LZ's posts are nice, and lack no suggestions.
someone said that learning english was like a labour. i cannot agree with him with a simple yes or no, for this labour is different from other labours.
my opinion: the practice is the key to a mastery of the enlgish language. u know, practice makes perfect, but here we need to nuance this saying: only perfect practice makes perfect.
what's the perfect practice? different persons have different perfect methods. but there is always sth. in common, that others can share and employ.
oral english: there is no shortcut to take: so open your mouth, and speak to the english natives. speak as much as possible, find a good listener and a good talker. there are always people u can talk with on the street, in the shopping mall, or in churches or associations.
the most difficult part is writting, for if it's easy to learn to speak ( u suffer nothing, u listen and say what u think...), but u have to make efforts to progress your writting style, your logic and enrich your vocabulary. there is no shortcut either: read and write.
listening is part of speaking.
the crazy enlgish of stone-cliz is good, for he may lift your moral and offer your a richful mine of sentences and phrases.
i also work at my english very often. please share with u your experience and esp. your suggestions.