Hi,
I'm French and I can speak English, Spanish and German flently.
I used Rosetta Stone to learn Spanish.
But travelling was the best way for me to learn foreign languages.
Probably because I love travelling, I'm now a qualified French teacher. I know how hard it can be to learn a foreign language. I remember.
I got a job in Mexico. Couldn't speak Spanish at all. But I had to open a bank account, look for a flat, talk to the landlord...make friends!
It was really hard at the beginning.
Especially because I didn't really know how to learn Spanish on my own.
Classes, private tutoring, software, textbook, TV, songs... I tried everything until I understand how I learned best.
That's the main thing. Your learning profile. If your visual, mathematical/logical, linguistic, tactile or more auditory.
Which are your strongest intelligences?
What senses do you prefer to use as you learn?
I found I was more visual than auditory. So it was good in this way to learn Spanish with Rosetta Stone - and it worked (for me).
I'm more linguistic than mathematical. Need detailed explanations for grammar purposes instead of only pattern. In this way, Rosetta wasn't great. I had to buy a grammar book to understand.
I think Rosetta Stone is still very expensive. What are you looking for? There are a few websites with free French lessons.
Now I'm trying to help people learning French online for free(LearnFrenchLab.com) because I missed it in Mexico (and I love building my website!).
Of course, the best option is to travel and live in the language.
Unfortunately, it's not always possible.
Find your way!
And enjoy!