Note: I don’t claim that following these instructions will make you fluent. Fluency requires time and immersion. What this post will help you do is become conversant. You will be able to have a simple conversation, ask for directions, order at a restaurant, make small talk, etc. You will also be able to read fairly well with the use of a dictionary. Following these steps will give you a great base in a new language.
声明：我不保证以下这些方法能让你的外语流利。要想流利你需要时间和专心练习。但以下这些步骤能帮你用外语和人交流。你可以和外国人开始简单的交谈、问问路、订个餐馆、或者闲聊什么的。你也基本上可以明白怎么用字典。根据以下步骤你能有一个学习新语言的好基础。
Course Materials课程教材
The first step is acquiring the materials you will use to teach yourself. The first thing you need is an audio language course. This is essential for developing your basic vocabulary and, more importantly, your pronunciation.
第一步，你要找一些自学材料。有声的语言教程是第一件，这对一开始给你基本的词汇量、和塑造你的发音都非常重要。以日语为例，在国内很多人喜欢选择它为第二外语。而我们自学的教材一般是《标准日本语》，现在它出到新版，比老版的内容有趣很多。但语法讲地极乱！沪江网校的N3全程班是我见过很适合自学的一个有声网络初级教程，按新版讲、但因为有老师带领，所以在发音和语法上都能在一开始为初学者打好基础。而且网络课程时间比较灵活、能随时随地上课，比较推荐。点击免费试听>>
The next thing you’ll need is a basic grammar guide and a dictionary for the language you want to study. This will help you understand the basic mechanics of the language and the differences and similarities with English. You will use this continuously as a reference.
第二件事，你要去找一本基础的语法指南和一本该门语言的字典（小编：不废话！我要学日语还能去买一本法语字典啊……）。这些能帮你了解这门语言的基本架构，以及它和你母语的相似和不同之处。以后你会不断用它做参考。
You should also get some interesting books in the language. For me this is a huge motivator because reading something interesting is much more rewarding than reading a text book. The way to go in the beginning is dual language books. This allows you to start reading great books without having to reach for a dictionary every other word. It is also great for learning idioms, expressions, and verb tenses.
你还应该去买一些该语言的有趣书籍（比如“达芬奇密码”一类>>）。对我来说，比起读教材，还是读有趣书籍的动力大些。要起步可以买双语的书籍。这样你开始读的时候就不会老查字典。同样，阅读也能帮你学到不少惯用语、表达方式和动词时态。
Getting Started
开始学习
Once you have your materials you are ready to learn. Start off by doing the first lesson of your audio language course. Continue doing a lesson a day. You can do these on your commute or while you exercise to save time.
当你买齐所需的材料时，就要开始有声教程的第一课了，坚持每天一课。你可以在上下学/班途中学习，或者在做运动时学习以节省时间。
In conjunction with this you should read your introductory grammar guide. This will give you a foundation in the language and help you learn the different parts of speech and their English equivalents. Don’t worry about memorizing every single rule. It simply isn’t possible. The idea is to get a general understanding first. This is the most boring part of the process, but don’t give up because it’s well worth it.
作为补充，你也要开始读基础语法指南。语法能让你了解这门语言的基础、帮你学习该语言与你母语的相同和不同之处。不用担心记不住每条语法规则，因为要全部记住也不可能。要你去看语法的本意是为了让你有个大致的了解。这部分大概会是学习中最烦人，但不要放弃，因为以后会非常有用。
Making Progress
进阶学习
When you finish the grammar guide you will also have completed several days of audio lessons. At this point you will feel much better about your learning ability. You will know the important basic phrases and speak much more naturally. This method of learning is much more effective than traditional school teaching because you are actively engaged the entire time. The audio lessons force you to listen and speak more than I ever did in school.
当你把语法书看完，有声教程的第一阶段差不多也该学完了。到这个阶段你对自己的学习能力就会比较有信心了。你知道了基本的表达方式、说的也自然多了。这种自学的方式比传统教学更有效率，因为你完全投入在学习过程中。比起学校，这种有声课程是在逼着你去多说、多听。
Now it’s time to start reading those dual language books. Digging into some interesting material will build your vocabulary. Whenever possible always read aloud. This helps your speech, memorization, and makes you start thinking in the new language. I’ve found reading and doing the audio lessons concurrently enhances both experiences. During the lessons, being able to visualize words makes them easier to understand.
现在，是时候开始读那些双语书了。把自己完全沉浸在有趣的阅读材料里能大大提高你的词汇量。如果可能，尽量大声朗读出来。这能帮助你提高口语、记忆能力和开始用这门新的语言思考。我发现跟着有声教程走能同时增进我多方面的能力。学习的时候，词汇被视觉化、能更好地理解记忆。
Don’t be in a rush. Read slowly and reread until you understand. Don’t hesitate to look up verb conjugations in your grammar guide. The same goes for the audio lessons. If you have trouble with a lesson, repeat it the next day. As the lessons get more complicated, I start doing them twice. The second time is actually more enjoyable.
不要急，慢慢读、直到读懂为止。别急着去查语法书弄懂那些动词变化。在听有声教程的时候也记得如此。如果你在学某一课的时候感觉吃力，那么第二天就再重复学一次。当课程变得越来越复杂，我就会听两遍。实际上第二次这个过程是很享受的。
Be consistent
要坚持下去！
It is extremely important to study for a short time every day. Daily repetition makes the language second nature. It is much better to read for a short time every day than to put in several hours once or twice a week. When you get a spare minute, try finding new things to read online. You will be surprised how good your comprehension is.
每天花一点时间学习是很重要的。（沪江小编：老话怎么说来着，三天不读口生）每日的重复能使一门语言变得自然。坚持每天阅读一小段时间，比每次读几小时、但每星期一两次的效果要来的好。当你闲的时候，在线找一点新东西阅读（比如最好的阅读资源就在咱沪江了，哈哈）。坚持下来，你会被自己的能力吓到，呵呵。
After a few months of consistent practice you will really start to see progress. Beautiful foreign phrases will be stuck in your head, your pronunciation will be damn near decent, and you will be able to read and understand whole paragraphs. Once you make it this far, you’ll have some serious momentum going. You will understand more than you ever did in school and you won’t want to stop.
在坚持了几个月后你就能看到真正的进步。那些漂亮的外语表达会回荡在你脑中，而你的发音也会很接近地道，并且，这时你已经能读懂整段整段的文字了！当你自学到这一步，你就会发现一些里程碑式的进展，你会比学校的正规教学进步很多，并且你就不会想停下来了。
Taking off the Training Wheels
学以致用
Eventually you will complete all the audio lessons and a couple dual language books. You’ll be able to read well with a dictionary and carry on simple conversations. You are now ready to spread your wings and fly. Start reading the greatest books in your language and use a dictionary when you need to. Find someone who speaks your new language and talk to them. Go to online forums for your new language and make an email buddy. If you can, plan a trip to a country that speaks your language and experience the local culture. If you are curious about another language, then start learning that too!
最终，你还是会完成所有的有声教程、并且读完好几本双语书籍。借助字典你已经能很好地阅读、并且能和人进行简单对话了。现在就是你大展拳脚的时候。去找一些新学外语中最棒的书来读、有必要时用用字典。去认识一些将这门语言的人，和他们交流。上网、去外语论坛（沪江论坛有英、法、韩、日、德、西多种语言交流区，戳我进入>>）和大家交流、或者交一个外语笔友。如果有条件，干脆到这个国家去旅行一趟，把学到的外语都用起来、也感受一下当地的文化。如果你对另一门语言也感兴趣，还可以开始下一门！
Regardless of how you use your new language skills, you will have become a more educated interesting person. More importantly, you will have proven to yourself that you are much smarter than you thought.
不管你如何使用这门新的语言技巧，你已经在这个过程中变得更加智慧和风趣。更重要的是，你证明了自己比想象的还要聪明！
