After a relatively long break of almost two years at this point, I am looking to start learning Japanese again. I have noticed that unfortunately there is so much I forgot and its going to be a rough uphill battle. The biggest hurdle is going to be actually finding a class I can take or someone to teach me. I have looked at a few places online and if you are like me and thinking about trying to learn a language, they might be worth giving a try.
I Took two years of Japanese in college but with classes 4-5 times a week you start to learn very quickly and feel like you are making progress. Even if it was hard you at least feel like you are learning something tangible. If you have access to a community college or a place that has classes like that, then that is probably your best method, because it forces you to do the work and put the time in, even if its just so you dont waste your money or look like a fool in front of other people in the class. This option might not be available to many people so I am going to give the best online alternatives that I think will be the best as well.
For people looking to learn more online than in person there are few options that you can take. I will probably use this option just so I can do it during my free time or during a set period each week. The first method is using a penpal which might be a bit of trial by fire. You will find that you are going to be translating things and you wont understand many of them, but you get that full immersion if the person is writing in a totally different language. I wouldnt recommend this method unless you at least have a basic to intermediate handle on a certain language. You need to usually learn some basic grammar to hold a conversation with a bit of understanding. I use mylanguageexchange.com. It looks like a website made in the 90s but its not bad to connect with people and then move over to another platform like skype.
If you are looking for a service that is more instructional, there are many more options. The first is the one people always ask about, which is Rosetta Stone. They have subscription based services now so it actually isnt too expensive to get started and what I will say is Rosetta Stone is great for vocabulary, but for grammar in languages that dont follow the same structure as your native one, it can be a bit hard. It definitely can help with a bit of vocab review for someone who has become a bit rusty like me. Next you want to go the tutor route, I would suggest looking at Italki or look for a tutor in your area on Wyzant. They are a bit pricier but if they are good at what they do it is very worth it.
I think the key to learning a language is similar to many other things in life, you just have to keep doing it. You might learn at different paces depending on the method you choose but as long as you dont abandon it you will keep learning. I plan to use a mixture of all the methods I have talked about here and maybe I will update you in the future. Ive started already talking with a few penpals and I can feel many of the words and grammar coming back to me. However it might be time to get out my old textbooks and skim through them a bit.
-Calaber24p