It is alive, just look at all the recent questions for learning English, the whole first page are very recent questions. The thing is, you have to find the wright people. You have to find people who are truly here to learn languages, and who are truly motivated, and who come on italki regularly. I personally find this site very useful, for asking questions, in the Q&A section. It's a great way to back-up my learning. Also, this site can be very useful, for sending little texts to italki friends, to have them corrected. But the thing is, a lot of people prefer talking by msn. So even if they are regularly on italki, you'll be able to talk to them better on msn.

If you want to learn a language, you really have to be motivated for it. Try thinking of the reasons you want to learn a language, and try to think of new ones. Also try to get yourself to wanting to learn it (find people who speak that language, watch movies in that language, ...). Try to study the language when you are really in a got mood, and you are not tired. What I've always done, is say things in my head, in the language I am learning. At first, you can only say few things, and saying them will seem ridiculous, but do it anyway! You will remember them. And the more you will progress in your learning, the more things you will be able to say in your head. Try to say lots of things everyday, even if it's simple things like "I am walking in the street". And when you want to say something, but you don't know a word, remember it, and look it up later in the dictionnary. Then try to use it again. Another thing you can do, is watch movies with the original voices, the language you are learning, and with subtitles in a language you know well. It's easy, a lot of the work is done subconciously.