Some of the basic rules: Foreign language courses are way apart from other courses and you should never stall the proceedings. A foreign language course requires a minimum of 3 hours weekly and 15 minutes on a daily basis, so when you delay matters, you are doing nothing but inviting failure. Try and allocate all the spare time that you may have in pursuing the language but ensure that each session does not go one more than 45 minutes.
Fork out your whole study material into several manageable units. It is compulsory to attend regular classes to pass especially if you have taken the learning seriously. You could review your previous learning like the vocabulary - this would stand in good stead. Below are some suggestions to make the different parts of learning a foreign language easier and more successful.
Look up only those words which cannot even be guessed or determined based on context.
Read the language in small bits daily especially from the text book.
Speaking: Making mistakes is inevitable so listen to your friends in the class and start communicating. You can have a good practice of the foreign language if you speak out loudly to yourself, to others in the same class or with your dog or cat at home.
Noting it down: Know how to express yourself in writing everyday till it comes a part of you.
Try having a friend dictate some of the language to you while you write it down and then check what you have written for accuracy.
Some Assorted helps: Develop a Good Attitude, have reasons and goals for studying the foreign language. Ensure that you have set objectives and are clear about the paths which would take you there. {1.f you need help get it and do not be afraid to ask questions or ask for help for fear of sounding stupid, or being embarrassed.} 1.Never be scared or embarrassed to ask for help when you need it and ask questions when you do not understand something, because it is a natural process of learning {2.Get audio tapes of the language and listen to them or make you own tapes and listened to yourself in order to perfect your pronunciation.} 2.Get some audio tape made using the language or you could also record something and then listen to them as this would make your pronunciation perfect. 3.Try making colored flash cards for improving vocabulary where you use different colors for the different genders and categories of words like nouns, verbs, etc. 4.When you study in groups, you strike friendships with others who might be of help.