What is the best way to learn a language, without taking a class?

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section.

Anyway, I've made up my mind that I'm gonna learn Japanese. However, I really don't want to have to pay for a college class. Now, I'm not a stranger learning new languages; I've known Spanish since I was a little kid (on account of my mother being from Puerto Rico), and I learned some French in high school. However, I've never tried to learn a language outside of a classroom, so I don't know what the best way is.

Should I use the Rosetta Stone software or is there a better way?

Originally Posted by Hell Hawk

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section.

Anyway, I've made up my mind that I'm gonna learn Japanese. However, I really don't want to have to pay for a college class. Now, I'm not a stranger learning new languages; I've known Spanish since I was a little kid (on account of my mother being from Puerto Rico), and I learned some French in high school. However, I've never tried to learn a language outside of a classroom, so I don't know what the best way is.

Should I use the Rosetta Stone software or is there a better way?

You can teach yourself somethings in Japanese, but you really need a class to be any good at it. With all the self teaching I was able to do I was still only able to learn about half a semesters worth of material. I'd really recommend against self study on this one, its just not as simple as it sounds.

I second what squall said. I did Rosetta Stone for french and I didn't learn anything from it. It just reviewed what I had already learned in class and didn't show me the correct grammar or any of that. I would recommend taking a class on it as well as studying it on your own. You need both to really succeed. If you can find classes at a community college it won't be that expensive at all.

One major recommendation to help for this though, is to watch subbed Japanese movies/anime and try to wean yourself off needing the subs to understand it. You'll pick up on phrases here and there and this really helps in the long run. However, this alone will NOT teach you the language. You need someone who fully understands it and its dialects to help you.

Classes are always your best bet, but when worse comes to worse I found that the DS game for learning Japanese actually worked to an extent. At the least it's a good place to start until you CAN go to a class. I wouldn't stick with it and expect to become fluent however. And yes, Rosetta stone is a big no-no. Worse money I've ever spent, easily.

I'm going to also say that classes are generally best.

However, if you don't know any of the language and would like to at least get some phrases and perhaps a bit of an idea about sentence structure, I'd say Pimsleur audio CDs aren't too bad. My local library has them to check out for free, so if those are available to you I would recommend it. This, however, would only teach you the spoken language. Also, they mainly focus on phrases and vocabulary so I don't think full-blown understanding and fluency will come out of this. But like I said, if you can find it at a library in your area, it's free.

Practicing it. All the english I know was learned from videogames (the games in spanish for the Nes ans PSX are virtually non-existent), pages of internet (Wikipedia is good only in english )
and the dedication of my father.

But, of course, classes are your fist option. Just practice the language, and you will be a master at it before you notice

Originally Posted by Glastonbury

Practicing it. All the english I know was learned from videogames (the games in spanish for the Nes ans PSX are virtually non-existent), pages of internet (Wikipedia is good only in english )
and the dedication of my father.

But, of course, classes are your fist option. Just practice the language, and you will be a master at it before you notice

Spanish and English are a bit more similar than English and Japanese are. Just reading on your own in this language will only take you so far. Not only is the sentence structure itself different, but it has a lot of rules that would just be plain confusing to learn without an instructor or a person to explain it. Not to mention the totally different writing characters, those alone are hard enough.

Originally Posted by squall24

Spanish and English are a bit more similar than English and Japanese are. Just reading on your own in this language will only take you so far. Not only is the sentence structure itself different, but it has a lot of rules that would just be plain confusing to learn without an instructor or a person to explain it. Not to mention the totally different writing characters, those alone are hard enough.

Well, yeah, japanese is hard to learn, but you missed my point.

What I mean was that If you wanna learn a foreign language, you MUST practice it.

Calm down, man

Personal study takes longer.

I find that Spanish Class is easier than that time I tried to study alone. If you get stuck, the teacher can explain things to help you; but you cannot, since you're the one stuck.

Pimsleur makes great audio stuff. I am using the portuguese one and I like it. they teach you how to actually speak the language, not just repeat tourist phrases.
http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/

The first part of learning Japanese is very simple. It's an easy language that isn't tonal, and gender is not indicated grammatically. There are no relative pronouns. Males use different vocabulary than females. Learning without a class will be easy at first, but once you really get into grammar, dialects, and especially Kanji, you will most definitely need a tutor if you actually plan to go anywhere with the language. The language is not directly related to any other language family.

So, to start off, try Livemocha. It's free, and it's very easy to learn because you interact with others who are learning the same language or your native language. Like everybody else said, though, you will eventually need a tutor if you plan to speak the language properly.

Immersion, immersion, immersion. For the languages I speak, this is how I have learned. However, for a language like Japanese, unless you live in Japan (or to some extent Cali or Brazil) chances are, you won't get much of that. So, sorry to say, if you want to gain a working knowledge of the language, you're gonna have to take a class--if not for the speech and comprehension, then at least for the writing. Trust me, learning all of the kana and how kanji fits in and all that jazz isn't easily done on one's own. Also, it is a language very heavily influenced by its culture--for example much of comprehension comes out of knowing the context in which it is spoken...I'm rambling, but I think you get what I'm trying to say. Class is the best option.

Originally Posted by Calypso

...for example much of comprehension comes out of knowing the context in which it is spoken.

Exactly.

As in Spanish, you would want to know when to sue "¿Qué tal?" or "¿Cómo estás?" Or how you wouldn't use "tú" to an older person, grandparent, etc.

I don't know if there are two characters that mean the same thing in Japanese, but if there are, immersion most likely will help you learn when to use one or the other.

Well, I learned German and English from my parents, and sister.

Well, I would say take a internet class on a site or something. :/
Because I rarely know anyone that speaks Japanese.

Originally Posted by Calypso

Immersion, immersion, immersion. For the languages I speak, this is how I have learned. However, for a language like Japanese, unless you live in Japan (or to some extent Cali or Brazil) chances are, you won't get much of that.

is there some japanese-speaking region of Brazil? this baffles me.