I've studied a number of languages over the years, and found simple repetition the best way to learn as a beginner. I used flash cards extensively to develop quick recall of vocabulary, common phrases, and even points of grammar. One milestone in proficiency was when I could do normal writing without having to look things up in a dictionary (e.g. letter to overseas penpal). My speaking proficiency didn't really take off, though, until I had the chance (e.g. need) to speak the language daily.
I had an interesting experience when I was in Russia for the summer. An elderly gentleman was perusing the souvenirs in a display case in the hotel lobby. The labels were all in Russian. He asked me if I could translate them into German for him. My proficiency in German had been even better than in Russian, but after several weeks of speaking only Russian, I could barely remember how to answer his simple questions like how old I was, or what I was doing so far from home! His interest in my background distracted him from the souvenirs, though, so I was off the hook.