I have an online tutor - we use Skype. However I tend to use her to resolve questions I haven't been able to sort out for myself or clarify things I have found confusing. Probably the biggest help to my learning has been having language partners through I-talki - I have six and I talk once a week with each of them. Talking to a real Japanese person, hearing how they use the language and getting comfortable with daily interactions has been the biggest single help to me improving my Japanese.

My experience with an online tutor here has been quite positive. In fact, in order to maintain my language skills, I currently have 6 regular tutors, all of which have helped me enormously. Due to my schedule, I can only do maybe once a week or, at the very least, twice a month, but I don't regret any of the time I've spent with my tutors. Obviously, the only problem with tutoring over skype is that there are sometimes technical issues that may prevent you from having a lesson, but if a lesson is missed for any reason, the system on Italki makes sure that the problem can be solved fairly and efficiently. I think it really boils down to how comfortable you are with doing a lesson online as well. At first it felt a bit awkward for me, since the person isn't with me, but I got used to it eventually. I would certainly recommend hiring a tutor. The rates are pretty reasonable too, I think. Good luck with your studies!

Ana boa noite, Você ainda tem interesse em aprender o idioma Português? Eu tenho interesse em praticar o Inglês. Gostaria de praticarmos via Skype?