Bonus: There has been some talk on the Internet about learning a foreign language in as little as three months. Have a look at this article:
How To Learn A Foreign Language In 3 Months

It gives some useful tips that you can apply to help you learn any language faster.

Here is a YouTube video from Benny Lewis, the person quoted in the above article:
TEDxSanAntonio – Benny Lewis – Fluent in Three Months – Rapid Language Hacking

The video is a bit long, about 18 minutes, but it also gives some tips for learning a new language.