First of all, check out Margarita Madrigal’s Spanish book from your library, and start plugging away. I’ve tried Rosetta Stone, and it got two thumbs way, way down from me. If you are starting at ground zero, check out La Clase Divertada-I forget the website, but they have three levels of exposure programs for kids, and also offer online classes via webcam where you can interact with the teacher if you’re an older student. Also, check out “learning spanish like crazy.” If you are an auditory learner it will help a lot, and will give you good insights into what some of the cultural differences are in Latin America compared to the US. (It also has a portion that covers obscenities-definitely a must know if you’re an adult traveling abroad.)