The German language is spoken by nearly 200 million people (half of whom are native speakers) in 11 countries. It is an official language of Germany, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland. Learning to speak German is a challenge, but fortunately for English speakers, it is closer in form to English than any other language. With time, dedication and the proper materials, anyone can learn to speak the German language quickly.

Purchase an English-to-German dictionary and quick guide to learning German. English-to-German dictionaries are available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million and Amazon.com at affordable prices (under $15). A great book on the German language to own is German: How to Speak and Write It (a Beginners' Guide), by Joseph Rosenberg.

Bring your dictionary and quick guide with you everywhere you go. Complete exercises and practice pronunciation while you are in line at the supermarket or the post office- or on your break at work. The key to learning to speak German quickly is to incorporate the language into your daily routine and review as often as possible.

Purchase a German audio course, so that you can learn proper pronunciation by a native speaker. German audio courses use listen-and-repeat methods, so that you can start speaking German right away. The language companies Berlitz, Barrons, Pimsleur and Living Language all offer basic German courses that can be purchased for less than $40.

Listen to your German audio CD course in the car on the way to work or school, or anywhere on the go. Speak the German words and phrases aloud so that you will be learning German right away, and be sure to review them daily so that you commit them to memory.

Immerse yourself in German language and culture by enrolling in a language study abroad program. There are many foreign language schools, including AmeriSpan (see References 4), which is geared toward Americans who wish to learn German in Germany or Austria.

Practice every day: fifteen minutes of review each day is better than two hours of review once per week. When listening to your audio course, always say the words aloud in order to learn how to pronounce them properly.