Immersion through Study Abroad

• Total immersion in a language is the fastest way to learn a language, and the best way to be immersed is to study abroad in a country that speaks the language you are hoping to learn. Organizations such as AmeriSpan (amerispan.com) and the Institute for Spanish Language Studies (isls.com) offer ways to study Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country, though these programs can cost from around $1,000 to $3,000, depending on how long you choose to stay. Most programs last two to six weeks.
  
  

Immersion Courses in the United States

• Like studying abroad, immersion courses in the United States give the opportunity to be completely immersed in a language and take part in intensive academic study, though they do not include study in another country. Many of these programs are offered during the summer months and usually last about two to three months. Middlebury Language Schools in Vermont offers immersion summer programs in Spanish, as do Concordia Language Villages in Moorhead, Minn. Both programs ask participants to agree to speak only in the language they are learning for the program's duration, even during free time. Middlebury's Spanish program runs for seven weeks and costs around $8,000, as of May 2011, while Concordia's programs for adults generally run from a week to two weeks and can cost about $800 per week.
  
  

Listen to the Language

• Search on the Internet for music, films and reading materials in the language you are studying and try to spend time with material in another language for at least an hour a day. Omniglot's (omniglot.com/links/radio.htm) list of Spanish-language radio stations provides many online Spanish news and music links including Radio Nacionale de Espana (rtve.es/radio/) and Radio en Vivo (radiocentro.com/estaciones/).
  
  

Language Computer Programs and Websites

• One of the most well known language programs, Rosetta Stone, provides basic to advanced language study through visual and auditory learning. This program costs several hundred dollars. A free alternative is LiveMocha, a website that offers basic and intermediate courses free with advanced courses provided for a fee. LiveMocha's free service also allows you to connect with native Spanish speakers to have live language practice through video and chat.