That's why the self study courses became very popular, because you control your time and you decide when to study. Here are a few tips to help you learn Spanish on your own.
Invest in a Spanish Course
Spanish courses can come in all shapes and sizes. From written books, online tutorials, audio CD's, to Spanish language audio/video software with speech-recognition technology that monitors your pronunciation. So, this is given. You need some kind of a guide to teach you the theory behind the language.
Invest in a good Spanish/English dictionary
Regardless of how good of a memory you have, you will still need the help of a Spanish/English dictionary. Not everything can be remembered at once. Free dictionaries in form of software are available online, but if you have no access to the Internet at all time, you would often run into frustrating moments. So, go to your local bookstore and get a good Spanish/English dictionary. While learning the language or reading something in Spanish, your dictionary would always be there to find the meanings of unfamiliar words.
Read Spanish books, magazines, websites...
You would certainly speed up your learning process when you read Spanish books, magazines, websites and other written material. It's a great way to build your vocabulary and beef up your Spanish skill.
Watch Spanish television or movies
If you don't have access to a Spanish television, watching Spanish movies would do it. Watching Spanish language television or movies is an excellent way to improve your listening and comprehension skills.
Try to find native Spanish speakers
This is the most efficient way of learning any language. It's a whole lot easier to learn Spanish if you speak Spanish on a regular basis with native Spanish speakers. They will probably laugh at your mistakes, but also correct you at the same time.
Get a native Spanish Pen Pal
There are plenty of web sites out there that help you find pen pals from other countries. To mention one, http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/penpals.asp let you browse for pen pals in foreign countries and practice writing their language. You may even be able to voice chat with your pen friend. This is a fantastic way if you can't find native Spanish speaking people in your town.
Listen to Spanish CD's in your car
Most people in the developed countries spend a great deal of their time driving a car. Instead of listening to the radio or music CD's, pop a CD with Spanish lessons and spend your driving time learning Spanish. Even if you don't spend a lot of time driving, you can still do it while working around the house, or jogging, or while at work. In today's busy lives, every minute you can invest in learning Spanish is a minute well spent.
Make flash cards while studying at home
Write anything you're learning at the time on small cards and review them when you're waiting in line at the grocery store, when you’re taking a lunch break at work, or right before you go to bed at night. Again, every minute you can invest in learning Spanish is a minute well spent.
Immerse yourself in the language
Label everything in your home with sticky notes in Spanish. You can also do this in your car or at your work. The more you see the name and repeat it, the faster you learn it and memorize it.
When would you consider yourself a good Spanish speaker?
When you start thinking in Spanish rather than your primary language.