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Hello! I wanted to create a thread for anyone learning Japanese to post about learning methods, grammar and vocab questions, and writing practice. Of course, responses to grammar and vocab questions by any helpful rebels out there who are native or fluent speakers would be greatly appreciated. To start us off, I am very interested in the learning methods of other language learners (feel free to post methods you've used studying other languages as well): what has worked, what hasn't worked, what ideas do you have to try out in the future, etc. My response: I am near fluent in Spanish, but that was accomplished through study abroad and now through conversing with my boyfriend and his family in Spanish. I don't have the ability to drop everything and move to Japan for 6 months now, so there's not too much here I can apply to my Japanese learning efforts. My sister is currently studying in Nagasaki (she's on her 4th year there), so, once I get to the point where I can hold a conversation, I can try to Skype with her in Japanese. But I need to get to that point first! I've tried using text books and My Japanese Coach for the Nintendo DS, but I would always get busy, drop it for a few months, and then have to start over from scratch. I discovered the Pimsleur Language Program last November at my local public library (yay, free!), so I've been working my way through that during my 30+ minute commute to and from work. It's great because I don't need to work time into my schedule to do it - I'm spending that time in my car no matter what! However, I'm starting on level III, which I believe is the final segment of the program. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next, hence my initiating this thread .

So uhhhh hi. I'm going to Japan in the fall and I need help! I took a little bit of Japanese a number of years ago, but it's gotten very rusty and I also don't have anyone to practice with here IRL. So I was hoping for a pen pal, or a forum pal, or something, with which to converse and learn some new skills. I will also be working on the reading (re-learning the kana and learning many kanji for the first time) so some conversations may be taking place very slowly and painfully in roomaji. Doomo arigatou gozaimashita!