn more than I did from the experience of reading this book. However, if I was a cold beginner then I'd have rated the book with four or five stars as the book would have been far greater in value.
A highly inspiring book for actually everyone, who wants to learn a foreign language, no matter if already dedicated language-lover or someone who needs encouragement in learning their first foreign language. It is written for people who want to learn on their own. It has lots of tips on how to go about such a project and how to make learning as effective as possible. The author tells about his own language-learing obsession. He has learned several and tells how he has done this. Above all I lik...more
The author did a great job to give good information and sprinkle in his experience. This book is a must-read if you intend to learn languages on your own.
A fine little read...Nothing I didn't know already (except for some refinements of the mnemotechnic method), but it boosted my motivation indeed!
Dec 16, 2009
Nate
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
language-education,
language
This is my favorite book on learning languages. It provides methods and encouragement through the author's own story about language learning.
Jun 11, 2012
Hana
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
jazyky,
literatura-faktu
The best thing about this book is that it fills you with excitement when it comes to the idea of language learning. Reading about Farber's relationship with languages makes you believe that you, too, can learn as many as you want.
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