Learning to speak a second language using software is a hot trend right now. It's the perfect way to pick up conversational skills quickly and for not a ton of money. Whether you want to learn to speak Spanish for a vacation destination, business, or maybe as a hobby, learn to speak Spanish software is probably the simplest way to do it.

Before you rush out to purchase just any Spanish lesson software there are a few things you should know about. Not everyone learns to speak the same way, and different programs have different features. In this article we'll cover four areas of learn to speak Spanish software that are important to know about before you buy.

Video Lessons or Audio Lessons

The first thing to consider with any Spanish software is the teaching method used. Most programs are either video or audio based. I like using videos to learn, how ever you might prefer listening to audio lessons while you're on the go.

A good audio Spanish learning program will supplement the audio lessons with computer based games, quizzes, and exercises to help with vocabulary, grammar, and writing.

If you think you'd prefer video Spanish lessons it is going to cost a few more dollars but it's similar to having a personal tutor right in the room with you. The videos teach more in a shorter period of time, and it's not just conversational Spanish but also writing, pronunciation, and more.

Important Phrases or Vocabulary Memorization

If you took Spanish in grade school then you're familiar with the memorization concept. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't work very well. Sure it teaches you lots of words, but that doesn't mean you can form meaningful sentences.

If you want to be a good conversational Spanish speaker in native countries then knowing 1000 different words isn't going to help. Knowing how to ask everyday questions, and converse with every day phrases is better. I'd opt for a piece of Spanish learning software that's emphasis is learning phrases rather then just building a huge vocabulary via memorization.

Pronunciation through Speech Recognition

This feature isn't offered in all programs but it really is the cats meow if you want to speak authentic Spanish. High end learn to speak Spanish software like Tell Me More Spanish will record you speaking Spanish via a microphone and then critique your quality of pronunciation.

This is the equivalent of having a native Spanish speaker evaluating your progress along the way.

Lesson Plan and Feedback

Something that potential Spanish learners often don't think about is the structure learn to speak Spanish software uses when you learn. A good program will provide an easy to follow lesson guide that says do lesson one, then two and so on. This way you're sure to learn things in the proper order.

If you decide to go for a program that has lots of great content, but doesn't do a great job at ordering it then you might spend a lot of time playing games, learning vocabulary etc. yet feel like you're really not learning to speak the language.