Learning a language - don't believe the hype!

Before I get into any discussion of specific language learning ebooks I want to emphasise one thing that I can say with absolute rock-solid certainty on the basis of my many years of experience learning languages:

THERE IS NO SHORT-CUT TO LEARNING A LANGUAGE!

And don't believe anyone who claims otherwise.

There are a LOT of courses, ebooks, websites and whatnot out there, making wild promises along the lines of:

Learn French in a Week!

Speak German like a Native Within a Month!

Now I jokingly wrote somewhere on this page, in reference to language learning, "You'll be fluent in no time!" But the fact is, learning a language, whether from an ebook or online course, a printed coursebook or in the classroom, is a process that takes TIME and EFFORT. When learning a language, this is something you should accept from the outset.

Learning a language means learning a SKILL. Can you learn to play the piano in a week? Of course not. Can you learn carpentry in a week? Not likely! For you to take these skills on board, certain changes have to happen in your brain. A completely foreign "program" has to take root in there and begin the process of turning a newly-learned action (piano-playing, carpentry, speaking a foreign language) into second nature, a process that will always have room for further development.

So don't fall for promises of easy and quick results! These promises are at best exaggerated. The ebooks and online courses I will be considering on this site will be tested to ensure that they embody a scientifically sound approach to language learning and that they will truly help you master the language you wish.

I look forward to discovering new languages and ways to learn them together with you!