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Luckily for you, there are several options for learning a language.

* You could buy a foreign-language course at your local bookstore. Some come with audiocassettes or CDs, such as the Living Language series listed at $22.50. While books and cassettes cannot offer the personal interaction of a language class, they do allow you to progress at a pace you choose.

* You could enroll in a foreign-language class at a local community college, such as Pierce College (818) 347-0551, Valley College (818) 781-1200 or Glendale Community College (818) 240-1000. Beginning conversation classes usually meet an hour a day, five days a week. Plan on spending about $100 a semester for books and fees. Your choices are usually limited to the most popular languages--Spanish, French, German and Italian.

* You could enroll in a private language school such as Berlitz, 6300 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills, (818) 999-1870. Berlitz says it offers instruction in just about any language and can tailor a learning program to fit your needs and proficiency level. That might include classwork, private instruction and possibly a total immersion course where students work eight hours a day six days straight. Prices start at $199 for a four-week class that meets three hours a week (usually two 90-minute sessions). Maximum class size is five students.

* You could study the language in the country where it’s spoken. A Web site--www.studyabroadlinks.com--might be the place to start. Programs listed on the site range from a full university program in a city such as Beijing or Milan costing upward of $8,000 a semester to a small language school in Costa Rica that offers a one-week program for about $320. Air fare is not included.