[Cyclefrance]

Nothing beats immersing yourself in a country where they speak the language you want to learn.

Having said that, I was sent on a course at a language laboratory by my company to learn Spanish years back - they used a stylus and earphones method, so you picked up the accent and emphahsis for spoken words and used the electronic stylus to choose answers on a multiple choice revision test several times during each session. I was surprised how much stuck. Pretty basic stuff like maletas, montequilla, burro, nino, mujer, casa, mesa and so on, but enough to survive and then pick up extra when in situ.

Books are fine but you need something that is aural as well otherwise you don't learn pronunciation.