We have had some funny experiences when trying to get to grips with the Spanish language over the years. One of the most memorable moments was when Tony went to the Accident and Emergency department of our local hospital when his ankle had swollen to nearly double it's normal size.
It was a Sunday morning and it was fairly quiet when we arrived. We didn't have to wait long before we were called in to see the doctor. When asked what the problem was, Tony told him that he had a problem with his "tornillo". He felt quite pleased with himself at being able to explain in Spanish what the problem was (the doctor spoke no English at all). The doctor looked rather puzzled and we then realised that maybe he hadn't got quite the right word so Tony pointed to his ankle. The doctor smiled and then told him it was his "tobillo"-what Tony had said was that he had a problem with his "screw"! We made a quick exit after Tony got his treatment and we vowed that if we ever had to go back, we'd take a dictionary with us!
One of the main problems I have found is pronouncing the long words-after 5 1/2 years I can now manage to say "ayuntamiento" ("town hall") with very little effort but still have problems with "mantenimiento" (maintenance). I found the trick is to break the word down bit by bit e.g man-ten-im-i-ento-you may find the natives look at you a bit strangely but at least you're trying! The main thing we have found is that if you try to speak Spanish, people are very willing to help you and will often correct you so that you know what to say in future.
The best way of learning the language is to get out and mix with the local people. You pick up lots of phrases that perhaps you wouldn't have learnt through a school or in books or courses that you pay for. Nothing is more empowering than being able to hold a proper conversation with your neighbour in their language.
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