Slominer,
If I may be so bold as to recommend Nachman Marcuson’s Guide to Lashon Hakodesh, both books. One book is subtitled Mastering the Basics, and the 2nd book is subtitled Mastering Hebrew Verbs. It’s a do it yourself program and may be helpful to you.
In terms of actual learning from a sefer, I find it helpful to use a good hebrew english dictionary. Yes, it’s tedious to look up so many words at first, but eventually the ones that I looked up several times eventually stuck.
The most important thing is to be patient with yourself and maintain a positive attitude. Fluency in translation will not happen overnight, but you’ll be surprised how much you can absorb by looking up words in a dictionary. True, sometimes modern dictionaries don’t have the biblical and/or mishnaic terminology, but in those cases where they don’t, you can use an English translation of that sefer to help you out.
Gemara learning is challenging for many of us, and Understanding The Talmud by Rabbi Feigenbaum, as well as the Practical Talmud Dictionary by Rabbi Frank are excellent resources for learning the terminology and translations of key words and phrases in the Gemara.
Don’t be concerned with “how you look” or “how you rate” compared to others’ level of learning. Just keep your eye on your goal of improving, and keep yourself headed toward growth in learning, no matter how slow it may seem. You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish.
B’Hatzlacha!