Does anyone have any tips about learning a new language?

[DFW]

24. Ocelot's suggestion is best if you are somewhat immobile.

It how I learned Dutch to a large degree. For about 8 years, we got Dutch TV, and I watched all the English language shows with Dutch subtitles. Plus, when we opened an office in the Netherlands, I told our guy there, to speak only Dutch to me until I could converse freely. He is from the Netherlands, but his native language is not Dutch, so he speaks Dutch very clearly and distinctly.
Now, although I have never lived in the Netherlands, I can converse in Dutch to the point where the people there don't even hear I'm a foreigner until they listen closely, or I make some stupid mistake they never would.

There are LOTS of great films and TV series in German. "Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum)" and "Das Leben Der Anderen (The Lives of Others)" are two of the best German language films ever made.

If you can find it, the TV series "Liebling Kreuzberg" is about a low key lawyer in what was West Berlin. It was written by a screenwriter named Jürek Becker for an actor friend of his, Manfred Krug. Krug was a witty, funny, extremely ordinary-looking guy who happened to be one of the best-loved actors in Germany. The series turned a bunch of mundane everyday situations am honest, but modest, smart (and a little lazy) lawyer would handle into hilarious episodes with PERFECTLY cast supporting roles.It turned craziness into believable everyday life. Most people who were around then (started in the mid-80s) agree it was the best German TV series ever.

"Wilsberg" is great, too. It's about a failed antique book store proprietor who tries to make a living as a private detective on the side. He's always getting into hot water with his former high school classmate, a woman who is now the police chief. He's always broke, and is always borrowing the car of a nerdy friend who works in the tax office. It's also really well-written and very funny.

If it's any consolation, I studied Swedish intensively before starting with German. Swedish is far easier for us to learn, as its grammar is very simple. German grammar is more arcane, but it is a very living language, and seen through the films and TV series mentioned above, it gives you a DESIRE to learn it better, which is really the key, along with the exposure.