To learn Spanish, one needs a lot of time, patience and enthusiasm (just like learning any other language, for that matter). Enthusiasm is needed for hanging on when things slow down. Patience is for the times when everything seems confusing. And time is definitely needed for language education.
What about people who want to learn Spanish fast?
As of today, there is no shortcut in learning Spanish fast enough.
The good news, however, is that there may be ways and means to speed up the process a bit on your own. The other news (not that bad, actually) is that this would need work and cooperation from your end.
For obvious reasons, the best and fastest way (and the most expensive, perhaps) is to spend enough time in a Spanish-speaking country. There you will have all the speaking and listening in Spanish all the time. You will eat, breathe, and do other things all in Spanish.
Short of that, the following are some random tips on how to get the best out of your Spanish lessons. It might just help make you learn the language faster than your friend.
Be an English teacher
Nowadays, it is not hard to find Spanish-speaking neighborhoods or neighborhoods with sizeable Spanish residents. From there, it will not take long to find some community centers that teach English.
Teaching English will give you all the chances to hear Spanish spoken. You will have all the chances, too, of actually conversing in Spanish to those with real difficulties in the English language. The education is reciprocal and your immersion in the language is total and complete.
Spanish music
There are so many fantastic Spanish singers you may not have discovered. Aside from immersing yourself with the Latin temperament, you will also get first-class lessons in pronunciation (and grammar, too.)
In singing, the words are slowed down and you learn how words are truly said in an authentic way. Spanish music is among the worlds finest. Julio Iglesias, Eydie Gorme, and Ricky Martin are some artists that come to mind.
Reading, radio and TV
Reading Spanish is good for beginners who are still coping with the confusing fast flow of words in spoken Spanish. There are a lot of Spanish newspapers online you can open and read. List down words you dont understand and do your homework by looking them up.
Take time out to listen to some Spanish radio stations or to watch Spanish TV shows on cable. This way you can also learn how native speakers enunciate, stress, inflect, and do all kinds of speech gymnastics with the language. It can do well if you can imitate aloud how they do it.
If you are into books, read those Spanish classics (and some excellent contemporary Spanish) in the original. One tip: always have with you a good, medium-sized dictionary while reading. Use it in times when words really stump you. However, a words meaning can sometimes be deduced through how it is used in a sentence.
Learning Spanish can be accelerated in so many ways. The only devices to use, actually, are your enthusiasm and diligence.