Advice on learning Spanish

Dear Gabacho,

I've tried to learn Spanish many times, took high school Spanish, adult continuing education, Spanish CD's in my car, but I still can't SPEAK Spanish. Any advice?

Frustrada in Francisco

Querida Frustrada,
You have already overcome the most difficult obstacle...tener la ganas...you genuinely want to learn. There is a growing trend in this country to learn passively. Sit in a class, listen to a CD, pay money for some program and you will learn. Unfortunately, learning a language requires active participation and is a social experience. I have two simple and inexpensive tips. Go to your local used book store and buy an old Spanish textbook for a few bucks. Read and study this text because everything you need is in there. If you don't have the motivation to actively engage your brain for a few minutes a day, then you may not have what it takes to learn a new language. Next, find yourself an intercambio. This will be a person that speaks Spanish that wants to learn English. There is no shortage of these people, te lo aseguro. You can ask a Spanish speaker with whom you work, hang a flyer at a Spanish speaking church or a hotel where Spanish speakers work, your local grocery, etc. Then get together with your new cuate and teach eachother your respective languages. Nobody said learning a language was easy or comfortable, pero hay que quitarse la verguenza. Set goals and put it on your calendar. In a year from now, will you still be the same monolingual gabacha that you are now?