As a rule, we advise people to go with building up their vocabularies as the first step to language learning. While it works for most people, it won’t for others — especially for those who are bad at memorizing.
If you’ve tried going the vocabulary route only to struggle, then it may be prudent to use a different strategy. One way to do this is by studying grammar — the rules of the language — and picking up the vocabulary along the way.
The idea is to put your focus on structure rather than memorized words and phrases. You learn the different figures of speech in the language, how one relates to the other, how each is used and so on. Doing so lays down the context for usage. Just pick up a dictionary and find the right words to fill in the blanks.
The one downside to a grammar-first approach is it takes a while to be able to use the language. While I can learn five phrases now and use them in the streets tomorrow, the structure-based approach requires gaining comfort with the different figures of speech before being able to actively engage the skill.
Language learning software comes in many flavors. Some of them, including a few popular titles, take on a grammar-based approach to language learning. We suggest using one of those as your primary learning material, as they will be more suited to your strengths (learning concepts, rather than memorizing items).
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