It's like any other skill, it takes practice and patience; most of all, an actual interest in and a desire to learn a language is necessary.
I learned French up to Standard Grade level and regret not taking it further. In my case I couldn't fit it around the other subjects I wanted to do for Highers. My skills would be very rusty if I visited France now, but I'd like to think that I would have retained the basics. I believe that kids start learning other languages much earlier these days; my niece started quite early on in primary school, for example.
It's entirely possible for kids to be fluent in more than one language without learning another at school, either by being exposed to indigenous languages from this country, or by having immigrant family members whose first language is not English.
Sadly, too many people think it's unnecessary to learn foreign languages because they expect to be able to speak English when (if) they go abroad. Not bothering to learn even basic phrases in the language of a country you're visiting is incredibly arrogant, in my opinion. Knowing bits of other languages can be incredibly useful, even if you don't intend to go abroad.
I intend to start brushing up on my French soon, and I'm considering getting to know some basic German soon. It has never been easier with the wide array of apps available, and there's plenty of foreign language media around too -'just have a look at the Walter Presents collection on All4 for starters.
