Foreign Languages for reading
 

Apparently, no aspiring PhD in the field of Classics need apply without planning to learn at least German and French. I recently skimmed through this year's edition of L'Annee Philologique, a bibliography of articles and books in the field of Classics published annually, and saw the reason why.

So, you who have sought for academia's highest honor, how did you go about learning whatever language that was necessary?

I'm no academic, but I'd like to know what level of proficiency is required.

Those two are the easiest languages on the earth to learn.

French is taught at BYU in accelerated sessions so that you can achieve third year proficiency in two semesters.

German follows many Latin characteristics with a German wordstock.

I'm still struggling just reading basic sentences in Greek, so if you can do Greek, you will fly in those languages.

With Latin, you find French grotesquely easy. And then just read.

Summer school.

All you have to do is learn to read - you don't have to write or speak (although that would be nice). I learned enough German with one introductory class and then with German-reading textbooks.

Some schools offer language-for-reading courses, usually in the summer.

The best way is to get a grasp on basic grammar, then translate with a dictionary in hand. It's sloppy and slow, but you don't have to be too literate. You're reading for content.