Annata Terranova:I am interested in learning a new language but am not necessarily interested in paying a bunch of money for CDs or to take a course. With the amount of educational resources on the Internet I would think there might be some good sites that would offer tutorials and resources for learning a different language. I have looked around some but have yet to find a good one. Can anyone recommend any useful sites for learning an alternate language?
Many of the "free" language courses you'd find online usually have a "catch." For example, you sign up for an introductory course, then you're hit with a payment request when you ask for additional lessons. Others would give you something "for free," but you might download something along with the "free" lesson.
If you do get a program for free, you may not get something that helps you speak fluently.
If you really want to learn to speak a foreign language, you're going to have to invest time and money. You can learn it without spending money, but you'd have to invest a lot of time. If you're willing to set time aside every day, your library might have foreign language books and audios. You'd have to have discipline to schedule your studies and rote exercises. You might be able to check a foreign language book out, but you still need the discipline to devote time and energy to learning that language.
You should go to your book store and get a book from the "easy way" series; you could get them inexpensively on Amazon. These books are designed to maximize learning. You memorize the vocabulary in the beginning of the chapter, and learn it like the back of your hand. Then you go over the course's grammar section then apply your building vocabulary doing rote exercises. If you're willing to do rote exercises, both verbal and written, you'll get your money's worth and be able to speak the language.
It'll take time, repetition, and application. If you check the book out from the library, you might be checking it out multiple times. But, you won't be paying if you learn from a library book; unless you turn it in late.