it depends on which type of learner you are-- visual, audio, etc.

i am taking a class in dc at the usda and i love it! i am listening to arabic radio (radio sawa) and i use the CDs also. i would recommend listening to the radio.

Yeah listening to lectures and Arabic Radio and translating articles sound like a good idea. I thought listening to Arabic music was a good idea, too, but they use a lot of slang in it. But anyhows I will find some lectures and articles. Shukran =0)

salaam. yeah, i study it on my own. the best thing to do, imo, is to listen to islamic lectures in arabic and translating books/articles. also, shaikh abu hasan an-nadwi has a few books that are for non-arabs, like qisas an-nabe'een, and qiratul rashidah. you should read those and translate them. thats what i did when i first started studying arabic and it really helped a lot.