Gadling

I find books native to the language to be helpful. Harry Potter, to take your example, was constructed in English by an English woman who grew up in England (I'm guessing). That makes it a good book for learning English since the culture comes through between the lines. But if you want to learn German, you'll get more out of a book originally written in German, complete with all of the nuances that come with the language and culture. You'll get the same language lesson but with an extra dose of cultural learning.

For French language students, try the "Le Petit Nicolas" series. "Le Petit Prince" is popular but I find the story weird and you have to constantly interrupt the flow to look up words, many of which aren't extremely useful to know in the early or intermediate stages of learning. "Le Petit Nicolas," while written for kids, is still fun for adults (think Pixar movies), and you get just enough colloquialisms and style to keep it entertaining without confusing a non-native.

Then there are newspapers, which are a bit harder and require more discipline since you'll have to look up more words. But reading them daily along with your other news sites will help you learn the language and keep tabs on the country's current events.

For more advanced learners, you can also try watching movies, especially by turning off the subtitles on ones you've seen before. Most DVDs sold in the U.S. have Spanish and French dubbed tracks so you can watch your favorites in those languages, but like books it just isn't the same as a native film.

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