I'm learning Chinese and it's going pretty good and that may be because I already have a knack for languages. Using a strategy as if I'm a child and learning to speak, everybody is brought up with his/her native language with ease, so why not do that a again. Just in the beginning don't use comparissing vernacular just listen and repeat out loud the new tones and words. Then you can learn pinyin, also as if it the first time you learn to write. If you like to learn characters, it's like recognise symbols or reading a face.
I don't say it's going to be fluent but for me this is the easiest way to learn a new language.