While there is nothing out there that can take the place of a language class with a teacher to help you learn, I discovered there is a great alternative for people on the go who just don't have time for a class. I found Pimsleur language tapes to be extremely useful.
I have only gone through the first level, but I did find the tapes really helped me with the stuff that I would want to know when on vacation. There was a lot of focus on pronunciation. It will require you to speak out loud, so all you really need is a place where you can do that. You are not supposed to do it for more than a half hour a day, so you can do it in the car or while you are getting ready in the morning. It is just learning made easy and a half hour a day is very manageable. Again, I will say that there is no substitute for having a real live teacher, but if time is something you just don’t have, Pimsleur is a fantastic tool. The CD's are also available at many libraries.
