If you want to learn how to speak fluent Spanish, you need to work with someone who is already fluent in Spanish, preferably a native speaker. This helps ensure both correct word pronunciation and correct word usage. One of the best ways to learn Spanish is to totally immerse yourself in the language. But that option isn’t always available to everyone. It’s not like everyone can just take a vacation in Mexico at the drop of a hat.

And many people don’t know any native Spanish speakers who can teach them. So how can you, as an adult, learn to speak Spanish fluently?

Just as a child learns to speak by hearing language as a baby and a toddler and then experiments with making sounds, adults also learn new languages by hearing them aloud. It is impossible to learn to speak Spanish fluently - or any other language for that matter - without hearing someone else speak it.

If you decide you want to "teach yourself" how to learn Spanish, books can be very helpful - especially if they provide visuals to help you make that mental connection between an image and a word such as pictures with both the English and Spanish word printed beneath them. An English to Spanish dictionary will also likely come in handy at times. But to truly learn to speak Spanish fluently if you don’t know someone personally who can teach you. You need to select a program with lots of audio tracks or resources. Most people learn best through a combination of seeing, reading, and hearing.

Learning is also easiest and most effective when it is fun - regardless of your age. A program that helps you learn Spanish with lively graphics and games will retain your interest and attention much longer than trying to learn from a dull, dry audiotape. Anything that is truly interactive that stimulates and engages your brain on multiple levels shortens the learning curve and helps you retain what you learn - both short and long term. And since most people also learn best by "doing" - working with an interactive program helps complete the learning circuit, as well.

Interactive learning also helps people learn faster. An adult can become proficient in a new language within weeks - and even learn fluent Spanish within the space of a month or two when he or she focuses on the goal and selects a program to help him or her learn Spanish in a fun, multi-faceted, three-dimensional manner.