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How to Learn a Foreign Language
How to Learn a Foreign Language
Learning any foreign language is hard work. But it’s a lot easier if you know the hidden skills and techniques that experts know -- and use -- to learn any foreign language. In this little handbook, language expert Graham E. Fuller -- whose career has required him to learn more than a dozen languages -- shows how to take the steps that will make it easier for anyone struggling to learn any new language.
That’s why How to Learn a Foreign Language is used by schools, universities, and independent language-learners throughout the world.
Acclaim for How to Learn a Foreign Language:
“Useful and entertaining.”
-- The New York Times
“It’s astonishing that no one has ever thought of a book like this before -- designed to prepare students for beginning the study of any language. This book is indispensable to anyone learning a first foreign language.”
-- Dr. L. Michael Bell
Professor of English and Foreign Languages, University of Colorado
“This book could save a beginning student hours of confusion, and might provide some confidence that learning a language is normal and possible, even for someone like him or her!...Fuller has codified what many successful language learners have found out for themselves by learning languages...The knowledge that Fuller is writing from such vast experience can only inspire confidence on the part of the reluctant language learner.”
-- Carol L. McKay, Modern Language Journal
Excerpts from the Book:
This book is for those of you who have never studied a foreign language before. And it is for those of you who have already had one painful experience with a foreign language and who hope to do better at it this time...
This book isn’t just for people who like languages. It’s for those of you who have to learn a language for one reason or another...
Learning any foreign language is hard work. But it’s a lot easier if you know the hidden skills and techniques that experts know -- and use -- to learn any foreign language. In this little handbook, language expert Graham E. Fuller -- whose career has required him to learn more than a dozen languages -- shows how to take the steps that will make it easier for anyone struggling to learn any new language.
That’s why How to Learn a Foreign Language is used by schools, universities, and independent language-learners throughout the world.
Acclaim for How to Learn a Foreign Language:
“Useful and entertaining.”
-- The New York Times
“It’s astonishing that no one has ever thought of a book like this before -- designed to prepare students for beginning the study of any language. This book is indispensable to anyone learning a first foreign language.”
-- Dr. L. Michael Bell
Professor of English and Foreign Languages, University of Colorado
“This book could save a beginning student hours of confusion, and might provide some confidence that learning a language is normal and possible, even for someone like him or her!...Fuller has codified what many successful language learners have found out for themselves by learning languages...The knowledge that Fuller is writing from such vast experience can only inspire confidence on the part of the reluctant language learner.”
-- Carol L. McKay, Modern Language Journal
Excerpts from the Book:
This book is for those of you who have never studied a foreign language before. And it is for those of you who have already had one painful experience with a foreign language and who hope to do better at it this time...
This book isn’t just for people who like languages. It’s for those of you who have to learn a language for one reason or another...
102 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 1987
5 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Graham E. Fuller
43 books96 followersGraham Fuller is an author and a political analyst. He has worked for the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the National Intelligence Council, and Rand Corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 24, 2018
Fuller does a great job of describing some of the essential focal points of language learning, things that expert students of language will already know, but which are routinely ignored and overlooked by beginners. Ignoring the principles established in this little book will needlessly increase the time required to learn a language. The book is short and entertaining, and it should go a long way towards demistifying language acquisition, dispelling fear and trepidation, and building enthusiasm. It would make a great gift for anyone who is first embarking upon the adventure of learning a language. If you struggle with languages, it may be that you are just going about things the wrong way. Give this book a quick read.
December 6, 2021
Los consejos de este libro son bastante útiles para el aprendizaje de idiomas
June 3, 2017
This book is highly motivational. It is not written for the learning of any specific language, but "How to Learn a Foreign Language" offers tips and tidbits that can help students of any language to feel more at ease in the pursuit. I will list some features that I feel are the most helpful.
Besides explaining some of the typical hurdles that English-speakers need to overcome in learning a foreign language, author Graham E. Fuller offers tips for facing new languages. There are physical hurdles (such as, getting your mouth into a different shape to be able to vocalize sounds that never occur among English-speakers) and psychological hurdles (such as, learning to think all over again).
The whole book is only 102 pages. It can be read quickly, and it can be kept on hand all during the period when one attempts to learn a new language. As I said, the book is motivational and encouraging, and I encourage you to read it if you are anxious to really learn a new language.
Besides explaining some of the typical hurdles that English-speakers need to overcome in learning a foreign language, author Graham E. Fuller offers tips for facing new languages. There are physical hurdles (such as, getting your mouth into a different shape to be able to vocalize sounds that never occur among English-speakers) and psychological hurdles (such as, learning to think all over again).
The whole book is only 102 pages. It can be read quickly, and it can be kept on hand all during the period when one attempts to learn a new language. As I said, the book is motivational and encouraging, and I encourage you to read it if you are anxious to really learn a new language.
September 26, 2014
I have known about all the methods used in this book in way better forms than described. Most of it is common knowledge. Book is full of irrelevant remarks about the reader (such as assuming nobody will learn Finnish or other small European languages or that nobody but Americans will read the book). Somewhere at the beginning of the book the author states that English is spoken in America. I won't say what think of that. The good points are that it was easy to read and had some decent examples. The book was written before the internet, so some bad points should be forgiven.
meh/5
meh/5
April 17, 2022
Although a bit dated (even the concept of a “foreign” language is dated when most countries have any number of languages spoken), it is a quick but solid introduction to those who are just beginning language study, whether for the first time ever, or perhaps the first time since high school. Any particularities about outdated media (e.g., shortwave radio), can easily be translated into modern media. The strategy, and effort required, is the same. Nothing comes for free, least of all language learning, but reading this book could save learners a lot of wasted time and keep them on track.
May 5, 2019
Most of the tips provided are common knowledge but there is still some good advice in here, although I have the feeling that the book is mostly for people that don't have much experience with foreign languages.
October 26, 2018
QUOTATIONS FROM THE BOOK: You can never really learn to speak a foreign language, or understand it when it is spoken, unless you can learn to think in the language. You can actually start to think in the language from virtually the first day. 2. Learning to think in a new language means learning to associate an initially meaningless new sound with the idea or image of what it means. You practice to the point where the new sound takes on meaning for you. 3. Avoid translating, that is, mentally putting into English everything that you read or hear. Your goal is to understand without translating.
Even if you can't always spot similarities (they're not always there), use your imagination to try to make up connections in your own mind to help you remember the word. Later you can drop the memory device.
In languages distant from or totally unrelated to English, you will have to rely even more on your imagination and memory tricks to remember many thousands of words that have no relationship to English.
The more languages you learn, the better you get at spotting real, or inventing artificial, connections in your mind to help you remember.
Anything that helps you remember a word is fair game.
DIGGING UP WORDS BY THEIR ROOTS
Eventually, the vast proportion of new vocabulary in your new language will be based on roots you already know.
There are only two things that you really need to learn when you study a foreign language: words, and how to put them together.
How many words do you have to learn when you study a language? Well, that depends on what you want to say—and understand. To get around a country and meet your very basic needs, a couple of hundred words might do. To carry on a simple conversation on general topics you'll need about two thousand words. To hold a fairly serious conversation with people and to read a newspaper you'll need a minimum of five thousand words. Don't worry about the numbers now. At any stage the most important thing is to use all the words you know. The traditional way
How many words do you have to learn when you study a language? Well, that depends on what you want to say—and understand. To get around a country and meet your very basic needs, a couple of hundred words might do. To carry on a simple conversation on general topics you'll need about two thousand words. To hold a fairly serious conversation with people and to read a newspaper you'll need a minimum of five thousand words. Don't worry about the numbers now. At any stage the most important thing is to use all the words you know
Always say the foreign word out loud as you see it—don't just read it. You want to involve your mouth and your ears as well as your eyes.
How well do you have to know a language to start dreaming in it? One year, two years, almost a lifetime? Wrong. You can actually start dreaming in a language in a few weeks. Whether you do or not partly depends on you and your tape recorder, or the amount of hours you spend each day on language study. If you really listen a lot, and repeat and repeat your sentences, you'll soon find them swimming around in your head. When you go to sleep at night you'll find yourself repeating them over and over—even in your sleep. That's a great sign. It's a sign the language is really getting to you—and into you.
Memorizing whole sentences helps teach you the patterns of the language and imprints them on your mind.
When you don't know the word for something, find a way to get on without it. If you can't say “he loves music” then say “he likes music very much.” If you can't say “she tried to avoid the accident” then say “she didn't want her car to hit the other car.” If you're really stuck getting your meaning across, be imaginative. My daughter was in France and got a flat tire. Over the phone to a mechanic she didn't know the word for “flat” so she explained that the tire was “dead.” Okay, it's not too elegant. But the mechanic got the point. She communicated.
Learn set phrases and expressions. This is an easy way to expand your repertoire and to help your conversation sound much more fluent: “What I want to say is…” “Well, as you may know …” “One thing that I want to mention is…” “You know, it's interesting that…” “Well, I don't really know, but…” “It's interesting that you should ask that.” “You know, I was thinking about that earlier.”
Practice, practice, practice.
What you must do is decide how proficient you want to be and how
What you must do is decide how proficient you want to be and how much time you can devote to that effort
What you must do is decide how proficient you want to be and how much time you can devote to that effort.
An old Chinese proverb says “One language, one man; two languages, two men.” In effect when you learn a new language you become a new person, with a new culture, and even a new way of looking at things. Your whole perspective on the outside world changes. So, good luck. And don't forget to have some fun along the way.
Remember, you don't want to have to translate as you read. Translating is time-consuming and inefficient. You will need to be able to read just as a native of the language would read—straight from the language to the concept in your head—no intermediary process. So it will still be crucial to spend a little time with tapes to rev up your thinking processes in your new language. Make sure you read out loud a lot, and try to understand what you read without translating. You'll never be an accomplished reader in the language if you have to translate. If you are learning only how to read, make sure that in addition to the regular textbooks you also get a proper reader—a book with graduated reading passages
it's still important to learn to think in the language. Remember, you don't want to have to translate as you read. Translating is time-consuming and inefficient. You will need to be able to read just as a native of the language would read—straight from the language to the concept in your head—no intermediary process. So it will still be crucial to spend a little time with tapes to rev up your thinking processes in your new language. Make sure you read out loud a lot, and try to understand what you read without translating. You'll never be an accomplished reader in the language if you have to translate.
Even if you can't always spot similarities (they're not always there), use your imagination to try to make up connections in your own mind to help you remember the word. Later you can drop the memory device.
In languages distant from or totally unrelated to English, you will have to rely even more on your imagination and memory tricks to remember many thousands of words that have no relationship to English.
The more languages you learn, the better you get at spotting real, or inventing artificial, connections in your mind to help you remember.
Anything that helps you remember a word is fair game.
DIGGING UP WORDS BY THEIR ROOTS
Eventually, the vast proportion of new vocabulary in your new language will be based on roots you already know.
There are only two things that you really need to learn when you study a foreign language: words, and how to put them together.
How many words do you have to learn when you study a language? Well, that depends on what you want to say—and understand. To get around a country and meet your very basic needs, a couple of hundred words might do. To carry on a simple conversation on general topics you'll need about two thousand words. To hold a fairly serious conversation with people and to read a newspaper you'll need a minimum of five thousand words. Don't worry about the numbers now. At any stage the most important thing is to use all the words you know. The traditional way
How many words do you have to learn when you study a language? Well, that depends on what you want to say—and understand. To get around a country and meet your very basic needs, a couple of hundred words might do. To carry on a simple conversation on general topics you'll need about two thousand words. To hold a fairly serious conversation with people and to read a newspaper you'll need a minimum of five thousand words. Don't worry about the numbers now. At any stage the most important thing is to use all the words you know
Always say the foreign word out loud as you see it—don't just read it. You want to involve your mouth and your ears as well as your eyes.
How well do you have to know a language to start dreaming in it? One year, two years, almost a lifetime? Wrong. You can actually start dreaming in a language in a few weeks. Whether you do or not partly depends on you and your tape recorder, or the amount of hours you spend each day on language study. If you really listen a lot, and repeat and repeat your sentences, you'll soon find them swimming around in your head. When you go to sleep at night you'll find yourself repeating them over and over—even in your sleep. That's a great sign. It's a sign the language is really getting to you—and into you.
Memorizing whole sentences helps teach you the patterns of the language and imprints them on your mind.
When you don't know the word for something, find a way to get on without it. If you can't say “he loves music” then say “he likes music very much.” If you can't say “she tried to avoid the accident” then say “she didn't want her car to hit the other car.” If you're really stuck getting your meaning across, be imaginative. My daughter was in France and got a flat tire. Over the phone to a mechanic she didn't know the word for “flat” so she explained that the tire was “dead.” Okay, it's not too elegant. But the mechanic got the point. She communicated.
Learn set phrases and expressions. This is an easy way to expand your repertoire and to help your conversation sound much more fluent: “What I want to say is…” “Well, as you may know …” “One thing that I want to mention is…” “You know, it's interesting that…” “Well, I don't really know, but…” “It's interesting that you should ask that.” “You know, I was thinking about that earlier.”
Practice, practice, practice.
What you must do is decide how proficient you want to be and how
What you must do is decide how proficient you want to be and how much time you can devote to that effort
What you must do is decide how proficient you want to be and how much time you can devote to that effort.
An old Chinese proverb says “One language, one man; two languages, two men.” In effect when you learn a new language you become a new person, with a new culture, and even a new way of looking at things. Your whole perspective on the outside world changes. So, good luck. And don't forget to have some fun along the way.
Remember, you don't want to have to translate as you read. Translating is time-consuming and inefficient. You will need to be able to read just as a native of the language would read—straight from the language to the concept in your head—no intermediary process. So it will still be crucial to spend a little time with tapes to rev up your thinking processes in your new language. Make sure you read out loud a lot, and try to understand what you read without translating. You'll never be an accomplished reader in the language if you have to translate. If you are learning only how to read, make sure that in addition to the regular textbooks you also get a proper reader—a book with graduated reading passages
it's still important to learn to think in the language. Remember, you don't want to have to translate as you read. Translating is time-consuming and inefficient. You will need to be able to read just as a native of the language would read—straight from the language to the concept in your head—no intermediary process. So it will still be crucial to spend a little time with tapes to rev up your thinking processes in your new language. Make sure you read out loud a lot, and try to understand what you read without translating. You'll never be an accomplished reader in the language if you have to translate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2019
If you've never learned a foreign language before and are having problems starting out, this book could be very useful. It has some suggestions for enriching your learning (watch TV or movies in a foreign language, use a different book [or app]) and for memorizing words.
The notes on languages in general are very helpful if English is your only language. For instance, many languages assign a gender (masculine or feminine) to nouns. Some languages let you drop the pronoun and just use the verb. For example: In Spanish, if you want to say "I have an apple," you can just say "tengo una manzana" instead of "yo tengo una manzana." We do the same in casual English conversation, but it's not as common and not as expected ("Have a headache. Going to lie down," instead of "I have a headache. I'm going to lie down.")
Yes, the author does refer to tapes instead of apps and online courses, but the principles are still sound.
The notes on languages in general are very helpful if English is your only language. For instance, many languages assign a gender (masculine or feminine) to nouns. Some languages let you drop the pronoun and just use the verb. For example: In Spanish, if you want to say "I have an apple," you can just say "tengo una manzana" instead of "yo tengo una manzana." We do the same in casual English conversation, but it's not as common and not as expected ("Have a headache. Going to lie down," instead of "I have a headache. I'm going to lie down.")
Yes, the author does refer to tapes instead of apps and online courses, but the principles are still sound.
March 13, 2011
I haven't read much books how to learn a foreign language but i don't need to this book is everything i need to learn a foreign language.He is direct,short,and he is absolutely right. Great advices.You can also see that he knows what he is talking about he is an expert, and i respect him much and admire him.Not anyone can know that many languages,give advices how to learn,and encourage us to learn languages.
April 3, 2013
A very short book, so a quick read, but full of enthusiasm and encouragement for foreign language learning. Not every language learning method works for everyone, but his suggestions are sound, and he gives concrete examples of what worked - and didn't work - for his own education.
December 30, 2008
Very informational with good lesson idea's I keep it on hand while learning Hindi.
June 6, 2013
For this book, learning my next foreign language will be smoother...
Read
July 28, 2024I like learning languages with apps, and it's cool that they assess your language level well. So if you choose, say, promova, and you're at level B2, you won't have to start from scratch at A1. Besides that, it feels like modern language-learning apps can give you a solid foundation or help you improve specific skills like speaking or listening.
August 6, 2017
Nice and concise. Dated though as there is no mention of computer usage as a tool or Netflix etc.
December 4, 2021
The book is a fun read. However, some methods are outdated, like using tapes.
January 17, 2010
Short, to-the-point, easy to read, and encouraging, even if I already knew most of the points he was making. Still, I think it was helpful-- it was a helpful refresher on what to look for, taught me a few things about the language that I'll be learning next semester (French) that I didn't know, and gave some helpful study tips and hints on how to approach learning a language. He definitely emphasizes the importance of hearing the language and really freeing yourself of embarrassment about speaking a language that uses different pronunciations than our own (which I never really had to worry about when taking French). I'll admit, I always kind of shared Jo March's opinion that "French is a silly language", so I was a bit apprehensive after signing up for it. But I'm a silly person and I'll embrace that silliness next semester. The book really did help in that department.
December 2, 2013
A short little book that introduces general advices when studying a foreign language. Even though Fuller uses examples from various languages, the piece is not limited to any particular language or language class. But, as an important point for all non-native English speakers: English is the language of reference, so be prepared to be talked to as "...you, that you are already fluent in English..." ;)
It is, indeed, a good summary of patterns that are inherent all language and hints how to master them - and as such a valuable resource for everybody who tackles this endeavor for the first time. However, if you already speak a few languages, you might not learn much new here. (And still, the structured presentation of rules and facts that you already, perhaps subconsciously, apply can be enlightening.)
It is, indeed, a good summary of patterns that are inherent all language and hints how to master them - and as such a valuable resource for everybody who tackles this endeavor for the first time. However, if you already speak a few languages, you might not learn much new here. (And still, the structured presentation of rules and facts that you already, perhaps subconsciously, apply can be enlightening.)
July 5, 2012
At right around 100 pages, this is a concise guide to learning another language. His methods are time-tested and will work, but with a publication date of 1987, we have far better tools at our fingertips now than when this was first out. If the author could time-travel to now, he'd exhort the virtues of the many online learning resources, communities, and Skype-ing with someone in your target language.
But the book wouldn't be 100 pages any longer, and in today's world, this information is available online at no cost. I found this book for pennies in a secondhand store. If you're looking to learn another language, look at reliable internet resources for this information-- no need to scout this book out.
But the book wouldn't be 100 pages any longer, and in today's world, this information is available online at no cost. I found this book for pennies in a secondhand store. If you're looking to learn another language, look at reliable internet resources for this information-- no need to scout this book out.
January 9, 2014
Old book. Not really helpful if you have already learnt a little bit of a foreign language. You already know all what he says. 2 stars because he organise those knowledges.
December 25, 2014
Short and to the point.
February 20, 2015
I expressly suggest read this book firstly who want learn foreign language.
January 28, 2015
Very poor sound quality. Good encouragement to learn another language, not many helpful hints.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews