I have been learning Spanish on and off for the past 6 years and along the way I have spent too much money on more occasions than I care to remember.  In my search for the best Spanish language programme I have found some great courses and others not so good.  For me, a good course allows me to work at my own pace, to review what I have learned and the least amount of grammar books to look at as possible.

I have found there are very good beginners learn Spanish courses available which do not cost the earth and over deliver.  My very first find was Michel Thomas who has such a unique way of teaching Spanish to students.  With Michel Thomas courses the student is listening in to him teaching two people the language from the bare basics to advanced.  It is highly insightful as the students' mistakes are on the recordings which allows you to mark your own progress.  

Another favourite of mine is Tell Me More Spanish.  It is slightly more expensive however it is jam packed with goodies to get you speaking Spanish.  One of the impressive parts of this course is the use of speech recognition technology which is fantastic for getting pronunciation just right.  The software also allows the student to learn at their own pace and choose which activities (there are many) they wish to participate in.  

When looking for the best Spanish language programme for you, be clear with what you want to achieve and how much time you have.  Will you be committed to a long term course of study or will you be a complete beginner with no knowledge of Spanish at all.  Either way, a good learn Spanish programme is out there for you

Many companies offer free trial lessons direct from their websites or weekly or daily short lessons for which you sign up for.  Both of these approaches give an indication of what the course(s) will have to offer the student and whether it feels right.

If finances are an issue, as is for many people right now then have a look for the best Spanish language programme offered free online as there are many.  Although they will only take you to a certain level it can give a good indication of how much Spanish is actually known and indicates where room for improvement lies.

Good luck and happy searching.