If you have a need or desire to learn a second language, your first thought might be, “I know I can do this, but where will I find the time?” Good question. Learning (or re-learning) a new language is tough enough when you’re a full time student and you’ve got time, resources and flexibility.

If you’re an adult, however, with a full roster of professional and personal commitments, the prospect can be even more daunting. In order to really learn a language like Spanish, and then use it effectively in on a regular basis, our minds need to absorb and then utilize what we’ve learned.

Traditional methods like classroom learning are effective, but time consuming with a commitment to onsite attendance. Thanks to technology, some newer software based alternatives like Rosetta Stone have proven to be successful, and are widely used. One drawback to these is typically expense and use of a specific method.

Recently, I’ve looked into language learning options, and have discovered that some flexible, inexpensive new approaches are available. For example, companies like 123TeachMe (www.123teachme.com) and News in Slow Spanish (www.newsinslowspanish.com) have introduced web-based solutions that have some big advantages.

123TeachMe has a nicely organized, graphic website design that’s instinctively appealing and “feels” friendly – particularly to younger learners. While I found its content and navigation easy to find and use, 123TeachMe seems to be primarily geared toward beginners and intermediates.

The News in Slow Spanish website is more utilitarian, but their learning program provides some features and options that appeal to me as an adult business professional. For one thing, News in Slow Spanish provides free access to relevant, serious news content – which I found beneficial for a few reasons.

As I began to re-acquaint myself with the Spanish language, listening to world developments in Spanish proved to be a very effective way for me to test comprehension level at “game speed”. Its one thing to absorb a new language at a slow, predictable pace – but quite another to digest headlines and weather forecasts from a live radio broadcast. Also, the content and context of what I’m listening to are much more relevant to my daily usage.

123TeachMe and News in Slow Spanish both provide another really useful feature - the option to download audio flashcards. This proved handy, as I was able to access selected content wherever and whenever I chose – and as often as I wanted to.

In summary, I like aspects of both 123TeachMe and News in Slow Spanish – but I love the flexibility and low cost that each offers. If you’re looking for an effective way to learn Spanish and doesn’t require a big commitment of time or money – you won’t go wrong with either of these great solutions.

The author is a student, with a keen interest in languages, learning Spanish on his own .