Want to learn Japanese
 

I'm taking Japanese one next year so I really want to be ahead. By a lot. I've got a couple books and one audio CD but, need a native speaker's help.

What I've been doing is listening to podcasts with native speakers talking in them. You hear the real thing and eventually you can understand it.

As a beginner, practicing with a native speaker is...well...kind of a waste of both your time and the person helping you. Learn enough that you can hold some sort of a conversation and just have fun talking with them and they can correct you and improve your speaking skills. I highly suggest you work on listening first and know enough phrases that you would be comfortable saying them and know all the kinds of responses you will get. Look through a phrase book and the dictionary and use a flash card program to practice and make some flash cards you can take with you to school or work to practice in your spare time. Get an ipod so you can listen to Japanese music and podcasts in your free time and a cd for your car. :)

That is what I've been doing, and it's been going pretty well. I still don't think I can hold a conversation, so I have a way to go, and it's been about 4-5 months, just to give you an idea. I can say a bunch of phrases and remember many nouns and verbs, and I know about 900 kanji (english meanings) and most of the kana by heart. So it's possible. But you can't give up. I'm starting to get lazy about it, so I really need to work on that xD

What exactly would you want the native speaker to do?

Language
 

It helps to be corrected and have examples. That sort of thing. I have two books and an audio on Japanese. One of the books seems really helpfull but still..

I will help when I got the time, I myself saw have learned on school how to pronounce words, because here in my school some japanese students (who are even in a grade higher then me) still have some problems with the right pronounciation.

As to me, i'm not very good at it but i'm better then other students of my class and they all say I have a girls voice (<_<')

I'm still being trying to learn the language myself. I have books, audio cd and a japanese dictionary. For me it's just basically finding the time to sit down and peactice it but i don't wanna give it up even if it takes me longer than expected. :)

I'll let u guys know if i'm struggling with anything or need any advice.;)