Dos cerveza por favor. If you know what that means you have probably vacationed in a Spanish-speaking country that had sandy beaches and nice hot weather. Or maybe you're the person who enjoys going south for the winter and spending some time in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central or South America. Even if you have never had to order a beer in Spanish on a hot day or if you have never visited a Spanish-speaking country, most of us recognize the familiar Spanish phrase "Dos cerveza por favor". You don't realize it yet, but this Spanish phrase is the corner stone on which your desire to learn to speak Spanish fluently will become realized.

Who doesn't like the sand and surf? Summer is quickly approaching and there is enough time to learn Spanish rapidly so that you can take your Spanish experience to the next level, that is, you can go beyond the confines of the resort or your hotel, and enjoy some independence and freedom. At this level, you'll be able to communicate with the locals and by doing so; you will increase your chances of meeting and establishing lifelong friendships with the Spanish-natives. You will be able to share your culture with them and visa versa, to further build and solidify a mutual respect for each other's culture. Your feelings of isolation and existence as part of the tourist "herd" will be a thing of the past. You will be more independent and be the go to "Guy or Gal" for the other English-speaking tourists when they are in need of extra assistance. Your social life will increase, as you will be able to equally interact with the tourists and the locals.

Life and ignorance is not always bliss and as Murphy's Law states, "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" and it can happen anytime, anyplace and anywhere. Knowing how to speak fluent Spanish puts you at an advantage when traveling or living abroad, and you will be less likely to be taken advantage of due to either your lack of speaking Spanish, or your limited "dos cerveza por favor" means of communication. One of the things that frustrated me the most when I was traveling in Mexico, for example, was the fact that I felt less secure when I couldn't express or communicate effectively if something went wrong. The media often reminds us of the fact that strange things can happen to anyone when you are living or vacationing in a foreign country. Thus, having a proficiency or solid grasp of the local language can protect you from certain situations and can better equip you to handle out-of-the-ordinary situations we sometimes find ourselves in when living or vacationing abroad.

One of the first things to do is to find an excellent Spanish course that will enable you to learn to speak Spanish fluently or enough to be able to converse and communicate at a functional level. You have to find a course that best fits your learning style and needs. Does the course/school have a good reputation? Is the material taught in a way that you can grasp it easily? Do you have access to extra help or assistance with support groups or forums? Are there sufficient resources for you to use? Is it affordable? These are some checkpoints on your checklist to help you make the right choice.

As you learn fluent Spanish, I would recommend that you focus your energy on learning as much relevant cultural and social etiquette information about the country that you will be going to. You will be more alert and aware of what's going on around you and this will keep you out of trouble the smart way. With the right course to learn to speak fluent Spanish, you will graduate from "dos cerveza por favor" to "una botella de vino tinto" and be able to quickly learn Spanish so that you can spice up your travels and/or stay as an expatriate in any Spanish-speaking country. It will be worth the time and effort that you put into this rewarding activity.