There is really only one way to learn the French language and that is to simply practice your hearts out by speaking it with others. I am an immersion student in the Eastern part of Canada and I can say that learning French has been one of the most exciting things that my life has been offered. Schools here teach it in elementary up to high school so there is no real hassle in learning the French language.
A lot of people when they begin taking French classes or begin the process of teaching themselves French think it is going to be easy. However, French is one of the most difficult languages to learn for two main reasons. French has 10 times the amount of verbs and literal meanings as the English language does. Teaching yourself French or learning it in a classroom can be very hard and not always easy. Although French has its ups, like, for instance, speaking your way through the heart of France or charming one of your lady friends at dinner, it can be very frustrating and depressing during the beginning of the learning process.
When learning French in schools or a class, it's very important to practice your verbs and literal meanings. These two linguistic factors come into play all the time when learning the French language.
Verbs are probably the hardest area of the French language to learn. They are frustrating and at certain points in the learning process can almost make you break down and cry. Although after you learn the basic verbs the rest are much easier to learn. What you have to understand about the French language is that you have to bare with it and grasp it by the horns or else it will rip you to shreds. This applies especially to the verbs
A great learning tool that I used all through school was called a Bescherelle. It has been my savior a couple of times. It has helped me pass big exams and tests in my French class and can help me with almost any verb in the French language. I am very happy to share this book with others who are not aware of it.
You will have a harder time teaching yourself how to learn the French language. The most important thing is to speak with your friends and family, show them each day what you taught yourself and explain things to them in French and then translate into English if you have to. Speaking the French language will help you with writing and reading it. Most people beg to differ, but I, as a first person learner, know what to do when it comes to learning the French language.
From the personal experience of learning French myself, I do know what to tell others and how to teach them French. If you are having problems in class, don't be too afraid to ask your teacher for help. Most French teachers are willing to help their students because they find a lot of satisfaction in helping them learn the French language. Plus any teacher who doesn't help a student is outright stupid and not performing one of the essential duties of a good teacher.
There are many resources on the Internet that can help you in learning French. If you would like additional resources to aid you in learning the French language better, you should consider looking at a couple of French linguistic books.