Listen to talk radio
You probably have heard that immersion is the best way to learn a language. Well, if you’re just starting out, turn on a satellite radio station in the language you want to learn and start listening. After a while you’ll get better at picking out the sounds. This will make learning a lot easier!
http://www.shoutcast.com/ is free!
All you do is search “Arabic News” or “Spanish Talk Radio” and you’re set.
You can even add it as an app on your phone.
While you’re listening, here’s a few things to consider…
When you hear a new song for the first time, are you able to memorize all of the words, instruments, key changes and little details that make the song so unique? Most likely not unless you are trained to hear it; even then, it will still take more than one listening.
The same goes for language learning. The first time you hear a new sound, your brain doesn’t recognize every little detail, but after repetition and exposure, you begin to learn the sounds of the language the same way you learn the sounds of a song.
Be sure to try and vocalize along with the speaker and pronounce what they’re pronouncing. That will advance the learning process as well.
Happy Language learning!