Learning a language is a little bit like being in love.  You can not learn it from a book or just by hearing other people talk about methods. You have to experience it for yourself.

Language Learning programs and the Matrix

I teach languages in schools and to individuals.  I write language learning programs.  But remember the movie the Matrix.  Neo could only learn so much from training programs and from the great Morpheus.  Eventually if he wanted to learn and grow he needed to take his base and use it in Matrix, and fall and learn the hard way.  Language learning programs give you a very good base.  They are a very efficient way to learn a language, especially if you are not in an immersion environment.  However, they will not teach you to speak a language.  They will give you a base.  Language learning programs can open the door, but you have to walk though it.

The Matrix of learning

You want to learn a language you just can not jump. You need to train, like Neo did.  Then when you are ready you can jump.  If you can not visit the country you can start reading books and watching films and then chatting online with people in your target language.  And see what happens from there.

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