Ok, so for as long as I've been here...

[Eyamsiyu]

... I don't think I've made even 10 posts in the Learn Na'vi section of the forum (OMG, WTF, BBQ, right?)!  But then again, I haven't been exactly dedicated to learning the language, which for a while was "I'd like to."  Now it's "I want to!"

Talking to a certain unnamed individual (you know who you are if you read this), I basically learned that with use comes understanding as far as learning words go.  But what about all the other elements of the language, such as grammar, all the "-ixes," and lenition?  Should those rules just be memorized, and through more use comes understanding?

[kewnya txamew'itan]

I think a certain amount of memorisation is required, but practice certainly is the best way to memorise it. Try writing as many sentences as you can using the documents in the downloads section of the main site and the stickies up on the forum and we'll try to correct them so that you can learn.

Also, for a very practice oriented way of learning, take a look at project ngaynume.

[Eyamsiyu]

I've already got myself in Ngaynume.  Technically I've been there since Day 1, but I missed a couple weeks due to a broken computer...

Seems ideal.  Maybe stop by here to check Na'vi sentences that I write for the RP (or soon-to-be RP's) that I'm a member of, since they will, in the long-run, require some pretty good use of the Na'vi language.

And by writing sentences... just anything that happens to come to mind at the spur of the moment, srak?

[Tsamsiyu92]

And by writing sentences... just anything that happens to come to mind at the spur of the moment, srak?

You see a new grammar rule, try it. You want to remember a word, use it. Just write what you want to write.

[Eyamsiyu]

*In the most stoned-out Californian accent possible*

Sweeet...

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

The challenge (and the opportunity) with this language is that there really is no structured way to learn it. In addition to what others have suggested, try and use Na`vi wherever you can. Another useful thing is to translate, and then memorize favorite little sayings, speeches, book or movie lines, Bible passages, whatever. In memorizing these items work on trying to get your pronunciation as good as you can, rather than just rote memorization.

The other thing is to participate in the language learning forums. Read read read! Post sentences. Ask questions. Suggest new words for the vocabulary. Follow new language introductions, etc.

We all learn at our own pace. For me, the challenges are having to fit learning around an extremely busy work and personal schedule. It is also the very first new language I am learning. And it probably will not be the last! (Kzinti (which really needs a lot of work) and Klingon are probably next).