I received these questions from someone who reads my posts about language learning. See below for the answers.
Question #1: What are the best resources to use when learning a language?
Depends on your level. I’ll refer you to this article to give you a self-study guideline so you know the category of resources to look for. As a summary, it will be helpful to have:
1 structured course
As many listening/reading comprehension materials as you want. The more the better, provided they’re interesting and at your level
1 grammar resource. This is only if you plan to study grammar deductively and not inductively. I give more details about this in the article linked above
At least 1 person to speak with on a regular basis (minimum twice a month.) You can also talk to yourself
1 notebook to do writing practice once a week. You can also type on a computer
Question #2: Where can I find people to practice speaking with?
Here are some options:
HelloTalk or Tandem (search the app store.) It’s a language exchange app. There are some people who use the app for dating purposes, so be prepared to block anyone with different intentions than you
Hire a tutor from https://italki.com. The tutor quality is variable, but for casual conversation it’s a great place to find an affordable tutor.
Join language learning communities online (e.g., Facebook groups, Discord servers) and find a practice partner from there
Question #3: How can I track my progress?
My personal favourite way recently has been to use LingQ. It costs about $16 CAD a month, but it tracks the number of words and phrases you know in the language you’re learning. It also gives you badges as you hit certain benchmarks (e.g, beginner level 1, beginner level 2, etc.)
I have a PDF on my computer that I use as a quick level assessment tool. If you would like me to send that over to you so you can assess yourself, send me an email.
Question #4: How can I balance learning multiple languages at the same time?
Create a schedule. For example:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Language 1
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: Language 2
I’m going to write another post elaborating a little further on this question in particular - stay tuned!
Great suggestions! Thanks.