Paddy ,
You seem have alot of experience up ahead. Because this is what I am just start doing now; "try it again " "(repeak) repeat my self slowly","talking my self while driving home" ...when I have a chance I will try to talk to those speedy english speaker , laughing and making joke with them. By this ways, I can see my english moves up a lot faster compaired to those years I had learned English in VietNam.
And yes , like Paddy mention above don't try to translate between VNese & Engl. Just learn like a 2,or 3 year old kid.