"I felt dumb and stupid because I couldn't communicate with the locals or my newfound friends!"

Like me, haven't you always wanted to join in with conversations and explore the country you are visiting with confidence? Now there is a really easy way.

If you don't know the language you feel at sea or in a fog. Even the simplest things become insurmountable obstacles. You're afraid of being alone because you might get lost or can't ask for the things that you want. You are vulnerable to unscrupulous locals who take advantage of you. You can't become part of the regular everyday life of the people; instead you are stuck in a bubble with your English speaking companions all the time.

The Institute of Rapid Language Learning has devised a program for learning languages in the easiest, fastest way possible.

The approach combines ancient memory techniques with the latest developments in brain research. For instance, our capacity for visual memory is astounding. And with creative or lateral thinking, you can become a walking dictionary within days.

Learning a language isn't really difficult. The vocabulary of most educated native speakers consists of 3,000 key words, whilst tabloid newspapers use less than 1,000.

The three principles of learning subconsciously.

If you have struggled to learn a language in the past, like me, the hardest part was (1) remembering enough words to express yourself simply. You only need (2) a basic understanding of grammar to make simple sentences and get yourself understood. But if you don't have the words, you can't even begin to express your thoughts, feelings and desires.

But that's not enough. Because people talk fast and, even when they speak slowly to you, it all sounds like a stream of noise - remember those squawking sounds of the grown-ups in the Charlie Brown cartoons?

Your ear needs to be able to (3) pick out the spoken words that are often distorted because of the grammar or the informal ways of speaking. It's a bit like trying to pick out a tune from a jazz improvisation. If you don't appreciate jazz then it all sounds like a tuneless noise. But if you love jazz then you can hear the riff or underlying melody, no matter how far from the original it has been transformed.

These three principles form the basis of a revolutionary approach to teaching languages that I developed after years of research. I founded the Institute of Rapid Language Learning to continue finding effective ways to learn a foreign language quickly and easily, and to develop courses based on these approaches.

A course designed for lazy dummies.

I have always loved traveling and learning languages. I love meeting people and learning about themselves and their culture. Trouble is, I'm not a natural born linguist. And I'm a naturally lazy person. Learning a language used to be really hard work for me. Especially arduous was trying to memorize the lists and lists of words. And there always seems to be more useful words to learn.

I've traveled quite extensively and it was also hard work to learn the language of the country I was living and working in. I discovered that once I began to develop my basic vocabulary, however, that my love of music helped me to 'hear' the individual words in conversations. Learning to play an instrument meant that I developed an ear for language as well as for music.

Vocabulary and Music.

After years of research and trying different approaches, I've discovered that the two most important factors in being able to communicate in a foreign language are 1) having a core vocabulary and 2) developing your ear so that you can pick out those basic words in a conversation. With a few simple grammar rules, you will be able to understand the greater part of a conversation and be able to express yourself with confidence.

After that, it's all about refining your language skills. You can learn that either by picking it up - like children do as they grow up - or by going to conversation classes - or by following a more traditional, advanced level, course that discusses the finer points of grammar and idiomatic means of expression.

Tip! The best way to pick up Hebrew (by osmosis).

If you are not in Israel then one of the best ways to pick up the language is by watching movies with a Hebrew soundtrack. It's all about enjoying yourself, so choose movies that you enjoy for their own sake. Movies that you can watch over and over again... One advantage of this is that you already know the meaning of the dialog, so when you subsequently listen to the movie in Hebrew, your mind will begin to make the necessary connections - subconsciously and without any effort on your part.

In the Resources section, we have a list of selected movies, ranked according to your level, which we recommend that you purchase. Watch them a few times in English or with the English subtitles, and then watch the movie in Hebrew. Switch off the subtitles every now and again, so that your full attention is on the dialog.

You'll be surprised at how much Hebrew you pick up. At first, you will only be able to recognize the odd word here and there. But after a while, you will begin to understand individual sentences and pick up various idiomatic expressions.

It's a wonderful feeling when the mental fog begins to clear and you can actually enjoy the movie in its original native form.

Try the demo.

[Temporarily withdrawn for further development] The course is designed primarily to help you build a core vocabulary without effort and within days. Try the demo yourself and learn 20 words in ten minutes. It's free. Look at the cartoons and listen to the sample sentences. You will be amazed at how your ear will pick up the 'cartoon' words. And you might even understand most of the Hebrew sentences! We deliberately don't give you the translation because we talk directly to your subconscious mind.

My personal money back guarantee.

Once you see for yourself how easy it is, sign up for the beginner's course. You will also find yourself increasingly motivated as you progress. When have you ever felt that when following traditional language courses!?

And with our 30-day no quibble money back guarantee, you can't lose. I don't think you will, but you could even cheat by signing up, completing the course over the next few weeks then ask for a refund! In which case, we might just ask you to make your refund request in Thai or Hebrew...

Try it out now.
Learn 20 words in 10 minutes.

Indexing Notes. Learn a new language fast online. Learn a language in 90 days or within a week if you're in a hurry. An astonishingly fast and incredibly easy way to learn languages. Currently available: Learn Hebrew online. Learn Thai Online. A combination of the best accelerated learning and NLP techniques, including the application of mnemonics and memory tricks used by the Greeks, Romans and memory champions. And incorporating the latest advances of accelerated learning specialists such as Tony Buzan (mind maps and mind mapping) and Dominic O'Brien (current World Memory Champion), Kevin Trudeau (founder of the American Memory Institute and developer of the Mega Memory program), Edward De Bono (Lateral Thinking, Six Hats, Creative Thinking, CoRT), Daniel Goleman (Emotional Intelligence), Georgi Lozanov (Suggestopedia), Richard Bandler, John Grindler and John Le Valle (NLP or Neurolinguistic Programming), plus Milton Erikson (Waking Hypnosis) as well motivational experts such as Tony Robbins (UPW or Unleash the Power Within), Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup), Brian Tracy, Colin Rose, Zig Ziggler, etc. The fastest way to learn a new language. Quicker than immersion. As good as having a Thai or Israeli girlfriend, boyfriend or lover. (OK, maybe that's going too far!) Ideal for home schooling or home education.

Make friends more easily and quickly. Improve business relationships. Better and far more comprehensive than the Berlitz method, or Pimsleur or Rosetta Stone. Linguaphone offers good community support, but Rapid Language Learning is better for getting started and developing a colloquial and practical skill. A lot more fun than Linkword Languages (Michael Gruneberg) also known as Unforgettable Languages, although the underlying principle is similar. (They give you a list of word associations, but you have to make the effort to conjure up a zany and imaginative mental image, otherwise it doesn't really work. You may be interested in looking at 200 Words A Day for Spanish, French and German. They take the Linkword method one step further by using cartoons to save you the effort. However, this is not enough for acquiring an 'ear' for the language and developing your accent. The ‘absorption’ approach in our courses is very effective for this, and you acquire an intuitive feel for the grammatical structure rather than having to learn the rules consciously. )

Kidspeak, Quickstart and Instant Immersion courses (from Transparent Language, Eurotalk, BBC) are useful complements to this course, but they aren't necessarily good value for money.

Note. This is not a software course, nor do we have tutors or classes. It is a distance learning (or e-learning) online course for home study, although we do offer site licenses to schools, colleges, universities, ulpanim, kibbutsim and businesses. Family discounts are available. It is primarily designed for colloquial spoken Hebrew or Thai, but you will also develop some reading skills. You can learn to read using our alphabet course and by following the Easy Hebrew or Easy Thai readers. The course is also not a grammar course. We recommend that you first develop your conversational and comprehension skills by following our courses. Watching foreign-language TV or movies is not effective at all, unless you are already quite fluent. However, listening to the radio, learning songs and speaking and interactive with native speakers will help you to advance to a high level of competence very quickly.

For Thai, we recommend Essential Grammar by James Higbie, Practical Situational Thai and Thai The Rough Guide or Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook. An essential purchase is the Pocket Thai Dictionary published by Periplus, containing the 3,000 most commonly used words. You won’t need another dictionary until you are a more advanced speaker. In the meantime, you can also use the free online dictionary at English2Thai.com. These recommended products are available at Thai-Language.com. The earlier version of James Higbie’s reference book may be a little harder to find as it has been superceded by Thai Reference Grammer, a work more suitable to advanced learners.