The 10 Best Language Learning Books to Take on Your Linguistic Journey

The 10 Best Language Learning Books to Take on Your Linguistic Journey The 10 Best Language Learning Books to Take on Your Linguistic Journey So you’ve decided to learn a new language.The last time you did that was probably 20 to 40 years ago.You know, when you were still a toddler.Or maybe you took some language classes in high school for a requirement.Either way, you didnt really have to track down learning tools. They were handed to you.You know how  important it is to learn a new language these days. Theres no point to me making the case that a second language can have tremendous impacts on your physical, mental and financial healthâ€"since youve already made the big decision to start studying.Now youre really at the initial stages of your language acquisition journey.So, what to do? What to do?Lucky for you, this post deals with how to start your language journey right. And let me tell you right nowâ€"your journey should begin with the books that I’m going to be introducing to you.You might want to say, “Whoa, books? Aren’t I better off with some cool app or an online immersion course or something?”And to th at  Id say, “Yes, books. Because they’re going to put everythingâ€"the online course, the app, the practice sessionsâ€"into proper perspective.”In fact, why don’t I tell you right now why it’s important to read the best language learning books out there. Why Read General Language Learning Books?Why not read something directly related to your target language instead?Let’s say you want to  learn German. Why not go ahead and read a book that specifically deals with German? That would certainly save time.  Why a general language learning book as the opening salvo?  Is it really necessary?Um, yes. And here’s why:  A general language book, at least a good one, will show you the big picture and take you behind the scenes so you can understand what’s going on during your language acquisition process.Itll  tell you ahead of time what you might go through during your language quest. It’s like saying, “Hey, you might encounter this dragon along the way. If you take the pr oper weapon, then youll have an easier time.”Theres a set of fundamental theories, tools and techniques which are effective across languages. These come in the form of learning approaches, memory-enhancing techniques or useful mindsets that blast through the hurdles along the way.A general language learning book is a distillation of decades of scientific language acquisition  research and practical experience from people who made the journey before. Its a record of their insights and lessons learned. More importantly, it recounts the mistakes others have made  so those who follow don’t waste their time committing them.You’re going to  need all these foundational concepts as you begin that quest for a new language. That way, in the future, you’ll know exactly what’s going on. And knowing what’s going on, especially in language learning, is awfully important.Imagine going about learning French and not knowing why one particular  technique is working for you while another i s not. Or imagine that youve spent five hours studying but youre nowhere near memorizing that measly list of 20 words. Why cant you make that happen?Imagine how unnerving it would be to not know why things are the way they are.The  books below will demystify the whole process for you. Theyll  take things apart, much like a clockmaker does, and explain to you the working parts.In this way, a general language book can make everything so much clearer. You will, by leaps and bounds, become a more effective learner when you see the big picture and know the  answers to questions like:What difficulties are encountered by most language learners when they’re starting out and how can you avoid them?Which types of practice exercises should you spend your time on and why?What tricks will make your brain retain what youve learned?Beyond this, starting off with a general language learning book can provide cushioning for the rollercoaster ride that is language learning.When youre having bouts of discouragement, doubt and fatigue, you’ll have something in your head that says, “Ah, so this is what those books referred to as the Plateau Stage. I’m cool with it. I’m not gonna go down. I have a strategy for this.”Okay, now you have an idea of just how crucial these types of books  can be. That means its time to  go through the best books out there for learners. Coming up next are the 10 titles that are the most fitting companions for you on your language quests.The 10 Best Language Learning Books to Take on Your Linguistic JourneyHow to Learn a Foreign Languageby  Paul Pimsleur Ph.D.Let’s start off with the granddaddy of foreign language learningâ€"Dr. Paul Pimsleurâ€"creator of the renowned audio-based language system that has helped millions of language learners.This book of his was originally published in 1980 but was republished in 2013 and remains as relevant today as it was decades ago. Thats because the lessons are timeless.Focusing on the three elements of l anguageâ€"pronunciation, grammar and vocabularyâ€"the book debunks many standard teaching approaches and considers them unnecessary or even harmful to the goal of learning. Dr. Pimsleur understood the struggles experienced by beginners and sought to write a text that teaches how anyone can learn a foreign language without the painful classroom drills that don’t really work.He focuses instead on the listening and responding part of the language acquisition process, which is very much like how babies listen to their environment and imitate the linguistic tones and rhythms that they hear.He also gets into some very effective vocabulary exercises that are specially targeted for long-term memory storage. This makes sure that what has been learned will always stay with  you, very much unlike what sometimes happens in the classroom situationâ€"where the lessons magically disappear as soon as the bell rings.Dr. Pimsleur’s Method has stood the test of time and is one of the most effectiv e foreign language approaches to date. Get this book and start your journey with one of the most renowned language teachers of all time.Learn Any Language FAST! The Ultimate Guide to Speed Up Your Language Learning Curve By Tricking Your Brainby  Dagny TaggartThis one’s written by a hyper-traveler who has gone to the trouble of learning a language fast. Taggart shares the insights and techniques she picked up from crisscrossing the globe and learning the languages of the people she meets.From the very beginning, the purpose of this book, as the author demonstrates, is to learn a new language faster than you thought possible. Think of yourself as being in a foreign land and badly  needing a  bathroom. How can you pick up the language in  as few ticks of the clock as possible? Thats the spirit of this book.In order to do just that, traditional and time-consuming approaches are eschewed in favor of creative and fun ways to remember language. This book will open your eyes to the mass ive learning opportunities in your immediate environment. Itll also give you an understanding of how to use different multimedia channels (radio, movies and books) in order to align all of them with purposeful learningThis book counsels you on the right strategies of language acquisition and makes for a light reading. So for the beginner who fears to take that first step, this book will nudge you a bit so you can make one of the best decisions of your life: learn a new language.Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget Itby  Gabriel WynerWhatever language youve got your sights on, don’t you want to have fun while learning it? Gabriel Wyner thought so too. So much so that when he was 30 years old, he was already having fun with six languagesâ€"fluently.This book works on both your ears and tongue in ways not thought of before. Itll attune your ears to the natural symphonies of your target language so the next time you hear them, they’ll sound familiar to you . Youll contort your tongue to the same degree that opera singers and actors do while rehearsing. You, a beginner 15 minutes ago, will be able produce the same sounds and tones as the natives.With these techniques and more, you’ll get over those linguistic hurdles and land safely on the zone of fluency. Get this book. Its worth every second of your attention span.This book and lots of others that are useful for language learners are available on VitalSource, a great place to check out if youre into e-books. Their Bookshelf app works for Kindle, iPad, Android and Chromebook, and can save you time and money with your language book habit.Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language  by  Steven PinkerThis work by Pinker, like his other works, The Language Instinct and The Stuff of Thought, goes deeper than most general language learning books.The MIT linguist dives into an explanation of how human beings learn languages and how we use them to create experiences and all kinds of produc ts, from an effervescent love letter to a technical tax code. He believes that language production is rule-based and proceeds to prove this by focusing on irregular verbs. (Who knew irregular verbs could be that interesting?)When you want to  get serious about pulling aside the veils from language, you can be sure that Pinker is always the person holding the brightest lantern to illuminate your many questions.Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the Worldby  Benny LewisThis one’s from the guy behind the largest language learning blog on the Internet, Fluent in 3 Months. A self-described  average fellow, he preaches “language hacking” where learners acquire fluency quickly.The book gets you into a proper state of mind to learn a new language. It covers most of the fears and excuses a person may have and motivates its readers to reach their linguistic potential. It also promotes the most useful  technological tools available that can help them achieve their goals.Using methods not found in classrooms, Benny turns traditional language learning on its head and comes up with tips, techniques and exercises that make learning a natural, almost inevitable, experience. (And nope, grammar drills arent included. Role playing activities, yes.)For non-beginners who want to be re-energized to continue  their language quests, read the book’s first part and feel the spirit of curiosity and motivation returning, filling every cell of your body. Then move forward with your enthusiasm renewed.Language MythsEdited by  Laurie Bauer  Peter TrudgillThis one is unique in  the bunch because its a collection of 21 essays from leading linguists debunking some of the long-held, traditional views on language. This bookâ€"containing  essays like “Some Languages Are Spoken More Quickly Than Others,” “Italian Is Beautiful, German Is Ugly” and “Women Talk Too Much”â€"does go into pretty contentious issues.I’ve includ ed this one on the list because the last thing a language learner needs is to get stuck in the language acquisition process because he or she is holding onto some language myth, like this language is super hard.The best way to sweep away  all the cobwebs from the learner’s mind is to round them up and  blast them all away before even  beginning the journey.Ironically, by talking about what language is not, you learn more about what it actually is, giving you power to wield it more effectively.How to Learn Any Languageby  Barry M. FarberThe book reveals Farber’s system for  learning 25 different languages. His system is composed of four elements: The Multiple Track Attack, The Hidden Moments, Harry Lorayne’s Memory Aids and The Plunge In.The author believes that, when learning a new language, one shouldn’t be limited in the number of tools and technologies one uses. In The Multiple Track Attack, Farber gives his special blend of tools that every learner needs.In  The Hidden M oments, the author points out those unseen minutes or seconds in the day when one could have learned a new language. Waiting for the elevator or waiting in line might take only a few minutes, but by taking advantage of these  hidden moments in the course of the day, the language learning hours pile up to your benefit.Harry Lorayne’s Memory Techniques are what help our author breeze through memorizing copious amounts of vocabulary. Lorayne’s techniques are novel, creative and have a way of telling the learner “You’re having difficulty memorizing a list of 100 words? Maybe it’s because of the way you memorize it.”The Plunge In is where the rubber meets the road. Immersion. This is when you leave the pages of your books, meet native speakers and get into experiences where you practice your  target language.The author believes that these four elements are the very keys to unlocking any language on the face of the Earth. His conviction and enthusiasm is contagiousâ€"you might just end up leaving with a new perspective on life, language and learning.How Languages Are Learned (4th  edition) by  Patsy Lightbown  and Nina SpadaThis is a prize-winning title that gets into the different theories of first and second language acquisition.This book is originally intended as a handbook for language teachers. But why not leave out the middle man and get yourself a copy, right? This ones chock-full of insights on the difference between first and second language learning. It gets into the nitty-gritty of the different theories of the behaviorist, cognitive and social approaches.When you’re a few weeks into learning Spanish  or Japanese, for example, being  grounded by a comprehensive book will allow you to make sense of your learning experiences. As the insights from this book percolate in the back of your mind, youll be aided in absorbing the lessons and observing how you learn.And heres the kicker. When you know how you learn, you learn a whole lot better.How to Learn Any Language in a Few Months While Enjoying Yourself: 45 Proven Tips for Language Learners  by  Nate NicholsonNot only will you have fun while learning, but the author claims that youll learn up to 10 times  faster than other people with these methods. Would you like that?Instead of toiling away with tedious  grammar drills, would you like to know the nine common mistakes to avoid when learning languages?  Would you like to discover a five-step process for improving your reading skills?How about the five biggest  challenges youll face and how to effectively deal with them?  Well, theyre all in this book.Nate Nicholson believes that language learners should carefully choose the things they study and drop everything thats unnecessary. Included in the unnecessary category are esoteric grammar rules, vocabulary words that even native speakers dont use and topics that native speakers never really talk about.If you study effectively, focusing on vocabulary words and phrases that ar e useful to your situation, youll gain fluency very rapidly. You may not know every grammar rule there is to know, but youll have meaningful conversations with delighted speakers of your target language.How to Learn a New Language with a Used Brainby  Lynn McBrideFinally, to round off our selection of books, well end with one written by a writer who moved to Europe (more specifically, France) and learned that “soaking up the language” even when youre overseas is easier said than done.So she scrounged up every language learning resource she could  find and was able to come up with the program: six steps to leading the bilingual life. This serves as a detailed road map for adult language learners.A chapter in her book is entitled the “Voices of Experiences,” where other language learners and teachers share their secrets to benefit readers.In addition, her book also contains “best of class” reviews on the different tools available online today. Inundated with sites, courses , programs, apps  and books  that all claim to help teach a language, she wades through the muck and gives her stamp of approval on those worthy few that truly deliver on their promises.Get this short and fun read to start yourself off on the road to your second language. You know you want to.And hey, speaking  of online resources, there’s one that always delivers as promised. FluentU is the most awesome place on the Internet when it comes to language learning videos. It takes  real-world videosâ€"like vlogs, cartoons, inspiring talks, movie trailers and newsâ€"and transforms them into personalized language lessons. Take a look once youve had a chance to track down these great books.Ready to feel fully prepared and capable when it comes to language learning?Then check out the best language learning books listed here and order your favorites.You wont be sorry when youre fluent faster than you ever thought possible!And One More ThingTo reach fluency even faster, youll love using Flu entU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized expe rience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the iTunes store  or Google Play store.