How should I learn Japanese?

[PALADIN_LANCER]

Hello all. Sorry if this has been posted a million times before but...

I really would love to learn how to read, write, and speak Japanese and wanted to know if any of you knew of any really usefull reasources that would help me and other like me to get started on the long road to learning the Japanese Language.

Please also if you could, share with us the method of study that you used to become more fluent in this beautiful language. If you took a class could you provide details of their teaching methods? Or how we can find beginer level classes ourselves. Thank you very much for your help. ^_~

[shinseitatsu]

konnichiwa (good afternoon), i would be glad to, i have been studying it for about a year now, i use cd's and a english to japanese dict.
"it only hurts if you let it"-yuki

[Kaiga]

I learn off alot of different websites. one of them including:
Japanese-online.com
i have been going to places like about.com and getting tons of information there, I print it all out, read and study it. my friend and I are both learning, and then we are going to teach three other people. I am somewhat between intermediate and advanced so far. I am just learning verbs and particles right now. soon I will be getting into stuff like adverbs and learning more statements. we aren't moving into the writing so much yet though, we want to do that only after we fully understand how to speak it. after that its hello Kanji dictionary.

[shinseitatsu]

I hear that, i think iam going to start learning how to write during the summer (no school).
"it only hurts if you let it"-yuki

[umiyasha]

I know a good one... the internet!!! Go to google images and type japanese writing, That may get you started

[PALADIN_LANCER]

Wouldn't learning to write the characters as you learn to speak them better ingrain them into your memory?

[PALADIN_LANCER]

I know a good one... the internet!!! Go to google images and type japanese writing, That may get you started


Haha! ^_^() I was sort of hoping for something a bit more specific... you know stuff that's tried and true.

[shinseitatsu]

all right, what i do is look up words that i use in everyday life like what i said today in english and then look it up in japanese and then study that. ^__^.

[Kaiga]

Wouldn't learning to write the characters as you learn to speak them better ingrain them into your memory?
yes, that is a pretty good way to learn as well. the learning of words and writing the Katakan, Hiragana, or Kanji of them really helps you remember each other clearer. we are saving that for last however, because we want to learn more vocabulary, and learn the Kanji together.

[shinseitatsu]

thats just the way i study japanese and it works for me (i have a good memory) gotta go sayonara tomodachi (goodbye friends)

[PALADIN_LANCER]

I learn off alot of different websites. one of them including:
Japanese-online.com

Wow Japanese-online.com is great! Thanks for showing it to me. Do you own the Lesson CD's they sell there? would they be a good place to start my long quest to become fluent in Japanese?

[Lunay]

I think you should start with the basics...

Ah - E - U (not "you") - eh - O

And practice hiragana and katakana. It's so simple you should learn it in like 2 weeks or less.

[PALADIN_LANCER]

I think you should start with the basics...

Ah - E - U (not "you") - eh - O

And practice hiragana and katakana. It's so simple you should learn it in like 2 weeks or less.


Are these the main vowels spoken by Japanese? ^_^



I once heard this very inteaging concept on the differences between Japanese and English.

In english when your confronted by an new word you've never heard of you will likely be able to speak it but wouldn't know what it means.
In Japanese when confronted by a new word you would likely know what the word ment but not how to say it.

I guess in that sense Japanese is the Opposite of English. ^_^()

[Kiku]

In Japanese when confronted by a new word you would likely know what the word ment but not how to say it.

Eh, not really. Hiragana/Katakana alphabets are easy to memorize since there is only one strict sound for vowels and stuff, way unlike English which has exceptions all over the place. When you're learning Kanji, little furigana (hiragana letters) will help you to pronounce the Kanji the right way. Once you learn the alphabets, you will be able to read a paragraph made up of them but not have any real idea what it means unless you study vocabulary.

The other point is that people can read some Kanji but couldn't write it out themselves if their life depended on it. Like, I can read 薔薇 (bara), but there is absolutely no way I could write it by myself unless I went out of my way to study it. Same with other words like 応援歌 (ouenka) or something.

[PALADIN_LANCER]

Hmm could be I just don't remember the artical I read very clearly. But your explanation is also very enlightening. ^_^

Are there over 3000 character like I've heard or are there more or less? I can't remember exactly at this moment. ^_^()

I think I remember hearing that the more characters you know the more intellectual you may appear to other. it there any truth to that?

Man theres just so much that goes into the learning this language. I hope that I can find the proper resources to train myself properly with.

[Schuldich]

I don't actually know how many kanji there are, but if I weren't too lazy I could probably look it up on wikipedia or something. Either way, regardless of how many kanji there are the Japanese government regulates that graduating high school students should know like 1989 kanji (or something like that...let's just say 2000). This is how many kanji are required to read a newspaper, and even if you know these 2000 it's still difficult (I am so depressed that I can't even read a stupid newspaper yet...). In my class we learn ~100 kanji a month (these are mostly compounds...kanji aren't usually too helpful by themselves) and this requires a lot of hardcore studying on my part. I'm great at memorizing, but I still have to work hard, and I only know like 1000 kanji now.

As for the other alphabets...I suggest you sit down and learn hiragana/katakana (shouldn't take long) and then start reading manga after manga after manga...
You won't understand much of the grammar, but you'll learn a lot of the vocab and practice reading skills.

As for speaking - I would actually recommend downloading JPop songs and the lyrics and trying to sing along with them. Although they say some words a little differently, the slower ones annunciate well, so I think it'd be a good chance to learn. When I started teaching myself I only used Japanese references (like anime, songs, manga) and when I finally started taking classes I realized that everyone's accent for the whole 2 years was horrible since they'd never heard a Japanese person speak.

[PALADIN_LANCER]

I don't actually know how many kanji there are, but if I weren't too lazy I could probably look it up on wikipedia or something. Either way, regardless of how many kanji there are the Japanese government regulates that graduating high school students should know like 1989 kanji (or something like that...let's just say 2000). This is how many kanji are required to read a newspaper, and even if you know these 2000 it's still difficult (I am so depressed that I can't even read a stupid newspaper yet...). In my class we learn ~100 kanji a month (these are mostly compounds...kanji aren't usually too helpful by themselves) and this requires a lot of hardcore studying on my part. I'm great at memorizing, but I still have to work hard, and I only know like 1000 kanji now.

As for the other alphabets...I suggest you sit down and learn hiragana/katakana (shouldn't take long) and then start reading manga after manga after manga...
You won't understand much of the grammar, but you'll learn a lot of the vocab and practice reading skills.

As for speaking - I would actually recommend downloading JPop songs and the lyrics and trying to sing along with them. Although they say some words a little differently, the slower ones annunciate well, so I think it'd be a good chance to learn. When I started teaching myself I only used Japanese references (like anime, songs, manga) and when I finally started taking classes I realized that everyone's accent for the whole 2 years was horrible since they'd never heard a Japanese person speak.


Wow thats alot of great info! ^_^ I can see that this will take me a long time to learn... My memorization skills arn't the best but since Japanese is very visual as an artist I should hopefully be able to pick it up a little quicker.

So your saying that your class had very bad accents? I kinda got confused by who you where refering to with your last sentance.

As for hiragana/katakana, are they really that easy to pick up? I really like the idea of using Anime and Manga to better pick up the proper accents.

Thanks for the info I'm really getting excited to start hitting the books learning this stuff... Though somehow I'm sure that I will likely never fully learn it all in my lifetime. ^_^() If I get good enough to where I can read a book or hold a decent conversation I'll be happy. ^_^

[Densetsu]

Take a class for a couple of years. If your really interested, you should go to schools where they only talk in japanese, that way you are in a japanese atmosphere, which is how a baby would learn a new language. Also, you should learn how to ask 'how do you say ____ in japanese' in japanese. I used to know a lot of japanese (took it for four years in elementary) but then i forgot it all.

[Yatsuhiko]

Darn. That was one of the earlier sentances I learned. How to say ___ in Japanese. Ya take a class. Learn the basics. Sometimes if you use a dictionary to translate a sentance you'll notice that the sentanceis broken. In Japanese certain word sgo certain places but I forget where.

[PALADIN_LANCER]

Hmm yes I assumed a class would probably in the end be the best way to learn properly but where to find one near my location is the problem... and ensure that it's not too advanced. Since I'm in the military I'll check with my education office soon and see if they can recomend anything to me.

As for going to a all Japanese speaking enviorment... where the heck would you find something like that state side? ^_^() That would make for some awesome experience though wouldn't it... My stepMother from Panama learned how to speak english pretty well in just 2-3 short years she has a heavey accent but you can understand her really well. It would be awesome if I could do something similar. If I could get stationed in Japan that would be even more awesome. ^_^

[Jake]

Well, if you've ever taken another language (like in high school or something), just think of how you were taught. I think it's easier to associate the Japanese word with the object itself instead of the english word. This way you're not traslating from apple to ringo, but you see an apple and you know it's ringo. This is how little kids learn too. Remember to supplement grammar with lots of vocab. You be nowhere if you just know grammar but don't know what to say. That's why taking a class is good.

One thing i've heard of is to put post-it notes on all the stuff in your house with the japanese on it. if you don't know kana yet, you could write it in romaji!

[PALADIN_LANCER]

Hay thats a great idea too. Thanks! ^_^ All these great tips are really going to help me out. I'm sureof it. Keep them coming if you all don't mind... especially since I can't be the only one who is finding all of this usefull.

[Jake]

Yeah, just don't rely too much on anime for the way you speak. You don't wanna sound like an anime character when you talk. That would be like sounding like Bugs Bunny to an English speaker.

[pinoy]

Why not just learn it the way babies learn. If you hear it often enough you'll gradually speak it I since that's how it works in real life. I've been watching several animes and I've learned baka means stupid. I use it a lot now.

[KuroiKenshi]

the problem is that the brain of a developed adult doesnt work like a baby's brain works.

[Zash]

Here's how I started. I first started out teaching myself, but it didn't get too far, so I got a tutor and first, she taught me how to read Hiragana, I'm almost done Katakana, and I got a book. She gives me vocabulary words almost each week, and it has the hiragana spelling, and it has the translation in english. Therefore, it helps with reading Japanese while ur trying to memorize words.

[Minoru]

Eh, not really. Hiragana/Katakana alphabets are easy to memorize since there is only one strict sound for vowels and stuff, way unlike English which has exceptions all over the place. When you're learning Kanji, little furigana (hiragana letters) will help you to pronounce the Kanji the right way. Once you learn the alphabets, you will be able to read a paragraph made up of them but not have any real idea what it means unless you study vocabulary.

The other point is that people can read some Kanji but couldn't write it out themselves if their life depended on it. Like, I can read 薔薇 (bara), but there is absolutely no way I could write it by myself unless I went out of my way to study it. Same with other words like 応援歌 (ouenka) or something.
That's when Kanji proves its effectiveness.If I am reading Hiragana I can't always discern what it's written,but with Kanji each character has a meaning so it's much easier.That's why I prefer learning Kanji first,I learn lots of new words and can write it.When I was younger I tried to learn it with a couple of friends,simple stuff,like the numbers,days of the week and so on...but we learned it in Romaji,that's a very bad mistake,if you ask me.Learning Hiragana is essencial for learning Kanji,because it helps you pronounce the character and gives you the ability to read it fast.Also,Japanese people don't use Romaji,do they?

[Richi]

they do

on chat rooms and cell phone message chats. >_<

it is still a good idea to know romaji, just for that.

[Minoru]

they do

on chat rooms and cell phone message chats. >_<

it is still a good idea to know romaji, just for that.
I didn't know that.I have been to some message boards and they always used he standard three to put it that way.I'm pretty familiar with it though.

[pinoy]

You gave me an idea. Is it possible to use aim or yahoo messenger to chat with someone in Japan. I'm thinking not coz their screen name would be written in alien while my keyboard is roman.

[Ironfrost]

You gave me an idea. Is it possible to use aim or yahoo messenger to chat with someone in Japan. I'm thinking not coz their screen name would be written in alien while my keyboard is roman.

The username will be in Roman characters, because the big IM networks don't let you sign up with a username that contains nonstandard characters. AIM isn't very popular outside the USA though; you're better off trying something like MSN Messenger.

[Varg6]

Well, I could help you, just IM me on AIM at VampirehunterD11. I'm not completely fluent, but I'm pretty good, and could definetly help you ^__^ I use Software, CD's, and books. They all help, and its definetly worth to buy

[Fukki]

Been learning Japanese for about 4-5 years now, on and off. Getting a Japanese dictionary is really helpful (duh =P). Once you get a better hang of the language, you can buy a kanji dictionary too =)

What I find useful is to look up the word in the dictionary whenever you see one that is unfamiliar and try to remember it (words that appear often are usually easier to remember heh). Doing that is a really good way to expand your vocabulary (at least in my case =P) I also took 2-3 years of Japanese class, learning about particles, Japanese sentence structures, and frequently used phrases. So taking some classes to learn about the basics of the Japanese sentence is really helpful too IMO.

Really though, the best way to learn Japanese is constant exposure to the language and persistance hehe =P! I get my exposure from watching anime, reading manga (in Japanese), and playing video games that are in Japanese (RPGs mostly, I still remember the time I spent playing the japanese version of Tales of Symphonia hehe ^^ good times). Play and learn at the same time FTW! ^^v

[meron_dori-ma]

Here are some really good resources that really help me learn Japanese

Tile Tag for Kana* full version for Windows 95/98/ME
Kana de Manga
Kanji de Manga
Pimsleurs* Japanese (CD)
Learning Japanese in Manga-Land
Basic Connections--Making Your Japanese Flow
Kanji Pictograms

If I think of any more, I'll tell ya. =^-^=

[Lorem Ipsum]

I can also speak to the effect of the Pimsleurs Japanese CDs. They are excellent learning tools that teach new words as well as different aspects of grammar at a nice beginners pace. Its also nice to be able to actually hear the words pronounced. It turned out that I was mispronouncing some of the words I knew before I started these.
All in all, these are great CDs and I reccomend them wholehearedly.

[Taichi EX]

I'm learning Japanese also.
Its easier to learn that French.
The words are easier to remember

[Taichi EX]

I use it at school a lot

[mikomiko]

huh. I am just starting to take Japanese, myself. If you live in or near a big city like I do (i live near NYC) find out if there is a japanese society, often times they offer cheap, well-instructed courses. Also, having a friend that is Japanese helps. I know my friend Yukiko has been an immense help in starting me off with my Japanese. I got a simple book, that she suggested to start with called "my first HIragana Book". It introduces the hiragana with the romanji. It's made for kids, so, if they can do it, so can you.
And, I think that immersion is best. That's why i want to take the class, buy some cds, and hang out with Yukiko more. ^^
I know that the class i am taking uses the book "Japanese for Busy People". Which is actually an "official" Japanese government system for learning the language, grammar etc. And, is directly akin to what japanese children learn in school. IN fact, after completing the whole series (i think there are three) you are able to be a level 2 proficiency. level 1 being people who are japanese, or have lived there extensively.

p.s. I am going to try that japanese-online.com....and, Varga6...curious: what bookd/cds do you use? I'd love to extend what I have right now. ^^

[LikaLaruku]

I wrote a document on learning Japanese including accurate pronounciation. If you wanna learn Kanji, the best way is to buy a raw manga & translate it by hand with a dictionary.

[mikomiko]

huh. there is somehting i did not think about. I am due to get some raw manga next week. So, i shall most certainly give that a go. I also just ordered the "remebering the Kana" book. Which, from the reviews i have seen is supposed to be the most comprehensible and sure-fired way to learn how read and write. From what I hear, it's bets to take that route first and then just dive into the language. So, I bought the "learn more Japanese" program to help me with speaking japanese. all this still turns out to be cheaper than taking a class. So, I shall see what happens. ^^

[Minoru]

I'm learning Japanese also.
Its easier to learn that French.
The words are easier to remember
You can't imagine how much I agree with you,even though French is a romance language like Portuguese.I had three years of French and even though I managed to get good grades,I never got immersed into it.With Japanese it's different,I love to speak,write and listen to other people in that language.

I wrote a document on learning Japanese including accurate pronounciation. If you wanna learn Kanji, the best way is to buy a raw manga & translate it by hand with a dictionary.
I have the first volume of Love Hina in bilingual format,so I am going to do just that and then compare.Still,I think 300 to 500 Kanji would be necessary,don't you think?Spoken Japanese is pretty easy,specially when you've be watching movies for 3 years or more.
I recommend downloading the Raws and then fansubs.I know it's ilegal,but I do that even when I have the series in Japanese[DVD version,that is],like Aishiteruze Baby.

[KuroiKenshi]

I have the first volume of Love Hina in bilingual format,so I am going to do just that and then compare.Still,I think 300 to 500 Kanji would be necessary,don't you think?Spoken Japanese is pretty easy,specially when you've be watching movies for 3 years or more.
I recommend downloading the Raws and then fansubs.I know it's ilegal,but I do that even when I have the series in Japanese[DVD version,that is],like Aishiteruze Baby.

yeah id say that youd need something like that so you wouldnt have to look up absolutely everything. the other thing is that you want to vary what you read so you dont see the same things all the time (ive read all sorts of stuff and i still come across characters ive never seen before every so often... although its getting less frequent).

i would also recommend reading manga meant for younger readers, so that you will get the furigana as well, because if youre gonna learn kanji you oughtta do it right. one caveat is that sometimes they will change the readings for kanji as an artistic sort of thing, so be careful for that.

[Minoru]

yeah id say that youd need something like that so you wouldnt have to look up absolutely everything. the other thing is that you want to vary what you read so you dont see the same things all the time (ive read all sorts of stuff and i still come across characters ive never seen before every so often... although its getting less frequent).

i would also recommend reading manga meant for younger readers, so that you will get the furigana as well, because if youre gonna learn kanji you oughtta do it right. one caveat is that sometimes they will change the readings for kanji as an artistic sort of thing, so be careful for that.
I read in one of Japan Today's polls that there were many natives who often forgot how to write certain Kanji.That is one of the bad aspects computers bring to our lives...we tend to forget how to write the characters properly.
I noticed that artistic liberty,also,they like using Katakana to voice sounds/words that would normally be written in Hiragana(this is prevailent on H Doujinshi,lol.)

[nik_n]

I agree with mikomiko, try to find a place where they offer Japanese classes. You can always ask your guidence consellor's at your school whether Japanese language courses are offered on the weekend or nightschool. I've actually been taking a Japanese course that has been offered in my school district. I've been attending every Sunday for the past 4 years and been earning extra high school credits, and I can say that I've learned alot.

If you're not able to find an institution that offers classes, then internet would be your best bet. In my first year, so not to overwhelmed us, my teacher gave taught us hiragana and katakana. After that, simple vocab, really simple sentences (without particles) and everyday pharses. Take the time to learn everday nouns , how to tell time, count, etc, as they prove to be really handy when you start to use particles, and verbs.

Finding a friend to help you is great too, but if you don't have any Japanese friends, or friends who know Japanese very well, you can always find a penpal in Japan who might be willing to help you. I know that my penpal, Yukiko in Japan has helped me these past 4 years.

Have fun learning Japanese! ^_^

[Rain]

I take Japanese as my 2nd language in school since I'm part Japanese and I've memorized the whole hiragana chart and katakana chart, and I'm not learning some kanji characters. I think the best way to remember and learn the characters and words is to have cue cards and post 'em up in your bathroom and look at them everytime you shower. lol.

Well my Japanese teacher in school begins by giving us these vocab worksheets to write every class with all the characters and we have to remember all the particles and how to use them.

You should just take Japanese lessons, that's the best way to learn! Remember to find a good Japanese school around your area. The teachers should be 100% Japanese. lol

[slayer666]

That must be a good feeling..to actually know what a character is saying without having to read. I wish you could just close your eyes, and say in your mind "LEARN JAPANESE" or something like that, and you'll have the whole language in your head. That would own. -sigh-

[Jon]

To bad, it won't happen. You can try though. Take some classes or something.

[hiroaki]

How is Japanese taught in a Japanese class?
The school in Japan is teaching English for the examination. Therefore, I read Book written in English　and am exchanging E-mail with the American　friend.

[Crispy]

I'm attending a Japanese class right now in college(community). Its intro to japanese but in the first lesson we learned hirigana, in the second lesson we learned katakana, and then from the third lesson onward we started learning kanji! Its sort of tough but I managed to get an A for the first class, and let me tell you I'm not the greatest of learners. But if you're really dedicated and concentrate hard you should be fine.

[Varg6]

Hmmmmm, yeah get some books, IM me if you need help sometime.

I forgot I already posted here...lol :P

[Bluestripe]

i do the same as most of you learn of the web, but i start doing a evening course in it at the local college soon so that should help as well :)

[Kai]

There is a difference between writing it down (Example: 例) and saying it, what way?

if it's text, i'd say writing one word down, hiding it then writing it again, that's how i had to learn it when i went to japan.

[crystaltouch]

I hear that, i think iam going to start learning how to write during the summer (no school).
"it only hurts if you let it"-yuki

You know, I just might try that ^_^

[Kagome101]

Through School

[Amethyst Scream]

Rosetta stone is a well-enough choice. It's been proven to be one of the most effective ways to the learn a second-language -- although, one must pay to the teeth for the software. (http://www.rosettastone.com)

[half-saiyjin]

If you think you're going to learn off of some website, think again. At best you'll learn a few generic basic exchanges. Get yourself a program like Rosetta Stone to assist you.
Get people who actually speak the language to help you. Make a Japanese friend, there's a gazillion Japanese fobs dying to learn Engrish ("http://www.engrish.com/) as much as you want to learn Japanese. Go surf Japanese penpal sites.
Watch Japanese soaps, this helps tremendously to pick up on everyday terminology.

[Ironfrost]

You know, I just might try that ^_^

If you live in Birmingham like your profile says, there are better ways than that to learn. The Council subsidises all sorts of courses at the Brasshouse language centre (just off Broad Street), and Japanese is included. It's a 2 hour session one evening a week, and it's really cheap.

[yoaruki]

I always wanted to learn Japanese also but I wanted to be taught, since I'm not very good at teaching myself things.

It is very hard to find someone who will teach you Japanese.

Here's a question:

What does a Japanese keyboard look like??

You know, like if you're typing in Japanese but not Romanji.

:blink:

[Soluzar]

I always wanted to learn Japanese also but I wanted to be taught, since I'm not very good at teaching myself things.

It is very hard to find someone who will teach you Japanese.

Here's a question:

What does a Japanese keyboard look like??

You know, like if you're typing in Japanese but not Romanji.

:blink:

I don't think there is one. If you set up a copy of Windows XP to use Japanese text-display and character input, you can produce most japanese characters with few keystrokes using the Microsoft IME.

I say "most" because, naturally, I haven't tried it with "all" characters. That would take months of constant typing, I think.

[yoaruki]

Then does that mean that in Japan, they have to know the English alphabet to type?

[Shoujo Love]

I don't know any Japanese, but I am a veteran of studying various foreign languages and fluent in several, and I can tell you these three points:

1) In terms of learning a foreign language, nothing compares to classroom learning. Even if you can't enroll in a class, hire a professional private tutor who is a native speaker of said language. Teaching yourself is not useful compared to how it's supposed to be done.

2) Do not learn how to speak a language without learning to write it. I understand that for westerners, it is difficult to learn new alphabets, but it must be done. Doing this increases your aural/visual correspondence in the brain, and will enable you to think faster while speaking.

3) Do not immerse yourself in a culture without sufficient training in a language so as to at least get around and lightly converse. You must at least be familiar with rudimentary vocabulary and simple grammar. After all, if you don't know the language while your in a country, then it forces you to find english speakers for help. And at that point, you're not learning the language at all.

I hope this helps anyone.

[mikomiko]

ahh good points. HOwever, though classroom is the best...Sometimes money can be an issue. So, I have recently come upon this great listing on Amazon that has really worked...and fast too. In fact, my dear japanese friend went to LA for two weeks, and when she returned, she was amazed at how much japanese I knew in a short time. I have been reccommending this list for people who want to learn fast and retain it quickly too!

anyhoo, if interested...shoot me a PM and I'll give you the link...they won't let me put it up here.

[meron_dori-ma]

You guys! >_< Have you not seen Japanese in Manga Land in the bookstore?? Most Japanese classes teach you formal Japanese waaaaay before they introduce informal Japanese. But guess what? They don't speak formally in manga! Heck no! So Japanese in Manga Land (by Marc Bernabe; different artists) teaches you both and everything in between at the same time. That way, you learn more, faster, and when to speak what, where. I have volume 1 (vol. 2 has been out for a while now) and it's really fun to go through! There are manga examples of everything, exercises, and a "first 80 kanji" glossary. It's definately worth looking into for beginners (vol. 1), intermediate (vol. 2), and those who want to learn informal Japanese.

Japanese in Manga Land

[intldiamond]

i took 4 years of japanese in high school, though don't consider myself even close to fluent. the best way to learn japanese, or any foreign language, is to live in said country for a couple months. if you can't do that, which is most likely the case, taking a class or doing a self-study course will suffice. obviously, an english-japanese dictionary is essential, though i perfer one that goes both ways. the japanese grammer is extremely simple: when they set grammer rules, they almost always follow them. the sentence structure is a bit different from english. where english usually flows "subject, verb, object" japanese is usually "subject, object, verb" but thats easy to get used to. as far as keeping up on things once you have learned them, i would suggest never watching a dubbed version of an anime. always watch japanese speach with english subs, and you will find yourself looking at the subs less and less as you progress. you may even come to use that as a factor in determining your progress.

i hope i've been of some assistance, and not just wasted your time rambling.

well, gambatte! (do your best)

[Samurai Drifter]

^Ganbatte.

Um, well... I learned Japanese mainly through watching anime subtitled for years, briefly having a job which required me to speak it on a constant basis, and studying various books and computer programs.

2) Do not learn how to speak a language without learning to write it. I understand that for westerners, it is difficult to learn new alphabets, but it must be done. Doing this increases your aural/visual correspondence in the brain, and will enable you to think faster while speaking.
So, so true. While I can hold intelligent conversations well in Japanese, I can barely write a word of it in Hiragana, the language's most basic alphabet (well, difficulty-wise it isn't much different from katakana, but is in more wide use as katakana is mainly used for foreign loan words). It is very frustrating.

My Japanese has been improving even more while doing some translation work for Prons, though that's been briefly halted (even though it was proceeding at a snail's pace before) by me having work, school, and being in the play at my college.

Every anime fan wants to learn Japanese, but it is really, really difficult to learn any foreign language, especially one where the sentence structure and alphabet is so radically different from English.

[Prons]

Do what I do.

Randomly talk to Japanese women who don't know english, and ask them if they know Sadako.

貞子はしてますか？

[intldiamond]

yes, you should learn the written language. learning hiragana should be simple, since it is merely a sylibic language (every character except for one has a vowel, and all but 6 have a consonent too) as mentioned in a previous post, the vowels are always pronounced the same way, A (as in car), I (pronounced like a long e, as in ear), U (as in suit), E (short e, as in escaflowne), O (as in the state Oregon). if you find a chart on the internet, it will be arranged into a sort of grid, with the vowel sound going across a whole row, and the consonent sound going down each column.
here is a great hiragana chart
hiragana chart (http://www.genki-online.com/kyozai/hiragana.html)
once you learn hiragana, katakana is similar. it is also on a chart, with the same sounds in the same places, and some characters are even the same, but for the most part, they are more angular and sharp, as they are used for words that would commonly be in italics, such as foreign words or business names. here is a good katakana chart
katakana chart (http://www.pkshiu.com/image/katakana_chart.gif)
then you can go on to kanji, which is the more pictoral alphabet. this is the one that has thousands (literally! ) of characters. take your time with this and learn them well, or you will forget them soon. i would suggest getting a book, like your japanese/english dictionary, that has a lot of kanji in it as a resource.