Before you decide to learn a new language or even if you have just started you should do some preliminary work.

Learning a language takes time and effort. Both of which you want to maximize.

There are some great books and techniques that will helpl you learn a language much faster than if you just went through the traditional listening and repeating from CD's. that will actually help you learn the language faster.

Your brain is a remarkable thing -make the absolute most of it. . Here are two books I recommend:

How to Learn Any Language: Quickly, Easily, Inexpensively and on Your Own

The Quick and Dirty Guide To Learning Languages Fast

The best way to learn a language is through total immersion. You throw yourself into a culture where your only choice is to learn. But this is rather drastic. Here are some other ways.

• Get exposure to the language in multiple media: Subscribe to a magazine or a newspaper that is written in that language
• Have cable tv? Subscribe to a channel that is in the language you want to learn - and start watching it. You won't understand much but you will be shocked at how you progress
• Rent movies? Get movies in the foreign language you want to learn -if it is subtitled in english that's great. You will be hearing and starting to understand the sound of the new language.
• Make Flash Cards - These really work - Pick key words and phrases.
• Use Post it notes to write the foreign language name of items around your house and stick these post-its right to them. Every time you go in the Fridge you will see the foreign language name for it.
• Find a person that speaks the language and spend time struggling through it with them.
• Use memory tricks to remember words and phrases. Things like visualizing the words floating in mid air or in bright colors.
• Here is a great memory technique that can help you remember foreign words: You think of an image for the word. For example: the word "Siesta" You think: "See Esther" and the visual image is of Esther taking a nap! She is taking a "Siesta". This kind of memory technique really works. The stranger the image you build the better you will remember it. (This works really well. I guarantee that this is going to be stuck in your head forever now! You will always have a picture in your mind of Esther taking a nap when you think the word Siesta!
• The Memory Doctor: Fun Simple Techniques to Improve Memory & Boost Your Brain Power