[pasbesoin]

Acquisition begins before/below the level of words. Find some contemporary music in the language that you like and that has vocals, and listen to it a lot. Learn the sound of the language.

(Especially once you gain some fluency) Allow yourself to "draw a blank" when using/speaking the language, rather than immediately thinking of the corresponding term in your native language. This will help you to really be in the language. It can also, in a way, result in a more natural conversation with a native speaker, if and as that person can guess what your talking about and respond by "filling in the blanks". (And, it's just more fun to pause and then say, in idiomatic form used in the language: "that... stuff/thing/dohickey/whatchyamacallit..." . ;-)