college for foreign languages?

[mewtwo]

anyone know of any colleges that specialis in this in the united states? Cause i reallly would love to learn japanese and brush up on my spanish.

[Sloppy Zhang]

There are some colleges that have lots of great foreign language programs. Find ones in your area that have programs that cater to what it is you want to do. Depending on the institution, you may or may not have to take non-foreign language courses (and even non-related classes in general) in order to get your degree.

 

I suggest starting out on your own. I highly recommend the textbook "Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese" volumes I and II. They have an accompanying workbook and CD. It's very comprehensive. Most colleges use it as their textbook in the first two years of Japanese learning. This will get you a good start, it will build up listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

[mewtwo]

thanks but what i am looking for is a college where that is the only thing they offer is language. like how schools like le cordon bleu offer just cooking.

[unmike]

Rosetta Stone is a wonderful program and similarly expensive to a few units at a local community college.

 

If you're more inclined to trust yourself, you may wish to start piecing it together using the internets and a self-composed Swadesh list, then cop a basic understanding of simple sentence structure, followed by vocabulary beefing. Once you learn the katakana alphabet, you can sound it out wherever you find it: fun once you realize all of their more recently borrowed vocabulary is Engrish.

[de_paradise]

After learning many foreign languages, attempting more and quitting, teaching language for several years. Ah, good times. I can distill for you what I have learned.

 

Alot of language learning is actually motivation to do the work, because even with the best plan you still need years of trying. Tony Robbins is good prep for language learning.

 

Colleges for languages and such are magnets for dilletantes, people with only vague ambition and hopes, and have a bit of cash to spare, or their daddy does. These people make little or slow progress, lowering the bar for you. A college degree or certificate in a language is next to worthless. This is universal.

 

You can pay someone to tell you to learn something you can learn by yourself for free, and at a quicker pace. What they supply is the motivation, the master to servant authority, thats all. You pay them to tell you what to do, even though its pretty obvious what needs to be done. Essentially, if you really wanted to learn Japanese, you could go down to the bookstore and just start. The only thing that stands in your way is will and motivation. The best students are ones that learn by themselves, and use the classes as a showcase, and leverage that success to give even more motivation.

 

Hiring a private tutor is the way to go, pay by the hour. If you can shape your own program, and thats easy because you can just buy some books, then you dont need a professional tutor, only someone who will guide you through the drills and games, etc. I never go for professional tutors because they are generally worn out and have little spark to them, think too highly of their direction, and will charge more. A private tutor regular will give you the motivation to prepare and advance. A good looking private tutor of the opposite sex works wonders.

 

Start with Spanish because its much less challenging but still quite challenging. The verbs are the key. If you go to Guatemala, there are many cheap 1 on 1 schools in Antigua or Quetzaltenango where you can get overdose of language, plus food and house for absurdly cheap.

Edited October 16, 2010 by de_paradise

[Dainin]