what is the best way to master a foreign language

[VGravitas]

Another suggestion is to enable the closed captions when watching English-language programming.

[guawazi]

Watch movies/television shows on DVD or on the internet so you can pause and rewind when you see/hear something interesting. This should be easy to do in China. Write things down so you don't forget them. Imitate the way it's said until it sticks. Download Skype/MSN/or even use QQ International to find foreigners who are outgoing and or looking to practice their Chinese. Books help if you want to improve your reading and grammar, and that's about it. Most people who only rely on textbooks for learning tend to sound like robots when talking.

That's about all you can do unless you have foreign friends in your country or are going to a country where the language is spoken.

[Frihed89]

Screw more classes. You have to live the language and become immersed in it in your daily life. I have worked with many research scientists from mainland China and Taiwan. I do notice that it's hard to shake the accent, but their written English is impeccable.

Another possibility IS to take language courses taught by current or former US military NCOs, whose methods are very intensive and results oriented. I took an 8 week, 8 hour-a- day course in Spanish from such man because I had to pass an oral foreign language examination for a somewhat rare dialect in order to get a specific job assignment. I passed the test; took the assignment and had no difficulties.