Compose a list of vocabulary words to learn, starting with greetings, introductions and goodbyes. Learning these first lets you participate in a simple conversation. The sooner you begin to practice conversations, the faster you pick up the language. Try conversations like the following:
"Buenos dias. ¿Cómo está usted?" ("Good day. How are you?")
"Estoy bien, gracias. Y Usted?" ("Very good, thank you. And you?")
"Estoy bien tambien. Gracias." ("I'm good too, thank you.")
Take advantage of free trials of language programs such as Rosetta Stone and Mango Languages. These highly rated programs give basic lessons for free and include audio recordings, sample written conversations, and voice comparisons to check pronunciation and inflection. You will need a microphone to check pronunciation.
Convince a partner to study with you. Have them take part in simulated conversations that target the vocabulary you wish to study.
Find more material at language Web sites such as IELanguages and the BBC's Spanish Quick Fix. Practice weekly, adding 10 to 20 new words at a time. Pay special attention to special pronunciations and unique grammar structures. For instance, the characters "ll" when placed together signifies a "y" consonant. Spanish nouns are either masculine, denoted as "el <noun>" or feminine, referred to as "la <noun>."
Watch and listen to Spanish-speaking media to learn intonation and inflection. Spanish shows for children use simpler vocabulary that is easier to pick up. Pause and repeat after the recordings periodically until you have them memorized.