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As the world we live today has literally turned into a global village of sorts, at some stage in life we may have to learn a foreign language. There are numerous ways to learn a foreign language, let us discuss the pros and cons of three methods which I find the most effective.
The first and a more direct way is to go live in the country where a foreign language is spoken. By doing this one gets a chance to listen, speak, read and write to the native speakers of the language. This enables one to pickup the language without even learning it consciously. The day by day interactions with native speakers along with our daily chores helps to get the language registered in our sub conscious mind with its grammar and usage patterns. However, there are some let downs too. It may not be always possible to go live in a country when we desire unless we are there for some other purpose and can simultaneously learn the language too. Another downside is that one may develop a local dialect or slang of the area where they choose to live.
The next method would be to hire a private tutor to teach the language. A private tutor can give dedicated attention for the pupil and can easily find the strengths and weakness areas and can change the curriculum accordingly. When compared to a classroom approach, a private tutor is more accessible and attentive and also is a solution for the hesitation of some students to clear the doubts which they might think silly, while in front of whole class. Thus private tuition helps achieve the grasp of the language by getting even the fundamental and basic level to advanced level problems and doubts with the language cleared. But the catch here is that the tutor needs to have enough expertise and right attitude to teach the language effectively. The fees may also be on a higher side than classroom or online training.
Taking lessons as part of a class is effective too. Here the main advantage is that apart from attaining results through the teacher, the learner gets the opportunity to interact with other students too. As the other students also have the same goal of learning the foreign language, these interactions can turn fruitful. A classroom training is also very easy to find nearby. One downside of this approach is that if the number of students in the class is large, the teacher may find it difficult to give attention to each student. Thus some students may not get a chance to identify their weak areas and make improvements.
Overall, there are many ways to learn a new language. Even though living in the country where the language is actually spoken is the best way, it is also least probable one to make happen. Other methods are equally good, the advent of internet also has opened up many innovative possibilities.
