How can I teach myself Japanese affordably?

Question:

I love Japan and I have many Nihongo sites under my belt, but there are a lot of norms and such that aren't taught, like all the different ways to say things. Also I feel terribly uneasy about reading and writing. I know a good bit enough to get me through maybe two seconds with a native speaker. Plus come on, I have to be able to watch InuYasha without subtitles! =^_^=

Answer:

The best thing I can recommend to you is to get a Japanese textbook. It will cost you around $30 but you can study from it in depth. The nice thing about textbooks is they have a conversations the way native speakers would have them. You can take that, practice it. Change topics and re write it, etc.

The second thing I would do is either get a native speaking tutor or find a conversation partner to meet with on skype. This way you will have someone to check your grammar and pronunciation and make sure you are doing it right. The classifieds on http://www.japan-guide.com/ and http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showfor… both have a lot of people looking for exchange partners.

One thing I will caution you about. When I was a beginner and I talked to Japanese people, I always spoke in English because I wanted to hear more about Japan. You have to discipline yourself. Don't let yourself get side-tracked or embarrassed. If the goal is to practice, then practice.