Rating: 
Summary: The "whys" have it!
Review: I first picked up this book two months before I came here to Japan. That was ten years ago. Of the various books I've looked at that try to teach you how to learn a language, this one stands out from the rest for the sheer enthusiasm that Mr. Farber shares with the reader. His techniques are sound, and his recommendations are effective, but it's his expression of the sheer joy of learning languages that oozes out of every page of this book that gives it a permanent place on my shelf. Techniques are useful only as long as the motivation of the learner is strong. This book gives me a "boost to the head" every time I pick it up! In fact I once found to my horror that I had somehow lost my copy, and I found myself rushing out and buying another one. (After which the first one of course showed up in plain sight...) So if I can have two copies, you should have at least one! (: Seriously though, I really recommend this book to everyone who has an urge or a need to learn a foreign language - no hesitation. Someone once said that if you have a good enough "why" for what you do, you can deal with almost any "how." Faber gives you a book full of "whys," and a toybox full of pretty good "hows" while he's at it. Now after ten years of Japanese, I'm beginning to look lustfully at Korean and Chinese... Somebody stop me...!
Rating: 
Summary: Useful but a little over-hyped
Review: I got some benefit from this, but there were things I didn't like. Firstly, it assumes I'm American from page 1, which is annoying but not fatal. The homespun style can be annoying too if you're not in the mood. My main grouse, though, was this: The title sounds wonderful. But if strict honesty was a higher value than marketing it might be modified a bit as follows:
How to learn any MODERN language [I am currently interested mainly in ancient and medieval languages, which the book isn't as applicable to; the author also had a bad school experience with Latin, which is what I'm currently learning, and retains his negativity about it] WHICH HAS READILY AVAILABLE SELF-STUDY MATERIALS [obvious, but when he lists all the languages at the back that have at least a million speakers, you realise that for many of them his method would be worthless since it relies on the availability of such materials]: quickly IF ABOUT A YEAR IS YOUR DEFINITION OF QUICKLY [this is his estimate for learning a language to a good standard], easily IF WORKING AT IT CONSTANTLY EVERY DAY AND SNATCHING ANY FREE MOMENT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF EASILY [this is what he recommends], inexpensively IF BUYING EVERY AVAILABLE KIND OF BOOK AND TAPE IS YOUR DEFINITION OF INEXPENSIVELY, enjoyably APART FROM THE BEGINNING WHERE YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO SLOG THROUGH GRAMMAR, and on your own EXCEPT THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO PEOPLE WHO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE AND GET THEIR HELP.
Having said that I did get some helpful tips from the book and I'm not sorry I bought it. It's just overhyped.
Rating: 
Summary: A better title for this book would be "Me" by Barry Farber!
Review: I honestly don't know what people see in this book, or why it is rated so highly! This book is bad, take it from me, and unlike the reviewer before me, I think it is the author who makes it bad, really bad! Rarely do I encounter a writing style that oozes so much arrogance and conceit that I almost feel like vomiting and throttling someone, but Farber's purple prose does all that for me! This book contains page after page of egocentric waffle and blatant approval seeking that it makes my stomach churn!
I do agree with the author in certain respects (goodness knows how I managed to get through the whole book!) He does say that language learning is a difficult and time consuming process, and does not play down the part grammar has to play in language aquisition, which is something modern methods do with disasterous results for the learners. I can only assume that people are getting motivation from this book, but I don't know why there are so many 5 star ratings for it! You could whittle all the verbal garbage and self-adulation down to about 10 pages of useful information, well some of it is useful, and some of it is rather suspect. I don't think that Barry Farber is a very good linguist either. He makes a lot of mistakes in this book. A really good linguist would not feel the need to show-off as much as Farber does. I do not recommend this book at all, but it is better than the one written by Hawke, even so! At least there is some substance in it, even if only a little. The thing is, are you willing to wade through all that superflous verbiage to get to it? It would seem that a lot of reviewers are. The mind boggles!
So if you want to read it, I suggest buying a rather strong vomit bag to keep at your side, just in case you get as sick as I did of an author puffing out his chest and trying to show you how much better than everyone else he is! Many people find Americans arrogant, and most Americans think that New Yorkers are arrogant, and I believe Mr Farber is a New Yorker par excellence! Put that unfounded arrogance into a book, and what have you got? "How to learn a foreign language".
Rating:
Summary: Launched Me
Review: I picked this book up on the bargain isle at B&N, let it collect dust for 6 months, then started it one day and was hooked.
The author has learned 29 languages and he tells how he started loving languages and what techniques he learned to add new languages along the way.
I never really thought that I could learn another language, but this book inspired me and I am 3 months into the Spanish language and loving the pursuit and feeling that other languages are possible.
My first child was born a month ago. She is my inspiration for learning Spanish (and French next and sign language already). I want her to grow up hearing, learning and knowing these languages so she won't have to take a class in high school and forget everything she learns (like I did). She will have constant practice and reinforcement from me and her mom as we speak several languages around her.
I've looked at loads of books for Spanish and French and listened to several audio programs, including Pimsluer. What I have found to be the tightest set of resources for learning a new language is (Spanish is covered below, but any language will do):
- A complete English/Spanish dictionary. (look for one with pronunciations that you feel comfortable with; Bonuses: word used in a sentence, verb conjugations) I have yet to find a dictionary that meets all the criteria I look for.
- Thematic vocabulary book. This breaks words down into the themes of conversation. (Anatomy, food, time, living arrangements, etc)
I love studying new vocabulary this way. For example, learning all the words associated with the kitchen allows me to use them whenever I am in the kitchen. Each new theme adds another location or topic that I can talk about.
The 2 I like the most are:
1. 6,000+ Essential Spanish Words (my favorite)
2. Mastering Spanish Vocabulary (12,000 words + the word is used in a sentence for almost every word)
- A verb conjugation book
I own 3 of these (Teach Yourself: Spanish Verbs, 501 Spanish Verbs, & 2000+ Essential Spanish Verbs) and have looked at others (Red Book, etc)
If I had it to do over again, I would have just gotten 2000+ Essential Spanish Verbs. I like it the best. It has more features and attention to detail than the others.
- A grammar book
I have several books that I've picked up grammar from. Don't have a clear-cut favorite. : |
Other resources that I use:
- The book "Spanish by Association". I LOVE this concept and have used it with every word I've learned. It multiplies my learning and recall of vocabulary 10 fold. I can learn 40 words in a sitting and remember them the next day and forever with this method.
- Sparknotes Study Cards (sparknotes.com) Just the Eng and Span word on the card. No conjugations nor grammar lessons. I love flashcards cuz I can carry them around and study anytime. Just wish they packed more into into the cards. It's a waste of paper and knowledge. : |
- Pimsluer audio program. This was one of the first things that I tried. It's an interesting concept and a good way to hear the language spoken. Frankly, I found that I could learn much faster studying from books. I guess I'm not a very good audio learner. : |
- Standard Deviants DVDs (Rented from Netflix) Targeted for high school. I enjoyed the Spanish: Beyond the Basics video. Over 2 hours of lively learning covering a load of material. Great if you are just starting to learn the concepts of grammar. Also another form of hearing spoken Spanish.
- TV - any Spanish channel and a TV with Spanish closed captioning. Tape a soap opera or a something. Listen to them speak and read the Spanish CC. Great method! Thought that one up myself. : )
Good luck with your language pursuits!
Rating:
Summary: This book rocks!!
Review: I've been learning Spanish on my own for a couple of years. Whenever I start to feel in any way unhappy with my progress, I turn to this book. It's full of advice, insight, and inspiration.
Mr. Farber really knows how to learn a language. And he knows how to write. And most of all, he knows how to write about learning a language.
If you're thinking of learning a language, or you're already trying to learn a language, you need this book. It's worth a lot more than the few dollars that Amazon is asking for it.
Rating:
Summary: Dated book, but great method to really learn a language.
Review: I've been using the method in this book to improve my German and start learning Russian. I've met with better success than I thought would be possible without taking classes and using a tutor. The method outlined is effective, but time consuming. If you just want to learn a few phrases for a trip, this isn't the method for you. This book is about really learning to speak a language as well as a non-native speaker can. The book is an enjoyable read, the stories in which the author relates his experiences are both inspiring and entertaining. He's very honest and up front about the amount of effort it takes to really become proficient in a foreign language. The method tells you how to use materials like flashcards, tapes, books, newspapers and magazines effectively, and what you can expect to learn from each. All of these things become part of a very effective method for learning. A lot of ground is covered, including a glossary of grammatical terms, a guide for selecting the right language and a pretty comprehensive list of languages and the number of people that speak them. Since the book is a bit dated, there's no mention of language learning software or internet resources. But after you read the book, you should be able to find good software (like the Rosetta Stone series), web pages and web radio broadcasts on your own. I go back to the book any time I haven't studied for a couple of days. It always inspires me to pick it back up and get going. If you think you want to learn a language, really, really LEARN it, then buy this book before dropping your hard earned cash on expensive tapes, books or classes.
Rating:
Summary: This book is fun!
Review: If you're interested in learning a foreign language or foreign languages, this book can be very enjoyable and helpful. The first part is autobiographical about the author learning several foreign languages and his experiences over a lifetime. The second part provides his instructions of his best way of learning on your own and the mistakes that he made. The book provides great motivation for learning foreign languages. Regardless of your learning a foreign language, the book is very fun and interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Want to get motivated FAST?
Review: Man, I read this book cover to cover in just about two hours. It was the advice, guidelines, and motivation I had been looking for. Farber gives clear cut directions for choosing a language, choosing a learning text, and getting on with the learning of the language. His advice on using hidden moments, when to listen and when to read the language, and so many other critical aspects of language learning were absolutely spot-on. I now have seven languages in my line-up (four already started) and am terribly excited about trying to learn a new language every year or so for the rest of my life. I was already a little motivated and somewhat interested before reading this book. Farber's enthusiastic support and advice just sent me through the roof. Come on, don't be a monolinguist!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting theory that I can't wait to put into practice.
Review: The author's undeniable enthusiasm for language spills over into this book making you want to stop half-way through just to try his methods. Farber breaks language learning into simple steps: 1. Multiple Track Attack: Use one of everything as you attack your target language. Textbooks, magazines, newspapers, audio cassettes, flash cards, you name it. 2. Hidden Moments: Use every spare second as a chance to quiz yourself. In target language, try to name as many items around you as you can while you wait in line at the grocery store, bank, or while you wait on someone to pick on the phone. 3. Harry Lorayne's Memory System: Essentially, break down each word's syllibles and try to create a mental picture out of them in a language you already know. Essentially, you're creating a mind map of each word. 4. Plunge In: How do children learn to speak? By going ahead and speaking regardless of how poorly they do it. The only way to get better at speaking and/or writing your target language is to actually do it. I've been attempting to learn Spanish for several years now, but always end up moving away from it due to sheer boredom. The methods I've used always seem to focus blindly on teaching you the building blocks of the language without giving you anything substinative to use. After reading this book, I've been encouraged to take up learning Spanish again, armed with an arsonel of new weapons.
Rating: 
Summary: Good learning process but it has a few flaws
Review: The Good - Farber gives a step-by-step process for learning any language. He provides a list of tools you will need such as grammar books, phrase books, tapes, flashcards and newspapers. You begin by studying the first five chapters of the grammar text, and then move on to studying materials used by native speakers such as magazines and newspapers. You read a paragraph and then underline and memorize all the words you don't know. You also learn phrases from your phrase book and practice pronunciation with tapes. He explains an excellent method to learn long lists of vocabulary words in a short amount of time. He also gives tips on how to fit language learning into your busy life. The Bad - The book has not been updated recently, so there is no information on integrating software into your learning process. He does not present any methods for learning scripts. He does not present any information on how to learn syntax, so I had to come up with my own method of learning sentence structure. I also don't agree that newspapers and magazines are good learning materials for beginners. When I tried it I was learning words like parliament, political party and leadership when I still didn't know words like rain, sad and river. I found that children's books with a reading level of 7-11 were much more useful. He should have provided tables with lists of common nouns, verbs and adjectives. Considering that 60-70% of everyday language consists of 400-500 words, it would have been a good idea to include common word lists. Having said this I wish I had bought this book before I started learning Bengali. I wasted a lot of time trying to learn without any method or plan. You can get a lot of ideas from Farber and then use his suggestions or modify them to suit yourself.
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