What you have posted are some great examples of learning. For me, I have been living in Costa Rica, a Spanish speaking country for a year. When I first arrived, I spoke 0 Spanish. Now, I can semi-confidently say that I am conversational in my Spanish. It has been a long road of learning and I still have much to learn but here are some things that I have found helpful:
1. Depending on your school situation, you may have locals working at your school. Even if they speak English, choose to interact with them in their native language. It is a safe atmosphere to learn because you are sur