negotiate　and　proprietor。　Spend　a　little　time　making　sure　you’re　getting　something
  substantial。　It’s　a　good　idea　to　look　through　a　newspaper　and　make　a　list　of　some　of　the
  more　complicated　words　in　the　news　columns。　Those　are　the　words　you’ll　soon　be
  looking　up。　Does　that　dictionary　have　them？　Price；　colour；　and　the　neatness　with　which
  the　dictionary　fits　into　your　pocket；　brief　case；　or　handbag　are　a　lot　less　important　than
  finding　a　dictionary　that　can　deliver。
  PHRASE　BOOK
  Buy　a　phrase　book　for　travellers。　Berlitz　publishes　a　series　in　eighteen　languages；　and
  others　keep　popping　up　in　bookstores　and　the　racks　of　airport　newsstands。　They’re
  inexpensive　and　easy　to　use。　These　books；　smaller　than　a　piece　of　toast；　offer　little　or　no
  grammar；　but　they　bristle　with　practical　words　and　phrases；　listing　the　English　followed
  by　the　foreign　language　and　then　a　transliteration　that　guides　the　rankest　beginner　to　an
  understandable；　usually　a　creditable；　pronunciation。
  Don’t　be　put　off　by　the　na。veté；　inexpensiveness；　superficiality；　and　comparative
  weightlessness　of　these　travellers’　phrase　books　when　laid　alongside　your　impressive
  dictionary　and　your　complex　grammar　book。　Good　zoos　need　hummingbirds　as　well　as
  elephants。
  NEWSPAPER　OR　MAGAZINE
  Find　a　newspaper　or　magazine　in　your　target　language。　Most　big　cities　have　newsstands
  where　you　can　buy　publications　in　a　dazzling　variety　of　different　languages。　Otherwise；
  call　the　nearest　consulate　or　embassy　of　the　country　whose　language　you’re　out　to　learn。
  Usually　they’re　proud　and　pleased　to　help　you。　If　you　have　a　choice；　go　for　a　publication
  from　that　country　itself；　rather　than　one　published　by　immigrants　from　that　country　in
  America。　Certainly　no　foreign　language　publication　printed　in　America　is　likely　to
  contain　language　more　authentic　than　publications　printed　in　the　home　country；　and　it
  may　very　well　be　less　authentic。
  A　friend　of　mine　who　set　out　to　learn　French　immediately　bought　a　subscription　to
  Le　Monde；　a　popular　Paris　daily。　That’s　overkill。　If　he　were　to　learn　every　word　in　any
  one　issue　of　Le　Monde；　it　would　be　“mission　accomplished。”　One　issue　of　one
  publication　in　your　target　language　at　this　point　is　all　you　need。
  STUDENT　READER
  It　may　be　difficult；　but　if　possible　see　if　you　can　locate　a　schoolbook　or　some　reading
  material　from　the　country　at　about　a　sixth　grade　level。　Such　books　are　obviously　excellent
  bridges　from　the　rudiments　to　the　real　world。　If　you　can’t　find　one；　never　mind。　Your
  newspaper　or　magazine　will　seem　elementary　to　you　soon　enough。
  PORTABLE　TAPE　PLAYER
  The　invention　of　the　handy　portable　cassette　tape　player　catapults　language　learners　from
  the　ox　cart　to　the　supersonic　jet。　You　can　now　inhale　a　foreign　language　through　your
  ears。　“You　can’t　expect　me　to　do　two　things　at　once！”　is　a　bygone　complaint。　Listening　to
  foreign　language　cassettes　as　you　go　about　your　daily　deeds　is　a　high　form　of　doing　two
  things　at　once。
  The　Walkman　（or　any　such　tape　player）　is　an　electronic　can　opener　for　whatever
  language　you’re　learning。　Formerly　we　had　to　chew　through　the　tin。
  CASSETTE　COURSES
  There　are　many　cassette　courses　in　many　foreign　languages。　They　range　from　“travel”
  cassettes；　really　simple　tourist　phrase　books　set　to　sound　and　costing　between　ten　and
  twenty　dollars；　clear　up　to　multicassette　study　courses　that　carry　the　student　into
  advanced　levels　and　cost　between　one　and　two　hundred　dollars；　or　more。
  Don’t　dismiss　the　least　expensive　ones　as　“superficial　little　travel　cassettes。”　If　you
  master　every　word；　every　phrase；　every　pronunciation；　and　every　grammatical　point
  contained　in　even　the　simplest　of　those　cassettes；　you　can　consider　yourself　advanced。
  There　are　basically　four　kinds　of　cassettes　for　the　study　of　foreign　languages。　We’ll
  call　them　flat　single　rep；　flat　double　rep；　formatted；　and　cultural。
  The　flat　single　rep　cassettes；　usually　the　least　expensive；　give　you　the　English　word
  or　phrase　followed　by　the　foreign　equivalent　uttered　only　one　time。
  The　flat　double　rep　cassettes　are　the　same；　except　the　foreign　phrase　is　repeated
  twice。　（When　you　begin　making　your　own　study　cassettes；　you’ll　repeat　the　foreign　piece
  three　times。）
  The　formatted　cassette　puts　theories　of　instruction　into　practice　and　follows　systems
  that　some　highly　successful　language　teachers　have　found　effective。　For　example　the
  Pimsleur　method；　named　after　the　late　Dr。　Paul　Pimsleur；　takes　the　student　by　the　ear　and
  guides　him　through　the　language　as　though　it　were　a　Disneyland　exhibit。　Unfortunately
  Dr。　Pimsleur　died　before　he　could　personally　develop　courses　in　a　large　variety　of
  languages　to　advanced　levels。　His　techniques；　however；　are　being　applied　to　more
  courses　in　more　languages　by　Dr。　Charles　A。　S。　Heinle　of　the　Cassette　Learning　Centre　in
  Concord；　Massachusetts。
  The　Pimsleur　method　provides　the　best　minute　by　minute　“learning　through
  listening；”　thanks　to　several　strokes　of　Dr。　Pimsleur’s　innovative　genius。
  First　of　all；　you　become　a　participant。　Pimsleur　doesn’t　let　you　merely　listen　in
  hopes　your　lazy　mind　will　help　itself　to　some　of　the　new　words　being　offered　on　the
  smorgasbord。　After　five　minutes　with　any　Pimsleur　course　you　will　always　harbour　a
  certain　disdain　for　all　cassette　courses　that　merely　give　you　a　voice　saying　something　in
  English　followed　by　the　equivalent　in　the　target　language。　Pimsleur　pricks　your
  wandering　mind　to　attention　by　asking；　for　example；　“Do　you　remember　the　Greek　word
  for　‘wine’？”
  Theoretically；　that　little　trick　shouldn’t　make　a　spectacular　difference。　After　all；　you
  bought　the　course。　You　want　to　learn　the　language。　Why　should　the　teacher　on　cassette
  have　to　find　ways　to　constantly　recover　your　attention？　The　unfortunate　truth　is　that　the
  average　mind　plays　hooky　whenever　possible。　The　difference　between　Pimsleur　asking；
  “Do　you　remember　the　Greek　word　for　‘wine’？”　and　a　voice　simply　saying　“wine”　is；　as
  Mark　Twain　once　put　it；　“the　difference　between　lightning　and　the　lightning　bug！”
  Nor　does　Pimsleur　always　settle　for　the　simple　verbal　prompt。　A　typical　Pimsleur
  tactic　is　to　demand；　“You　accidentally　bump　into　a　man　getting　on　the　bus。　What　do　you
  say？”　That　ingrains　the　foreign　phrases　for　“excuse　me”　far　more　than　a　rote　recitation　of
  the　words　themselves。
  Pimsleur’s　“graduated　interval　recall”　achieves　what　I　call　the　“pinball　effect。”
  When　the　steel　ball　in　the　pinball　machine　nears　the　bottom；　you　can　manipulate　the
  flippers　to　catch　the　ball　and　send　it　all　the　way　back　to　the　top　again。　Likewise；　at　the
  very　instant　when　your　mind　is　about　to　let　a　new　word　or　phrase　“fall　to　the　bottom”；
  Pimsleur　zings　it　in　again；　sending　it　back　to　the　top　of　your　awareness。　This　time　it
  doesn’t　sink　so　fast。　When　it　does；　Pimsleur　hits　it　again。
  Pimsleur　gives　you　a　pause　on　the　cassette　after　each　question　he　asks　you。　In　the
  early　going　there’s　a　temptation　to　stop　the　machine　while　you　flounder　for　the　answer。
  Don’t！　Learn　to　try　to　come　up　with　the　answer　during　the　pause　provided。　That　will
  more　than　teach　you　the　word。　It　will　train　you　to　have　that　word　ready　for　action　at　all
  times。　It’s　marvellous　to　feel　your　growth　as　you　relisten　to　your　Pimsleur　lessons；
  succeeding　more　and　more　each　time　at　delivering　the　required　word　before　the　teacher’s
  voice　rolls　over　you　with　the　next　question。
  Berlitz　is　the　most　famous　name　in　language　instruction；　and　except　for　the　Berlitz
  Travel　Cassettes；　which　are　flat　single　rep；　all　their　cassette　courses　are　formatted。　The
  Berlitz　Basic　Courses；　available　in　French；　Spanish；　German；　and　Italian；　feature
  ingenious　conversations　between　teacher　and　students；　and　their　top　of　the　line　Berlitz
  Comprehensive　Courses　are　really　dazzling　soap　opera…like　sagas　filled　with　romance；
  treachery；　suspense；　and　drama。　Both　the　basic　and　the　comprehensive　courses　sneak
  massive　payloads　of　grammar　and　vocabulary　into　the　student’s　repertoire。
  Cultural　cassettes　aren’t　really　language　learning　cassettes　at　all；　but　many　people
  suppose　they　are　and　buy　and　sell　them　as　such。　Songs；　plays；　readings；　stories；　and
  poems　in　foreign　languages　are　indeed　helpful；　but　shouldn’t　be　mistaken　for　the　“high
  protein”　intake　needed　to　build　command　of　a　foreign　language。　They’re　great　relaxers；
  tests　of　how　far　you’ve　come；　adjunctive　exercises；　and　ways　of　letting　the　foreigner
  know　that　you　view　his　language　as　more　than　just　a　briar　patch　of　irregular　verbs。
  The　cultural　cassettes　are　the　condiments。　The　others　are　the　entrées。
  BLANK　CASSETTES
  We　have　do　it　yourself　gasoline　pumps。　We　do　not　have　do　it　yourself　eye　surgery。　It　may
  seem　strange　to　some　（and　wildly　objectionable　to　others）　to　recommend　do　it　yourself
  language　cassettes　starring　you　in　the　language　you　are　trying　to　learn。　Or