When I came to Japan 4 years ago I had no background in the language and had a rough idea that I wanted master it by the time I left, anywhere from 2 to 5 years later.
In 2004 I hadn`t done enough study for JLPT4 so I just set my sights on the the level 3 test. I`m glad I did, I scored over 90% and this gave me a very good reason for continuing to study hard the next year for level 2. My score in 2006 on level 2 wasn’t as good as on level 3 the year before but it was well above the pass mark.
Now I have my sights set on level 1. I find living in Japan really helps, each year listening has been my strongest point. Reading of course is my weakest point, I only started studying when I came to Japan 4 years ago, and Kanji from the second year.
I would agree with jojos43things that you need to use your Kanji cards, everyday reorganising them and keeping them fresh.
I have a plan that I think works, and Kanji is the foundation. If you need help, please don`t hesitate to PM me or visit my blog at http://rainbowhill.vox.com for plenty of resources.
Yoroshiku ne
