Language Learning Inspiration

Probably nothing enhances a foreign vacation more than the ability to communicate with the natives in their own language (OK, maybe tons of money would, but let's be realistic.) Learning languages is work, but it can also be fun with the right attitude.
The thing about languages is that they are objective--French or Russian or Mandarin don't care whether you find them impossible, with strange sounds, strange alphabets or enormously complex grammar. Even if you think you know a language well,if for example you studied it in school for several years, if people can't understand you it doesn't do you much good when you are travelling.
There is a Website run by a young Irish man named Benny who is fascinated by learning languages and claims he can become fluent in three months, which is the title of the Website, www.fluentin3months.com. It's a complicated site with various forums, a blog and a lot of helpful suggestions. For example, if you want to learn a certain language, register with www.couchsurfing.com and accept guests only from the country of your desired language, then arrange with them to speak to you only in that language. Benny claims to have done this a number of times with no bad experiences.
There is no need to pay high fees for formal langauge training, according to Benny (though that cannot hurt.) With enough motivation, it is possible to learn a lot of languages in a relatively short period of time, and without spending a lot of cash.