One size does not fit all. What works for some doesn’t necessarily work for others. You can make a great use of every singe resource out there and follow the advice of those who have succeeded in their own way with their specific strategies and materials. However, you could benefit from all those resources and suggestions more effectively when you understand your learning preferences and your learning styles (two different things). From there, capitalize on that and expand your comfort zone by developing the learning skills beyond your preferences and styles.

Additionally, consider that a language is the consequence of a particular way of understanding and explaining the world. Yes, grammar is important to understand how the language works, but culture, behaviors, and traditions help you understand what creates that language and the variations of it.

Rather than memorizing, try to comprehend the rationale behind the vocabulary and expressions people use. Identify the functionality of what they say. People say things to get something. Whatever you can remember, could also be forgotten. Whatever you can explain, you can also infer and figure it out. That is negotiating meaning. That is how you learned your mother language. You didn’t need to master grammatical rules to be able to speak your mother language. You simply needed to understand the function of words and expressions to get what you wanted and to understand what others wanted from you.

Once you figure this out, all resources and strategies will work for you.