[sardO]

Hey, I'm considering taking Japanese as a course in university next year, but I just want to know what I'd be getting myself into. I'm interested in learning Japanese because I am considering studying abroad for a year during university, so knowing the language would not be a bad idea. My question is this: how hard is Japanese to learn? Mainly, how hard is it to learn to speak and read Japanese, not so much writing it. The course description is this: "An introduction to spoken and written Japanese focusing on developing proficiency in the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Acquisition of basic grammar, hiragana and katakana scripts, and oral communication skills will be emphasized. Basic kanji (Chinese characters) will also be introduced. Open to students with no prior background in Japanese." I know pretty much nothing about the Japanese language, am I setting myself up for failure or do you think it won't be too bad? Is it just a matter of putting a lot of effort into it?