Foreign Language in a Month

English may be extremely popular around the world, but it doesn't mean if you speak it, you can forget about all other languages. There are a lot of complaints that immigrants or tourists don't speak English when they come to the US, yet most US tourists don't even bother to learn to have a basic conversation like ordering coffee or asking for directions. Learning to speak a foreign language fluently takes a long time, but within a month you can be ready to conquer Paris, Rome or Berlin with just a small dictionary and some serious courage on your side.

Start with getting yourself a phrasebook where you'll find hundreds of the most popular sentences along with the correct pronunciation. Most of such books are divided into specific sections regarding travel, accommodation, eating at restaurants or shopping, so it's worth to mark the phrases you think you'll use the most and learn them, and to get used to the set up so tat when you're abroad, you can easily refer to your book.

An audio course for beginners is also a great idea, since it will not only allow you to learn in the car, bath or while exercising, but you'll also hear the correct pronunciation of particular words and flow of whole sentences. Make sure though that you still take a look at written materials which usually accompany audio courses, because when you're at your destination you'll rather depend on a phrasebook or a dictionary for help and not on audio materials.

A good dictionary is a must, but you don't have to buy a several volume one from the very beginning to get you through your trip. A pocket size dictionary will suffice, just make sure it has a decent number of entries, a clear setup and a small grammar section that will help you with putting together sentences that are not in your phrasebook. Start using your dictionary before you even leave by searching out vocabulary, writing it out on post-its and putting on things like coffee, sugar or chair in your house. That way any time you'll look around you'll subconsciously memorize different names for things that you'll definitely find at your destination.

Once you get abroad you'll have to resist the urge to only speak English and try to use the new language. It's the most difficult part of the process, because you'll likely feel embarrassed that your pronunciation is wrong, your grammar is lacking and your vocabulary is very limited. But as soon as you start talking, you'll see that communication is not that difficult, because people won't expect you to know the complete list of trees or to know what to call rye, pumpernickel or low carb bread, and they won't find it rude if you hesitate and search for vocabulary in the dictionary, they'll just want to talk.

Talking is one of the best language learning tools, so if you make some friends speaking the language, keep in touch with them over the phone or webcam after you get back home. It will motivate you to studying the language more and make it easier as you'll have contact with the live language. If you continue studying, also get some books in the language you're learning and watch movies with subtitles to improve on your vocabulary, and next year's vacation you'll be able to do much more than order coffee and ask for the nearest library.