Learn a new language - on your lunch break

Tim Ferris, author of The 4 Hour Work Week is at it again sharing his efficiency tricks and experiments with us. This time he's deconstructing and learning a new language in just one hour. He suggests that you ditch the books and CDs and instead delve into the mechanics of language and really dissect your subject.

First consider the new language a sport. With any sport there are some physical requirements. How closely does the new language resemble your native tongue? Does it use familiar sounds or will you need to re-train your brain and muscles to form sounds you've never experienced before? Tim walks you through the language deconstruction to determine how long it will take to gain fluency.

Once you know the rules of the game and the requirements of the specific sport, put your energy into training. Tim explains the theory behind this language deconstruction and outlines the process from curiosity to fluency. You might be preparing for a trip, or exploring a new language for business, or maybe you just want to dazzle your friends with some foreign vocabulary. Whatever your reason, this method looks a lot easier then suffering through hours of CD lessons and poring over language books.

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