To learn Japanese: Go to Japan, get a Japanese boyfriend/girlfriend, exchange your language for theirs.
When I arrived in Tokyo in 1976 to teach English, the only word of Japanese I knew was sayonara. Not a very good way to start conversations. I bought a textbook and some tapes. I attended some classes. But I was burned out on learning that way (Japanese was my 4th non-English language), so I started hanging out in compa (in those days, little bars where you’d go for compa-nionship). I’d chat with people, teach a little English in trade for a little Japanese. It was fun. I met a certain girl who spoke no English. To make a long story short, we ended up married with two children.
I don’t suggest you need to take it that far to learn Japanese, but there are ways other than books, classrooms, videos. Even if you do not have an opportunity to travel to Japan, there are probably some students or workers from Japan in your area. Get to meet them, offer to exchange languages. Most Japanese are very open to this. They have a real interest in English and they don’t like memorizing rote phrases anymore than the next person. Enjoy and gambarimasu!
