I have a problem: I own over 350 books on foreign languages. Will I ever use them all? Ideally, yes. In reality, I’m getting there. Ever so slowly, but I’m getting there. I’ve gone through a number of them already, and I’ve found that there are several resources that I tend to use for several languages.

Here are five of my favorite language-learning methods, each of which I own and/or have used eight or more times.

Pimsleur

I’m a big fan of these all-audio courses. They teach you the basics for conversation and get you speaking right away. But instead of simply repeating

isolated words in a series, the courses include you in actual conversations and make you think a bit about what you should say. After a course (anywhere from 8-30 lessons), I not only have picked up a decent amount of vocabulary, but I can also use it in a normal-paced conversation. The two big disadvantages are that it’s an all-audio course (some do come with very brief reading exercises I get little benefit from) and the courses are pretty pricey, especially for the amount of vocabulary you pick up. But I supplement the audio with other materials to get more out of it, and I download many courses for free through my local library.

Teach Yourself

Teach Yourself provides the best of both worlds: audio and a course book with roughly a dozen chapters filled with vocabulary, grammar, and exercises. This is about as close to textbook learning as you can get, and the audio is great for getting pronunciation down. Quality varies depending on the language and author, but most that I’ve seen or used provide a good amount of information to start out with if you’re studying on your own. (Note: while the books can generally be purchased separately, I’d recommend getting the audio supplement.)

Lonely Planet Phrasebooks

These pocket-sized books are a polyglot’s dream, if only because of the languages they cover (Burmese or Quechua, anyone?). With over 50 titles, you’re bound to find something in your favorite obscure language. Most editions have been updated with color-coded sections, a basic introduction to the grammar, and a glossary in the back. You might not become fluent from one of these books, but you can pick up a small repertoire of phrases to start with, especially when resources for your chosen language are scarce.

Language/30

These sets are your basic audio CDs/cassettes with a printed transcription, but I find them indispensable. They provide all the info you’d find in your basic phrasebook, but the audio helps reinforce what you need to learn. Depending on the language, the transcription not only provides the English translation but also the local language (in the local script) and a transliteration to further help with pronunciation. Simple and to the point, this method is great for amassing a number of set phrases in a short amount of time.

Say It In–(Dover)

These phrasebooks are small, basic, and they look like they haven’t been updated in decades, but they hold up on their own quite well.

Dover books are simple phrasebooks with all the basics, divided by category and situation. But they cover a wide range of phrases with a simple and easy-to-read transliteration. Many a time I’ve been armed with only a Dover phrasebook and been able to make myself understood, and while there are numerous phrasebooks on the market, this is one I’ll always use and study from. Plus, they’re incredibly portable and very inexpensive.

While each of these resources can be used individually, I highly recommend you use them in conjunction with others from the list or other materials you can get cheaply (or free!) online or at your local library, at least until native speakers become available for purchase on Ebay.

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This article was written by Dave Prine

Dave Prine studied in Germany and fell in love with the people and languages of Europe. He's currently planning a round-the-world trip but keeps getting stuck on which direction to go. In the meantime, you can check out his travel blog and his language blog if you have any recommendations.