Your secret weapon: the cell phone
Those who bemoan their lack of language skills forget they have a secret ally in their struggle to master a language: their cell phone. --The cell phone gives us instant information on the meaning of words and how to pronounce them. Dictionary apps. Download one or two. And use them. -- Audio books. These apps. allow you to listen to your favorite works of literature in your target language. Check YouTube. -- You can have "penpals" from any place in the world. Check WhatsAp. -- Biographies can be read in the original tongue. Check Wikipedia. -- And you can also speak and converse with anybody in the world without spending a penny! Make an effort, and check WhatsAp. --- All the above can be used anywhere, anytime! So, don´t give me the song and dance, please!