It always impresses me, when I hear someone fluently speak a foreign language. I find it very admirable when a person learns to master another tongue. Besides my own language (Danish) I was taught English, German and French in school, although French was only for two years and let's just say it has been a while since then. I don't consider myself a master in the English language, but I feel that I can handle myself in just about any situation. As for German I can read it fairly well and also keep up in simple conversations.

Knowing other languages is great when I travel. Needless to say it's a lot easier to communicate with other people, when you don't have to spend several minutes trying to explain a simple question like: "Where is the nearest bus station?" or "Do you know what time it is?". My parents have never traveled much. I know they have always had trouble finding time for it, but I can't help but wonder if the fact that they don't speak any foreign languages plays a role too.

Besides from just wanting to know a foreign language or being able to impress your friends and family there could be many very good reasons for learning one:

- If part of your education gave you the opportunity to work for a period of time for a company in a different country as a trainee.

- Or perhaps you wanted to finish your education at a foreign university.

- Maybe you are no longer satisfied with your job and your life in general and you want to try something completely different like working and living abroad.

- Your kids are all grown up and have moved away and you want try something exciting like working and living under a different sky.

Regardless of your motivation you are still faced with a very big task, which can be time consuming and require you to make changes to your daily life. Those changes are perhaps inconvenient for you or maybe not even possible. I am of course talking about taking classes, but what if you have to be at work or some place else at the same time. There can also be other problems like the course you want to participate in takes place too far away from where you live, or maybe you live in a small town, where it isn't even possible to take a language course.

All hope is not lost though; since it is possible to learn a foreign language all by yourself in the comfort of your own home. You can get complete interactive language packages, which will teach you to read, write and speak and you don't even need to be in the presence of a teacher.

This will of course not substitute many years of regular schooling with professional teachers by your side every step of the way, but that isn't really the point. You are most likely not even looking for big and shiny diploma either. All you want is to get yourself to the point, where a particular language no longer is a hindrance. A new learning experience will then take place, once you have arrived in whatever country you decided upon. What I mean is that getting really good at speaking a foreign language can only be achieved by actually using it and there is no better way than being among people native to that particular tongue.