As you might expect, when you're learning Spanish it's important to learn how to both read and write in the language.  Consequently, when you're choosing how to go about studying the language, be sure that your study method involves both of these components.  If you begin your studies with home study courses, be sure it includes tapes that demonstrate how to pronounce the words correctly.  If you choose an online course, remember to practice writing the language by hand.   

Vocabulary and Grammar

Just like any other language, you'll need to develop your Spanish vocabulary and grammar skills.  Fortunately - with few exceptions - the Spanish language uses the same alphabet as English.  However, even though both English and Spanish are derived from Latin roots, the vocabulary and phrases found in each language can be fairly different.  While there are some analogous terms, you'll find you need to learn a whole new set of words for most instances.

You'll also find that the grammar rules of Spanish are very different.  Among other things, when you use verbs in a sentence, they're conjugated based on the subject of the sentence, as well as when the events communicated in sentence occurred.  And even though the verb suffixes are very predictable, it can be difficult to determine which one to use in which situation.  However, if you're planning to spend a lot of time in a Spanish-speaking area, it's to your advantage to focus on these terms.

Practice Online

When you're learning to read in Spanish, you can use a wide array of online resources.  You can find newspapers, chat rooms, and even entire books written in Spanish.  If you're interested in a particular region, you can even subscribe to media content from those specific areas.  This will give you a better idea about the culture of each region and help you to read Spanish with more proficiency. 

You can also join a number of online groups where individuals speak only Spanish.  This will give you a tremendous opportunity to see how Spanish is used in conversations, as well as learn the local flavor of specific dialects.  Without a question, conventional language aids can teach you the main points of a language, but they won't be able to teach you the nuances of someone that speaks fluently like these resources.

Keep a Journal

Over the years, journals have proven indispensable for learning new languages.  Journals give you the freedom to express yourself in your new language and experiment with different thoguhts and ideas.  Because your journal is private, you'll be able to relax as you write, which will help you feel more comfortable reading and writing in Spanish. 

When you begin learning Spanish, you'll quickly come to appreciate the consistent grammatical structure of the language.  Aside from making it very easy to identify verbs, it often makes it easier for you to convey a number of different meanings with fewer words than you need in English.  However, you'll still need to learn a sizeable amount of vocabulary and learn how words fit together in sentences.  It's also important to practice your writing and comprehension skills as much as possible in order to develop the level of Spanish fluency you desire.