Stilton: The best way is to go to a non english speaking country and refuse to speak anything but the native language. Embarrassing and awkward to begin with, but you're supposed to pick it up fairly rapidly if you want to eat and find the toilet. It makes sense. Other than that its just down to repetition, doing it over and over until you have the rudiments and then go from there.
gallahad2000: I find the best way is to go to any country that isn't America and talk slowly in a loud voice until everyone there leans American. /jk
I am slowly learning Spanish (my gf is fluent).
Sorry to all about not getting a copy of Tiny and Big, just grabbed it from the HB.
I swear I'll never be able to do that rrrrrrrrrrrr.