Learning Spanish

Congratulations on your decision to learn Spanish. The following description of the Spanish language is taken from Wikipedia, which you can access at your convenience.

There are approximately 483 million native Spanish speakers, making it the second-most spoken native language after Mandarin. It is the fourth most frequently spoken language, once you take into consideration non-native speakers (after English, Mandarin, and Hindi). It is the third most commonly used language on the internet after English and Mandarin.

The United States has approximately 41 million native Spanish speakers, ranking fifth among countries with the most native speakers (after Mexico, Colombia, Spain, and Argentina). 

Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn for several reasons.  First and foremost is that pronunciation rules are relatively easy and straightforward. Pronunciation can usually be determined by the spelling. The most difficult aspect of the language are the verbs. Verbs are heavily conjugated and there are 14 tenses (although one can get by with knowing just a handful)_. Many of the common verbs are irregular. The amazing thing is that the vast majority of the tenses are used in every day Spanish, but you only really need a handful to get by.

As you learn Spanish, the two most important things are repetition and have fun...listen to the music, learn some of the jokes, read the newspaper, or watch a Spanish telenovela.  You'll begin to enjoy the many avenues that a little bit of Spanish opens.