What are the most common 20% of words in any language? [more inside]
posted by jinatrix on Jun 14, 2009 - 12 answers

I'm at a stage where I need to memorize vocabulary in a foreign language, and I am looking for advice, tips & useful software. [more inside]
posted by anjamu on Feb 24, 2006 - 19 answers

Languages: I would like to teach myself a foreign language with the primary motivation of reading literature written originally in that language. (Italian, in this case.) For now, speaking and pronunciation are not as important as learning grammatical rules, sentence construction, and growing my vocabulary. Ideally, I would like to learn at my own pace, without having to hire a tutor or enrol in language classes, and I would prefer to skip general phrasebook greetings. Apart from a dictionary, what should I arm myself with? Are there any good resources on the web for this? How should one go about teaching oneself to read a foreign language? Thanks!
posted by Lush on Jul 6, 2005 - 18 answers

What are some good strategies for studying language with notecards or flash cards? Anyone have experience with the so-called Leitner system? Are software/online notecard systems any better than the real thing? Vocabulary-building tips are appreciated, as well.
posted by swift on Feb 10, 2005 - 3 answers