There are several different types of cassette tapes that you can use to learn Spanish. Decide if you would like to use cassette tapes in conjunction with a course, or cassette tapes that come with workbooks. You also might decide to use cassette tapes that stand alone. When you use those that come with a course, or those that use a workbook be prepared to take the course or buy the workbook. There are other types of cassette tapes that you can use, such as those that your friends make for you with simple vocabulary on it, or even cassette tapes of stories that are read in Spanish. As long as the cassette is in Spanish, it is going to help you learn.
Many teachers use a brand of cassette tapes with their instruction. These are meant as a supplemental form of instruction. When you take a class that has cassette tapes, the teacher will instruct you as to when to listen, which parts to listen to, and what to do with what you learn. However, you can still use these cassette tapes on your own. Even if you aren't going through the class, you can listen to the tapes and repeat what they are saying. Even a little bit of work will help you brush up on your skills.
Many Spanish cassette tapes are sold along with workbooks. The goal of these types of tapes is for you to listen to the cassette at the same time you are working in the book. You often will be asked to identify what is said, or to fill in the blanks when it comes to the words that are spoken. Although the cassette tapes are in Spanish, and although listening to them will give you exposure to the Spanish language, the tapes aren't going to be much good for you without the workbooks.
Stand-alone cassette tapes are a good choice if you are not going to be taking a class, and if you are not going to be working in a workbook. These are tapes that you can listen to in your car, at home or while you are walking. Stand-alone cassette tapes work with repetition. The tapes will ask you to repeat phrases and will give you instruction as to how to pronounce certain words. Tapes also will give you vocabulary to practice. Many travelers choose these tapes. Although these tapes are good for pronunciation and vocabulary, they do not contain any instruction when it comes to writing in Spanish.
While using Spanish cassette tapes, you can expect to pick up the language at a pace that mirrors your own ability to learn a different language. Stand-alone cassette tapes can teach you many vocabulary words in a short amount of time, such as a couple of weeks. Tapes combined with courses take longer, up to four or five months, but can teach you much more. Tapes used in conjunction with workbooks can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on how quickly you go through them. The workbooks allow you to learn more about writing and vocabulary than the stand-alone cassette tapes.