Languages

Notes

The better way to learn a language would have three phases:
1. Acquiring the minimum basic knowledge and skills to start talking to people;
2. Having structured, easy conversations in an environment that facilitates learning;
3. Switching to immersive learning through actual interaction with people (or media).

The first goal should be short and achievable - get to a level where you can struggle through your first 15-minute conversation, with the help of dictionaries and Google Translate.
If you’re confident and willing to deal with awkwardness, this could potentially be reached in as little as thirty minutes.

The next phase of your learning should be based on a mixture of actually speaking to someone and further deepening your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary.
Next, you need to start off with a very specific kind of conversation in which you're going to explain that:
1. You only want to speak in the language you’re learning (with rare exceptions)
2. You’re going to use a dictionary and Google translate to fill gaps in your understanding
3. You want them to write everything down that they’re saying, if you ask them. Both to help you learn it better, but also to copy into a dictionary to understand them
4. You’ll tell them that you know it’s going to be awkward and slow, but you want them to be patient

If you go through this process, it shouldn’t be long before you’re able to have simple conversations about familiar topics that don’t immediately retreat to the dictionary.
If you were planning an opportunity to travel to a place that speaks the language (or otherwise immerse yourself) now would be the time.