If you're considering acquiring a new set of skills, you might want also to consider your learning style.  In other words - how do you best learn? What helps / hinders your ability to learn new material?

No doubt you have had an experience, be it positive or negative, in which you were quickly able to say, "It was so easy (impossible) to learn from that person / that environment".  Beneath this statement lies a fundamental truth about yourself and your individual learning style.  While a presenter's skills influence our ability to learn, equally important is whether or not the presentation style suits our learning style.  To learn more about learning styles and take a quick questionnaire to help you determine your learning style go to http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire.