I am currently learning Japanese. My level would be "lower intermediate": I can write hiragana/katakana and know about 100+ kanjis. But I am not satisfied with my oral fluency.
Moreover, since my commute to work is short, I have also started watching a short 5min anime to pick up basic everyday Japanese conversational skills.
Additionally, I plan to spend at least 10 minutes chatting in Japanese everyday to one of my colleagues who understands the language.
I'll do this for a month or two and check where I am after this period. I do believe the key to learning any language (especially if you are not in the country) is to practise every day and use the expressions learned on the day in different contexts to cement them in your memory. This also means you most likely have to find someone who speaks the language fluently or at least understands it to an acceptable level.
Obviously, I'll have to come up with another technique if I see no progress.
What I have started doing recently is listen to a Japanese podcast on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/senakunes/easy-japanese-lesson-12-in-...) while doing my morning workout.
Moreover, since my commute to work is short, I have also started watching a short 5min anime to pick up basic everyday Japanese conversational skills.
Additionally, I plan to spend at least 10 minutes chatting in Japanese everyday to one of my colleagues who understands the language.
I'll do this for a month or two and check where I am after this period. I do believe the key to learning any language (especially if you are not in the country) is to practise every day and use the expressions learned on the day in different contexts to cement them in your memory. This also means you most likely have to find someone who speaks the language fluently or at least understands it to an acceptable level.
Obviously, I'll have to come up with another technique if I see no progress.