What are the best language learning tapes, cd's, books, and software?

[battleknight24]

I know that the best way to learn a foreign language is by actually travelling and living in foreign countries, but language study is just a fun hobby of mine. What product worked for you and which ones didn't?

Peace,

[mr_hat]

1. Juh tem "French for Complete Idiots." Wee.

[blondeatlast]

2. Langenscheidt, hands down.

Gseundheit!

See? :evilgrin:

Seriously, they are the most respected in the business--I'm a library book buyer, and they are always the first choice.

[JohnKleeb]

3. Routledge is what I am using

for a Slovene dictionary and tapes. Yes I am a geek lol.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. Primary source materials

instead of course material. In other words, once you have a rudimentary knowledge of the language, watch movies, read books (kid's books to start), listen to music, read newspapers (online if nothing else), online chat, websites... you can even get foreign language TV...

If you have a DVD player, you can also make sure that when you buy a movie, it has a soundtrack (and hopefully subtitles) in the language you are trying to learn.

[Canuckistanian]

5. Berlitz is still good, isn't it?

They were the best 20 years ago.

[Canuckistanian]

6. Just make sure you get the tapes or CD's

You CANNOT learn a language just by reading some attempt of phonetics using English examples. You've got to hear it.

[Maine-i-acs]

7. Pimsleur is great!

I've used their audio CDs successfully. A few hours in the car is good to work on enunciation. Then a pocket dictionary/phrasebook to fill in the blanks. Don't spend more than $40 on the works.

[Commendatori]

8. For beginniners, the best is Hugo's "...in three months," because

they teach you the language itself. The vast majority of beginner's courses teach you how to book a room or how to buy a train ticket, but those "... in three months" courses don't waste your time with the automatic assumption that you're going on a trip.

You won't be truly fluent in three months no matter what you use, but those Hugo courses give you a solid foundation for further study. Spend $30 on one of these with a $7.00 paper dictionary and hit the books, and you'll be within the previously suggested $40 limit.

What didn't work for me? Those "...at a glance" courses. They do look like they're kickass for travel, but travel is out of my price range these days.