I learnt that I know by self-teaching and books (mainly the Banzai french method, Ellipses Editions; but as it has some failures, I have too an advanced japanese small handbook, which helps me sometimes, an universitary Kanji Manual, very nice stuff, a Doraemon's japanese book 1006 kanji, very cute, and other little books).
I began in May 2005, after passed my last rank at work and seeking something good to train my mind during two years in prevision of the following grade to pass. So I worked 5 kana a day the first month, so I mastered well the hiragana, a bit more less the katakana because I wanted to learn mainly true japanese vocabulary, not much english rooted words (I still have some hesitations on a few katakana).
I tried to work at least 5 days per week, one hour and half, not working mainly on kanji (I know about 110 of them).
For the pronounciation, I'm a big fan of old japanese classic movies, so I could get full of examples. Anyway, for a french, japanese pronounciation is not far from our, except the u as ou (kind of oo in english) and the classic japanese r which is between r and l. So I managed that as well (except the first times as I was speaking with a too virile Toshirô Mifune's style
). But listening japanese actress helped well to stick out of this anyway.
I worked at this rate during two years, learning about 500 words and the basic grammar, but had to stop because of my next rank test. My tests are very technical and very tough, so I couldn't manage learning new japanese at the same time. I just kept in memory all that I've already learnt by little exercises sometimes.
I failed my test 2 years along, and I just finish 2008 's one today. If I'm lucky this time, I certainly would return to intensive japanese learning very soon
