Focus on the skills you’ll need most. Learning well how to speak, listen, read and write in foreign language can take many years. Most language learners, however, don’t need all four skills, at least at first. To feel that you’re doing something worth your time and effort, it’s a good idea to concentrate on what you need most. For instance, if you mainly want to communicate while on holiday, you should concentrate on speaking and understanding. If you’re keen on reading manga or the papers, learn vocabulary and grammar.

Review what you’ve learned in previous lessons. The secret to successful language learning is to go back to the dialogs, drills and vocabulary you’ve seen before. Most of the things you come across when learning a foreign language you’ll forget at least once, even if you have an excellent memory. It’s only in the second, or even third time around, that you’ll really learn them.

Establish a routine. Finding a regular time and place to learn will allow you to not waist precious time and energy looking for the right moment to study. It will make those around you see that you’re committed, and they’ll encourage and motivate you. Also, it will keep away the temptation to give up, because studying will soon become part of your regular life.