Zilch to Conversational

Zilch to Conversational: A Guide to Language Learning Tools, Strategies and Techniques for Conversational Fluency, Daniel V Rusteen, OptimizemyBnB.com, 2019

You have decided to learn another language. Now what do you do?

The first thing that is needed is motivation. Is the language learning for business or pleasure? This book will help a person reach the level of eighty percent fluency. The learner should be able to navigate a restaurant, and the local market. There is little reason to go for total fluency if you are just going on vacation.

There is a website called Fluent Forever, that specializes in language learning in months, rather than years. Another site, called Ankiweb, allows the creation of digital flashcards, not just in languages, but in any subject where lots of memorization is needed. It can be downloaded to your cellphone, so studying can be done anytime.

A human teacher can be very helpful, whether in person or online. It is important that the teacher realizes that everyone learns languages in different ways and at different speeds. Some teachers know only one way to teach languages. Books, in your target language, can also be very helpful. It might be best to start with a grammar book, even a young adult grammar book, then work your way up to, for instance, a book of short stories. When a more advanced level is reached, consider changing your cellphone's default language to your target language. Last, but not least, plan on spending a couple of hours per day, every day, studying your target language.

This book does a very good job at making the language learning process as painless as possible. It will still take time and effort, but many of the question marks have been removed. This is very much worth reading.