Although I took two years of Spanish in high school and made mostly A's, I am only capable of understanding a word every now and then and only remember a few words and phrases. Being able to speak and understand another language is something I have always wanted to do. When we traveled to Paris a few years ago, I learned just enough French to tell the wait staff that I didn't like seafood. One disbelieving chef actually emerged from the kitchen with an entire uncooked fish and promised he could cook it to my liking. I'm not sure my French was all that good.
If you want to learn to speak French, you can find free software downloads along with a French word of the day at transparent.com. The site has software for 105 languages, and I must admit that I haven't even heard of some of them. Each language has a variety of free resources available along with inexpensive software that you can also purchase to keep the challenges coming. Products can be chosen by age and experience level. Kids will also love some of the free online games.
The learning process on this site focuses on learning real life words and meaningful phrases spoken by native speakers and using these as spring boards to even greater understanding and comprehension. The learner really gets a feel for the language through a variety of listening and speaking activities. So, if you want to learn to speak Italian, you can work at your own speed while learning a wonderful new language. The Transparent Language International Cafe even gives you a chance to order from a menu in Italian and four other languages. After ordering, the waiter returns with your meal so you can see what you ordered and determine if you need a little more practice learning the language.
Students might enjoy the free word a day feature available for some of the languages. It is really cool because you hear the words pronounced and also written in the chosen language as well as in English. Students could include words from other languages in their stories and compositions to add a little flair to their writing.
With technology, it has become easier to learn another language and also, a lot more fun. If you want to learn to speak Spanish, or another language, it's possible to download free software, take quizzes, play online games, or pick inexpensive software that meets your budget. There is also a delightful Spanish blog on transparent.com that even has a post on food vocabulary. The blog nicely combines English and Spanish in a way that makes you just want to learn more.