The difficulty levels in "using" a langauge are: listening (very easy), speaking (easy), reading (may pose some difficulties) and writing (rather difficult to be perfect).
But, if you learn English "through" another language, you will have a little chance to get to a good (satisfactory) level in "using" English. However, most of learners in Taiwan "use" English for one purpose and one purpose only, which is to attend and pass the English examinations. That is the wrong purpose of learning English.
Look a baby, she will first understand what you say when she is a few months old, then she say something when she comes to one year old. She learns how to read and write when she is at kindergarten.
Nobody will teach the baby to learn grammar first, and nobody will ask the baby to memorise the vocabulary as well. You then ask yourself a question, "Why a 5-years old baby can understand the TV programme, but after I have learned English for more than 5 years, I still cannot undersatnd what they say on TV?"
