At a comparably (to those all over Turkey) young age of 10, I had attained a school known for its intense language education and I owe the basis of English of which, as well as with any language, getting a grip of the grammar was the most crucial part to the education I could acquire in that school.

But when I'm asked about acquiantances or relatives about what to do about improving their children's English skills, I generally reply that a language can not be learned without a teacher (so as to make them abandon any scam kits that claim to teach you some alien language all by yourself at home) and that I had improved my English through playing computer games, watching movies, writing poems (I hid those to the dark corners of my conscious) etc.

Learning a language to me is being able to live by it -not using a couple of phrases or barely being able to understand what you are told partially- hence my thought of it being no different to being a learner of music.

If you don't like it and feel obliged to, you'll never overcome a certain limit. As long as you're in love with a language, you'll always find a way to interact with "her" -just like how you'd behave were it somebody you like.

Bottomline: Being exposed to the language you're eager to learn will find its way into your linguistic capacity.