Learning from immersion is the most effective way to learn a foreign language. When someone is immersed in a language, he listens and speaks only in that language for a certain period of time. There are two ways someone can be immersed in a language. The most common way to learn from immersion is by traveling. Usually, an adult will travel to a country for a given period of time and naturally pick up the language. For best results, someone who wants to learn from traveling should also study independently or take a class in the same language.
In many countries, students learn from immersion in the classroom. Students have the option of going to a preschool that is conducted in a language different from that student's native tongue. The younger the student is, the easier it will be to learn a foreign language. Usually students who attend preschools where they spend most of their day being immersed in their second language also have frequent tutoring sessions once they have started school. Most become fluent in their second language sometime in middle school.
If learning a language from immersion is not an option, many students learn successfully in a classroom setting. There are many important factors when considering what class to take. Classes that are taught by native speakers are generally better then those taught by instructors who did not learn the language they are teaching from birth. Also, what language the class is taught in can be very important. Many students do not feel comfortable unless they learn a foreign language in an English setting.
It is harder to learn a language from self-study, but it can be done. Most students who attempt to learn this way use computer programs. When picking a computer program or book to use for self-study, make sure it has many pictures and an audio soundtrack. Studies show that when students hear a word and see a picture at the same time, they learn much better than by reading a word and its definition only.