New to Opera, have some questions

I think you could just let your interest develop. If not understanding the language becomes an issue you cannot come to terms with, you will likely lose interest & move on to something else. On the other hand, it is possible that the music may draw you in to the extent that you will be inspired to learn the language -more, the culture that inspired the opera in the first place. There is a potential for interest in opera on a number of different levels and it could be enormously rewarding to the right person.However, there is no reason why this should be the music for you. It is just another avenue, and its value is entirely relative and not absolute.

Ellery911 is right, it is better to see an opera than just listen to one. I got into opera via laserdisc, and I got hooked. Now have some on dvd, but find I never listen to my opera cd's anymore. If you want to try a gorgeous dvd, try the operetta "The Merry Widow", which was done at the San Francisco Opera house, and filmed by the BBC. Available at Towerrecords.com. This thing has fantastic costumes and sets, the music is also gorgeous, and I never get tired of watching this.!
Alan

Several members of my family were/are associated with the Metropolitan Opera in NY. as a result, I have been "exposed" to opera, but I would not consider myself a fan. That being said, I can suggest what I consider to be a very accessible opera as a way of easing into these types of works: Aaron Copeland's "The Tender Land". As far as I know, there is only one recording of the entire opera, and that is by the Minnesota Opera Chorus. It's a wonderful opera about a midwest farm family, music has that Copland-esqe American feeling. Bonus: It's in English!

For traditional European opera, some of the Mozart operas are easy on the ears (Magic Flute, Marriage of Figaro).

Female voices: Montserrat Cabal, Dorothy Kirsten, Callas

I totally hated opera until the Three Tenors Concert in 1990 was aired repeatedly on PBS in my area as part of a fundraising campaign. The quality of the performances and the camaraderie of the performers swayed me. It must have been a wonderful experience to witness it live.
Try that one, and I would strongly suggest Tosca, esp. the one with Placido Domingo and Hildergarde Behrens.
Enjoy.
Ray

Joan Sutherland ~ The Art of the Prima Donna. I purchased it based on a recommendation from this forum and I was not disappointed. You can sample some of the tracks on Amazon or try this link. It's not a complete Opera but the performance by Joan Sutherland is nothing short of spectacular.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000042EK/002-2237525-6829633?v=glance