Abanks1000

There are several ways to maintain a language. To maintain my French, I like to watch French movies with English subtitles. I also read newspapers and books in French whenever possible. I don't get much chance to speak French now, but I plan to take some refresher classes soon.

I spent my junior year in college as a student in Paris. I lived with a French family in the Latin Quarter a couple of blocks from Notre Dame. Many years later, I had the opportunity to work in The Bahamas, Hong Kong, and Jamaica. As much as I enjoy enjoyed living abroad, I returned to the USA to be closer to friends and family.

You must spend some study time alone to learn a new language. Studying with others is also important. I learned to speak French fluently the year I lived in Paris with a roommate who was from Bulgaria. The only language we had in common was French. I believe a new language can be learned best when you have no other choice but to use it.

I'm in Orlando, Florida sipping rum and coke at a beautiful lakeside resort.

My mood, if you have not already guessed, is great!

The only sad thing is that my vacation ends in two days and then it's back to the rat race.

The good news is that I plan to come back again to this very same resort next year.

The hardest language I've ever tried to learn is Cantonese.

What makes Cantonese so difficult is the fact that it has 7 tones.

If you get your tones wrong, then you've said something other than what you intended.

I can't imagine how a tone deaf person learns Cantonese or any other tonal language.

I am interested in learning Spanish, but have no idea which method works best. 

Berlitz, one of the oldest methods, claims to have a web-based program for those with busy schedules.

Although I have seen ads on television for Rosetta Stone's proven method, I hear their program is rather expensive.

Then there is the Pimsleur Method which claims it will take only 10 days with audio CDs to start conversing.

Has anyone had experience with these or other methods for learning a foreign language?

Americans are not so much linguistically arrogant as isolated.

You can go from coast to coast in the U.S. and find English spoken everywhere.

In Europe, you can't go very far speaking one language.

Of course, this will be true soon in the U.S. as well.

In some U.S. schools, kids have a chance to learn Japanese, Chinese, and Italian along with French and Spanish.

Maybe this is a sign that linguistic arrogance is on its way out.

It's harder to speak a foreign language than to read or write it.

To speak a foreign language, you must be able to think on your feet.

It's easier to read or write in another language because you can always consult a dictionary or other reference as needed.

If you are fluent in a foreign language, you might find speaking easier than reading or writing.

I would like to learn Spanish because it is rapidly becoming America's second language.

Spanish should be relatively easy for me to learn since I already speak French.

Recently, I found a program that offers a new approach to learning foreign languages.

Just listen to eight 30-minute lessons for 10 days and you should be able to carry on a basic conversation in almost any language.

Has anyone heard of this?

My introduction to French occurred in junior high school and I continued studying French through graduate school.

I spent my junior year of college in Paris living with a French family in the Latin Quarter just down the street from Notre Dame Cathedral.

My interest in French began when my uncle, stationed in Paris for a period, brought home a bride from France.

My new aunt brought so much excitement to the family that, when my mother allowed me to name my baby sister, I chose my aunt’s name as my sister’s middle name.