I've been teaching myself French (from scratch) for the past two years. I read nearly as well as I do in English, and I listen well (some slangy television dialogue is still a bit tough).
Some things that have worked for me:
0. Goes without saying, but consistent effort. I've done at least a little French every day for the past two years.
1. Reading a lot. I started with the Harry Potters and now read for pleasure pretty much exclusively in French.
2. Reading on a Kindle. Instant dictionary lookup! This is such a big efficiency boost that I think that reading physical books is simply a mistake.
3. Listening a lot. I listen to about an hour of French podcasts/youtube channels a day.
4. Studying grammar. I mainly study grammar when I run into something tricky while reading, but I really do study.
5. Flashcards. I've only started making them in the past month or so, but yes, they really do work. I feel silly for not realizing that sooner. I highlight interesting words/expressions as I read and periodically dump them onto index cards.
Some things that have worked for me:
0. Goes without saying, but consistent effort. I've done at least a little French every day for the past two years.
1. Reading a lot. I started with the Harry Potters and now read for pleasure pretty much exclusively in French.
2. Reading on a Kindle. Instant dictionary lookup! This is such a big efficiency boost that I think that reading physical books is simply a mistake.
3. Listening a lot. I listen to about an hour of French podcasts/youtube channels a day.
4. Studying grammar. I mainly study grammar when I run into something tricky while reading, but I really do study.
5. Flashcards. I've only started making them in the past month or so, but yes, they really do work. I feel silly for not realizing that sooner. I highlight interesting words/expressions as I read and periodically dump them onto index cards.