Learning a foreign language can be a daunting task. But when we break it down, it’s really a numbers game. How much time do you spend on it and how many words do you know? In most cases, you’ll need a few hundred hours of study time and typically 2000-3000 active vocabulary words to converse with in the hopes of one day becoming truly fluent.

Once you learn it at that point, it pretty much becomes self-sufficient, if you stick with it and continue to use it.

This sounds like too much of a task for someone who casually says “Hey, I’d like to learn Spanish!” but the reality is that you can learn to speak a language at a daily conversation level much faster if you apply some additional techniques to

complement your language or class method. It can be functional with far fewer words and can significantly reduce the number of hours needed to learn the foundation of the language.

flash cards Pound for pound, the best and most efficient use of your time when learning a language. Ten

Seconds of spare time turn into a quick quiz: pull card number one out of your pocket “what is the Spanish word for…food? food? Flip card over…correct!” Two minutes is a major review session. Look at it this way: if you spent ten seconds on a word, over two minutes, that’s twelve words in two minutes. Twelve words a day for five days a week is 3,000 words in a year. All the words you need to converse in just two minutes a day. That doesn’t take grammar and pronunciation into account, but still a year to learn all the vocabulary you need. Don’t say you don’t have time to learn a language. Remember this the next time you’re in line at the bank or grocery store, at the doctor’s office, waiting at a red light, etc.

Read Once you have a basic understanding of the language, get some reading material. Here’s the important part: something that interests you. If you like gardening, get a magazine or print an article online about gardening in your target language. You will learn vocabulary and phrases that really interest you and that will help you learn it much faster.

Audio If your language method doesn’t have an audio component, get one. If it does then get another

anyway. Listening to the language is the most important aspect of learning if you intend to speak it. give yourself chances

to use it during otherwise non-productive times, such as while driving or just relaxing.

internet radio By following the tips above, give yourself more (and free!) opportunities to listen to your new language. Radio can expose you to new vocabulary and fresh content every day. Don’t overdo it with your single audio CD. Mix your audio with other sources and constantly change, such as music and Internet news broadcasts from other countries. The more sources you have to listen to, the better.

daily contact This is probably the cardinal rule when it comes to learning languages. You should be exposed to the language every day if possible. Studying for ten minutes a day is better than studying for an hour once or twice a week. Frequent review, even for just a few minutes, is essential. This is true for maintaining a language after you have learned it as well. Long rest periods are deadly.

sanctions Use the power of the Internet to connect with other people around the world who speak the language you are learning. They can help you immensely. You can help them with English and they can help you with your target language. There are many free sites and forums to find people who will be happy to work with you.

study with others Studying and practicing with others can give you instant feedback and interactivity that

You just can’t get it from a book or even audio or software. Even if you only know very little, you will absorb it faster and with more pleasure than just studying alone. Ultimately, that’s the purpose of learning a foreign language anyway:

Comunicate with other people.

So try applying a few different techniques to your language learning regimen. You will probably find that you can add some

techniques without taking more time from your already overloaded schedule. You may find that you can actually use

Less time studying as you streamline your learning process. Learn to learn more effectively and remember to be vigilant

at the finish line whether you put a number on it or not.