Language learning, incarnate

I have been thinking for some time now that I would like to learn a little Spanish. There are a number of Spanish-speaking immigrants in our community, and a Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist congregation meets in our sanctuary on Saturday morning. Some of the congregation members are fluent in English, but not all of them. It has piqued my language-learning curiosity.

When I first started thinking about learning Spanish, of course I went out and bought the prettiest, flashiest set of Spanish flash cards I could find. They are quite attractive, if I must say so myself. They haven't helped me learn any Spanish, but they are sitting right there in my office.

I have asked other people how to go about beginning to learn Spanish. I have gotten a variety of advice, including self-directed courses with tapes and CDs, online resources, and apps for an iPhone. I downloaded a free app that makes language learning into a sort of game.