Hmm. Looks like this got bumped a while back..
Still, for the sake of completeness, I'll append my opinions here (that, and I like talking
).
As for paid online tuition, I would only go for that if I had a deadline by which I had to grasp a language. Or if I had lots of money. You can learn a language without tuition, that's what my brother did.
I say all too often the need to talk to native speakers. If you cant get to Japan physically, email Japanese people, mail them, chat to them on Skype, anything you possibly can. Have a dictionary (Jim Breen's is gold) on your internet browser while you chat. Whilst you take a break from that, learn the grammar (no shortage of sites with grammar!) and additional vocab.
I think most normal people get periods of up to an hour where they are stuck with nothing to do. Take that novel out of your bag, and replace it with something you can study Japanese with.
