The absolute best way is immersion. Full on survival, sink or swim, daily brain exhaustion to cram information in that you will use, over and over.

Short of that, finding ways to practice using the language is the key. Listening to videos is fine, but you need to simulate thinking and responding to make the language part of what your brain goes to. Find people online to talk to via Zoom or discord. I like to think of conservations I have and translate them in Google and re-run the interaction 4 or 5 times in the second language.

For numbers, find videos online that are things like lottery draws.

Bon chance!

I’ve been learning languages for the past 10 years or so, including English, the language I’m writing this message in, which is not my native language.

I certainly don’t know what the “best” way is, but what I do is get a lot of input, review vocabulary with Anki (spaced repetition software), and slowly make my way through the pile of grammar.

I use flashcard apps such as Anki.

Im still not great at Spanish because I dont practice frequently but these things helped me:

1. Learned alphabet.
2. Learned examples of conjugation of verbs with real life examples.
3. Started with children level books and increase difficulty to read and comprehend what is being said.
4. Listen to music in that language and learn what its saying.
5. Watching telenovelas with English captions and try familiarizing words
6. Final phase I think is visiting a country who’s primary language is that language.

If you are coming from another language, say C or Python, try https://tourofrust.com/

“The book” is always a good option. I like the variaton of Brown University: https://rust-book.cs.brown.edu/title-page.html

(I know that’s not what they meant, I am just preaching the ghospel, here)

Hire a tutor or sign up for a college course. Professional teachers will always be better than most anything you can do on your own.

This can depend on your personality type and self-discipline.

If you’re a methodical introvert who likes reading, go for a vocab-focused app with spaced repetition, and continue by reading actual newspapers or books (even children’s books) as soon as you can.

If you’re an impulsive extrovert with a short concentration span, you’re going to need a more human experience, if possible 1-to-1 tutoring.

In all cases, don’t get hung up on grammar and (especially not) phonetics at the start. Vocab is the key that will unlock the rest.

FWIW I speak multiple languages fairly competently and I’m a qualified English teacher.

Language Transfer is free with no ads or intrusive permissions needed. The material is presented in a way that makes learning the language more natural feeling.

https://www.languagetransfer.org/

1. Learn the basics. This is the easy part and you should be able to make good progress. Find a textbook or good online resource that covers things like the alphabet, pronunciation, basic Grammer, etc.
2. Practice and accumulate vocabulary. You can do this basically however you want, but I would recommend the tool Anki (https://apps.ankiweb.net/), but you can use Duolingo or whatever. Learning vocabulary is key to being able to understand anything. Practice and repetition is key to gaining speed and fluency.
3. Use the language. Talk to people. Talk to yourself. Watch videos. Read. Play games. You figure it out, but actually using the language is how you grow and get better at it.

There are lots of great things to do, but most important is to build a habit and keep working at it. Engage with the language every day, and work up to consuming content designed for native speakers.

Duolingo and similar apps are helpful, but don’t put all your eggs in that, or any single, basket. Also do Anki or some other flashcard thing. And at the very least a beginner textbook or grammar guide is good to have. Early on, mix time between textbook, apps, ‘comprehensible input’ videos. Work your way up to reading, and look for graded readers to get started.

(Also, as Duolingo gets worse, consider alternatives like Memrise and Mondly. Or even paid stuff like Busuu, Lingq, Pimsleur, Babbel, Rosetta Stone. Also, your local library may give access to Transparent Language or Mango. Although of course I can’t vouch for most of these personally.)

Another rec: check out !languagelearning@sopuli.xyz for a cool community. Good place to ask questions and get support.

There are probably a ton of cool learning resources specific to your target language. Look online for communities around it.

need an excuse , time and place to learn one.

After learning the basics, try reading manga/comics that you are already familiar with, but in your target language.

The pictures help and you can read it at your own pace unlike listening to audio or watching videos.

I’ve read the entire Dragon Balls manga in Spanish.

Practice. And then practice more And more And even more. Unlike all the shame people give it, I still think that Duolingo is a good tool. But, Duolingo on its own is not enough. Without using the language you won’t get it.

I used Duolingo for Italian French czehc and Greek. It is enough for me to allow me know what an article is about in these language. If you want to get to conversation level, be ready to embrasse yourself. Without willing to make these mistakes, no matter what you do, you won’t manage the language.

For context, my experience: Italian: started with Duolingo, eventually hired a teacher to improve my speaking level. I’m not perfect, but I manage to joke with the casual Italians I meet. French: used almost only Duolingo. There are however plenty of books and films and shows in french. I was in Paris a year ago, communicated almost solely in french and managed to do everything I need (including taking a friend to a clinic after he hit his head) Greek: started with Duolingo and hired a teacher for a while. It is hard to find communication partners and material so my level is not as high as I would like. To manage reading an article I need to concentrate very hard. Czech: still basic. I’m only half way through the Duolingo tree. I’m searching for other rmaterials, but I’m mostly lacking the time to dedicate myself to the task.

Duolingo + language learning Books