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One important thing to remember when you start to learn Spanish online, is to realize what fast or quick actually means. People tackle language learning at different rates, and what might take years for one person to learn may only take an hour for another. Since life is not fair in this respect, it is easy for you to get discouraged and disappointed rather fast. Avoid setting yourself up for failure by making a goal before you start.
Since setting up a goal is probably the most important part of learning Spanish, you must take this seriously. It would be very unrealistic to think that you could be holding long complicated conversations in a few weeks. It just will not happen. What you should do is to take a look at the situation that you will be in and see what parts of the language you will be needing to use.
For example, it all you are doing is going on a nice relaxing vacation in a Spanish speaking country, then you should concentrate on vocabulary related to things having to do with hotels, restaurants, car rentals, bank machines, directions and tourist spots.
If you are suddenly in a situation where you are moving on a long term basis to a foreign country such as Mexico with very little notice, then you will want to focus on all of the above, plus things having to do with grocery stores, opening up bank accounts, situations having to do with immigration and local customs.
The reason for this is that it is impossible to learn everything in one shot. What works is to concentrate on a basis of things you will need right away, and then focus on building on that basis slowly. It is easier the longer you are in the Spanish speaking country as total immersion comes into play. Spanish phrase books can be a big help while you are there, so do not be afraid to use them. Remember that your goal is to make sure you are understood. It doesn't have to be scholastically correct Spanish.
One other language learning technique that you can use is to start reading and watching movies in Spanish. The best way to do it is to by a Spanish version of your favorite magazine and just start reading it. Do not make the mistake of having the dictionary next to it. This is the worst thing you could possibly do. Your goal with this is to try and recognize enough key words that you can figure out the basic idea of the story. You can keep note of vocabulary that is new but after you are done reading, then write them down on a list and every few days or so, look them up.
The final word is that you can learn Spanish fast online by knowing ahead of time what you realistically can accomplish.
Good luck!