5. Listen to as much English as possible

Get some films from Tsutaya or even better hire some American TV drama series, something like Lost or 24 is perfect and try to listen to what the characters are saying.

Watch the same thing over and over again until you can remember whole sections of speech and then try to copy the phrases and words with the same pronunciation and rhythm.

You can also try listening to American, British or Australian music, and reading the lyrics at the same time. If you don’t have the lyrics you can find them by searching on google.

4. Apply for the TOEIC test

Applying and studying towards a test like the TOEIC exam is a great way to motivate yourself to keep studying, it is also a great reward to receive a certificate showing you are making progress. The exam preparation will also help you to focus your study as you need to be strong in listening as well as grammar and reading comprehension.

Just don’t stop studying after the exam!

3. Study things that are interesting for you

If you love manga then try to find manga in English. If you are crazy about clothes and fashion then get an English fashion magazine and try to read that.

People are always struggling with text books that are so boring! The content in my Japanese study books was dreadful and totally irrelevant to my real life. I learned the most when I started reading internet articles about programming and reading magazines about health and fitness and mens fashion

2. Study a little bit every day

This is so important!

If you practice a little bit of English every day you will get used to thinking in English and the language will become more and more familiar to you.

Try to find a little bit of time each day where you can study, perhaps at lunch time or when you are on the train going to work or maybe last thing at night before going to bed.

I can honestly see a big difference between the days when I study and the days that I do not - even a quick five minutes of study makes a really big change!

1. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes!

This is the most important thing to remember when learning any new language and is number one on my list of top ten tips.

If you are always afraid of making mistakes then you will never try to speak or write anything and that means you will never learn. The truth is you WILL make mistakes when you are learning, in fact you may make some big mistakes and feel very embarrassed - but this is normal! In fact this is the best way of learning, when you make a mistake you can learn from that experience and then you will never make the same mistake agai

You need to be brave and take a few risks if you want to succeed!