Free language courses

[vagabond]

Oh, and the Barry Farber book is excellent. Highly recommend that. His key is mnemonics plus some other techniques and he writes in a very enjoyable and helpful style.

[Subfighter63]

I've studied several "esoteric" languages, all in a university setting, and I think that's the best way to go, if there's a good college within daily driving distance. If you're interested in Central Asia, it'll be hard to get lessons in, say, Dari or Pashto, but Farsi would probably be a good option because it's related, versatile, and shares the same script.

If you decide on Arabic or Farsi, you might find someone at a mosque (if there's one nearby) who can help you. Ironically, my first Hebrew lessons were from an expat Iranian (Baha'i) who I met in my Arabic class. He teaches Russian now. And that was in Oklahoma. So you never know where you'll find people who can help. Just put the word out.

If a non-muslim goes to a mosque to learn Arabic, they will brush you off.
What I did was go to a mosque and pretend that I wanted to convert to Islam. I took the Shahada, which is an oath you take when you become a muslim. For 14 months I studied Arabic at that and several other mosques in the area AND I also learned about Islam from an insider's perspective. I learned how to do muslim prayers, I read the Qur'an from cover to cover twice and now, I could pass myself off as a muslim anywhere in the world. I speak Arabic quite well now also. I'm already 100% fluent in Spanish and Russian, having been an interpreter in the US Navy back in the 1980's.

[suwon fish]

A fantastic source for free language courses is the Defense Language Institute. Language, culture and local sit-rep. All kinds of shit for any country where the US is fighting, faught or is going to fight in. So, almost eveywhere ^^

http://fieldsupport.dliflc.edu/index.aspx

I am currently working throught the Korean Headstart 2 for the Ipod. Kicks ass...

[coldharvest]

A fantastic source for free language courses is the Defense Language Institute. Language, culture and local sit-rep. All kinds of shit for any country where the US is fighting, faught or is going to fight in. So, almost eveywhere ^^

http://fieldsupport.dliflc.edu/index.aspx

I am currently working throught the Korean Headstart 2 for the Ipod. Kicks ass...

That's some cool shit 'fish, cheers.

[Kurt]

A fantastic source for free language courses is the Defense Language Institute. Language, culture and local sit-rep. All kinds of shit for any country where the US is fighting, faught or is going to fight in. So, almost eveywhere ^^

http://fieldsupport.dliflc.edu/index.aspx

I am currently working throught the Korean Headstart 2 for the Ipod. Kicks ass...

Welcome to the board. I had to check you out before you posted because your IP said SPAMMER but you are indeed legit and I hope you continue to post here.

[vagabond]

Thanks for the link and welcome to the board.

Might've posted this before but here's a place with links to free language podcasts:

http://www.openculture.com/freelanguagelessons

---

I've been messing around with a few different methods lately which are only free if they are illegally downloaded (or you work for the gumint or get them from a library).

Thoughts:

Rosetta Stone - makes the 30 min go by quick and is entertaining but doesn't really feel like it covers a lot in that 30.
Pimsleur - also does in 30 min. increments - felt I had a good grasp of things throughout and after; been listening to it at work too and can still keep up so far while doing other tasks.

---

Would also recommend Anki, a spaced repetition program, which you can use for memorization of anything. Link: http://ichi2.net/anki/index.html. Lot of cards already made up for Japanese and Chinese that you can download but easy enough to make your own if have some materials you're studying.

V

[suwon fish]

Thanks for the welcome gents!

I've enjoyed this site and used it as a resource for years. So long in fact that Sharkeys in PP was still listed as one of the most dangerous bars in the world when I first checked the site ^^

Just so you know, I've been in and around Asia Pacific and SE Asia for 8 some years so I hope I can add something useful to the forum from time to time.

[AztecDave]

Seems Foreign Service Institute courses are available for free at this site:

http://fsilanguagecourses.com/

Guess all of this would make you a cunning linguist.

[lmetrucking]

BYKI (it stands for "before you know it") is free and fairly effective. I used it (and still do) for Arabic so that I could learn to string together all the curse words that I learned more fluently. I get to speak all the Arabic I want with the Iraqis that work for me here so that helps more than the half assed studying that I do.

[JamesInTheWorld]

Rosetta Stone is better in my opinion - but I don't really have a nack for languages, takes me years to learn new ones


~JITW

[lmetrucking]

Rosetta Stone is better in my opinion - but I don't really have a nack for languages, takes me years to learn new ones


~JITW

Jesus fucking christ would you pay attention, the title to the thread is FREE language courses.

[Fansy]

i got yer free shit right here:

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4661371 ... DEIFIED%5D

dont know bout legal tho

edit: 2 secs of additional research found better one

[JamesInTheWorld]

Rosetta Stone is better in my opinion - but I don't really have a nack for languages, takes me years to learn new ones


~JITW

Jesus fucking christ would you pay attention, the title to the thread is FREE language courses.

I have never paid for any of the 20 or so Rosetta Stone courses I own you fucking retard


~JITW

[lmetrucking]

Rosetta Stone is better in my opinion - but I don't really have a nack for languages, takes me years to learn new ones


~JITW

Jesus fucking christ would you pay attention, the title to the thread is FREE language courses.

I have never paid for any of the 20 or so Rosetta Stone courses I own you fucking retard


~JITW

So,not only can you not take some kidding but you own "20 or so Rosetta stone courses" and have failed to learn a language...
and I'm the fucking retard?

[coldharvest]

Fight!