I really need help.

English was about the only subject that I consistently did well in in school, yet I seem to have forgotten all of the technical stuff (like types and parts of speech). I hit a wall tonight while trying to really learn Italian (or by really trying to remember some english rules).

I’m still not clear on the best way (for me) to learn a second language. Is it just drilling words and their tenses or learning phrases or what (and does gender have anything to do with the best way to learn?).
Anyways I may have a tutor lined up. Which is to say I asked for some tutoring and the victim said yes she would. It’s just a matter of setting up a time. I have a feeling that I will be the worst student in the world. I was told by a german that I ask stupid irrelevant questions (that may not be the exact quote) when I was trying to learn German. And to be honest my questions were mostly irrelevant to learning the language. I seem to be more interested in etymology (word origins) and such rather than actually paying attention to learning new words etc.
Why is english considered a germanic language when it seems much closer (to an amateur) to latin/italian than german?