Some people enjoy compartmentalizing. I know that’s the first thing I looked for when I started learning my first foreign language. It’s just easier for me to work when I’ve got a clear (even just a partially clear) idea of the “categories” of things I will need to learn.
Chances are, these are the same things you’ll be working on for your own language learning.
- Vocabulary. You need a stock of memorized words and phrases that you can whip out for regular use. All language learning programs, as far as we’ve seen) come with sections on vocabulary, as well as most books about the topic.
- Grammar. Every language has its own rules on grammar and sentence construction. If you want to gain decent facility on the language, you’ll need to understand the basic rules (subjects, verb forms) at the least. Otherwise, there’s no way you can concoct sentences all by yourself.
- Pronunciation. You can memorize words all you want, but if you can’t pronounce them correctly, no native speaker can understand you. Plus, you can’t understand what they’re saying either.
- Idioms and other expressions. Even if you understand a good deal of the language, being unfamiliar with native idioms and other expressions can lead to a lot of confusion once you’re interacting with native speakers. Chances are, you’ll read into their words literally, essentially diluting their meaning.
For the most part, these are the general things you’ll need to deal with when studying a new language. They’re usually part of most well-planned language lessons, so be prepared to deal with them in your studies.