Learning a language is a little like jogging or exercising.  If you want to get any real benefit from it, you have to do it on a regular basis.  Too many people believe that if they show up every week for their language class, it will, by mere proximity, soak into them.

When you start to study a language, make sure you are clear about what you expect to learn and what effort you can afford to put into it. You don’t expect to be a fluent speaker just by showing up in class, but if you are able to budget adequate time for each lesson, do follow up exercises, and find other ways to immerse yourself in the language, you will have great success in gaining some fluency.

Whether you are studying independently with books and tapes or you are attending a language course, you have to consistently work on each new block of knowledge you acquire. Ideally, you should read the chapter and listen to the tape a number of times before you move onto the next lesson. In the class setting, don’t just drop your books on the desk when you get home and then pick them up next week before the class. Each class lesson should be followed with review, vocabulary building, practice with sentence formation and practice with pronunciation on your own time.  

To retain the language even more consistently, “double up” your reviews.  Once you feel you have mastered a chapter or lesson, move on to the next one. However, take the time periodically, weekly if possible, to go back over the old chapters and make sure all of the information has been retained.  In addition to helping you with the retention, it will form a stronger basis for future lessons and make them easier to learn.

Once your language class is over, you should make it a habit to apply your new found knowledge as much as possible by reading, speaking and listening to the new language.  If you really want to become fluent, continue your studies.  This can be done in many ways. If the class you took was a basic adult school course, perhaps there is an intermediate one available.  Or you can “graduate” yourself to a college course as an audit (non-matriculating) student at a local college or university.  Finally, you can pursue private lessons that address the exact level you are at and help you achieve further fluency.

If you treat the new language as a life-long learning experience and consistently find ways to use it and apply it, you will become more and more fluent as each day passes.