I have studied many years of Spanish and am still far from fluent. Many people tell me I have to go and live in a Spanish speaking country for some time to become fully fluent in the language. This is true to the fact that becoming an expert in anything not only takes time and perseverance, but the ability to be consistent in your abilities; use it or lost it.
I have never tried the popular Rosetta Stone, the price just throws me off. With the capabilities of today’s internet, anything is possible. Last year as I was looking online for a free way to learn Portuguese, I ran across this amazing site full of language courses developed by the Foreign Service Institute. The courses are available online free to the public thanks to the work of some incredible people, not associated with any government, who just want others to learn! FOR FREE!
Check it out:
http://www.fsi-language-courses.org
Enjoy!
-Joe