[Dennis Kalma]

I am sort of bilingual...English and Dutch.

The main issue has been raised here, namely, to learn a language well it is best to be immersed in it and hear it regularly.....

The problem in North America is that in the greatest part of the continent there is only English and very few cases where you have the option to practice a particular language. There are some if you look, but it is difficult and it gets harder as you get older. I learned Dutch at my father's knee as my parents spoke Dutch between themselves when they did not want the kids to understand, which provided very good motivation to learn to understand but since we spoke only English, I sound like a 5 year old when I speak.

I would highly recommend Rosetta stone, certainly it works pretty well and I think my Dutch is improving as a result (I am in Holland as I type)..not sure how it would work from scratch though.

I wish I had taken the opportunities to learn French when I had the chance and I wish I had pressed my kids to study more languages than they did (they both have French). There is NO substitute for speaking the local language...the more you can speak the more interesting the world becomes.

Dennis