我是07年05月份到中国的，那时候我一句中文都不会说。 头一年， 我的大部份时间都用教英语，和埋头学习中文。现在我还是当英文老师但是我能用中文唱歌，写歌词, 等等。
我对学外语的人有五个建议：

1。 写
    写作进步与口语进步互相依靠。无论你的英文多么差， 你还是要写你知道的语言， 写信， 写日记，写简单的文章。开始的时候你会需要词典， 但是如果你先写再背，你就会记住生词。
我们在日记里写对我们最重要， 最难忘的事情， 所以如果我们用一门外语写日记就会把日记里的语言记住。

2。 开口
    你认识的外国人可能很少， 培训班的学费可能太高， 你的胆量可能不大， 但是为了学好一种语言你先要用它交流， 所以你要写简单的演说再读它们， 写简单的戏剧再表演它们。你也要抓住每一个开口机会：和你的对象说英语， 和你的室友们说英语， 和你的同事们说英语。
    以前， 我的说中文机会比较少， 所以我每天晚上都在镜子前面和自己对话。 我可能是个疯子，但是我收获了，也记住了很多中文。

3。 合作
    自律是个很重要的习惯。你朋友们不太可能想用英语和你交流， 大街上遇见的外国人不太可能想做你免费的外教。 不过， 只有你和别人合作才能把一门外语学好。
    我建议你交《英文朋友》每当你见你的英文朋友的时候你就讲英语， 如果你和你的英文朋友住在一起的话那你们每天有一个小时的NO CHINESE/不要说中文这个规定。 不管你住在哪里，想学英语的人都很多，所以这种人肯定很好找。

4。 丢脸
    除非你学过10多年的英语， 否则你的英文肯定有毛病。 学会享受被嘲笑并不容易。 一个外国人对你的发音或语法发笑不是好的经历， 但是你不要忘记你所范的错误， 这样你的英语会不断的提高。

5。 模仿
   好莱坞电影里的英文很口语化， 而且很多英国， 澳大利亚， 等地的人都模仿他们最喜欢的明星。 如果你想像一个以英语为母语的人那样说话， 你就要听电影或唱片里的英语。每一句你想学好的话你先听熟，再仔细地一遍遍的模仿。

    一般来说， 学好外语的人都是既认真又敢于开口的。 课本， 老师们， 别人的鼓励都很重要， 但是最重要的是恒心。 所以， 如果你真的想把英语学好那么你只能做到敢开口， 敢丢脸， 敢坚持。 祝你好运！

I came to China unable to speak a word of Chinese in May 2007. In my first year, when I wasn't working or sleeping, I was studying Chinese. In my second job, I could plan lessons in Chinese, and keep a diary in Chinese. Here are five of my suggestions to foreign learners of English.

1. Write

The progress of your writing and your speaking are intertwined. No matter how limited hyour English is, you still need to practise the words that you know. Some of the methods you can use include writing letters, keeping a diary, write simple essays. At times you will need a dictionary, but writing and reciting are a time tested method for memorizing vocbulary and sentence structures. In our diaries and letters, we naturally write about the things that are most important to us, so if you express these feelings in a foreign langauge, then the language will stick, maybe even be as memorable as the feelings associated with it.  

2. Open your mouth

You may not know many Native English Speakers. Tuition fees for English study are expensive. It may be intimidating to practise English with a foreigner, but in order to learn a language you must use it to communicate. So you can write little monologues and read them aloud, write dialogues and perform them. Seize every opportunity to practise. Speak English with everybody you know who's capable of conversing in it to your level.

Before, I didn;t have many opportunities to practise Chinese， so every night I would speak it aloud to myself. This may be strange, but it was effective.  

3. Work With Others

Self-reliance is an important quality. Your friends may not be willing to spak English with you, the foreigner you spot on the street is probably not gonna teach you for free. But studying a langauge is not something you can do in a vacuum.

My suggestion is to make English-Partners, people with whom you use ONLY English to communicate. Another suggestion is, in your home or dormitory, have an hour every evening of NO CHINESE. Wherever you are, there are always other people who are interested in learning English. Finding an English-partner shouldn't be difficult.  

4. Lose Face

Unless you've studied for ten years, then there will surely be flaws in your English. It's not easy to learn to enjoy being laughed at. Having a foreigner laugh at your grammar or pronunciation is not a pleasent experience, but it will be a memorable moment, therefore you'll be unlikely to make the same mistake again.

5. Imitate

The English in Hollywood movies is generally similar to real-life spoken English (at least ones with a contemporary setting). And many Brits, Australians, etc... imitate their favourite Hollywood stars. If you want to sund like a native speaker, movies and popular music can be useful tools. Once you've enjoyed them the first time around, try to study them thoroughly and imitate carefully.

Generally speaking, people who attain mastery in speaking foreign langauges are diligent yet extrovert. Textbooks, teachers, encouragement are all essential tools, but the most important thing is determination. So, if what you want is to master English then you have to dare open your mouth,  dare to lose face, and dare to persevere. In the words of Samuel Beckett "ever tried, ever failed. Never mind. Try again. Fail again. Fail better!"