What is the Best Way to Learn Hebrew?

Sadly there is no huge secret to the "best" way to learn a new language. However, there are some general tips that can be very helpful. The main thing is figuring out what learning methods work best for you, and using them consistently. Some courses or methods are better than others at teaching certain aspects of a language. And different people learn better with different methods. But like with any language, you don't just need to be able to read and write, or speak and understand someone speaking to you. You need to be able to do all four. So whatever course you choose to start with, my suggestion is to use several courses, read Hebrew children's books, watch Hebrew movies, and of course, if possible, speak with Israelis or other Hebrew speakers. Learning a language is a big job. No matter what advertisements you hear for a secret method to learn a language in 10 days or 3 weeks for that matter. It's not something that most people will do even in a couple of years. Several months can be enough time, if learning a language is one's singular focus, but most of us have other things that we have to do. One of the most important pieces of advice that I can give on learning a language is, "do something with the target language every day." Even if 15 minutes is all the time you have that day, spend it studying, because just like when you were a child, you never took a day off from hearing, or speaking your mother tongue, and that constant immersion is what brought you to fluency today. The key is consistency, if you only study or use the language an hour once a week, you will make little if any progress, but if you consistently study even as little as 30-45 minutes a day you can definitely make progress. Last but not least, you have to use what you know. It is very helpful to have someone to practice your language skills with, because if you don't use it you lose it. In closing:

• Find what method works best for you, and then

• Do it consistently, even if it's only 15 minutes a day

• Use what you learn

• Remember, what works for me might not work for you