hi, i suppose the best way (when you´d like to improve your spoken japanese and listening comprehension) to learn japanese is that you hear and listen to it a lot (through radio, tv, movies and so on) after you learned the so called `textbook japanese´. (though you will realise how different our spoken language is) good luck!

from songs i think, b4 when im learning japanese i collect songs and translate it into roman alphabet and sing it at the koraoke.:)

Flashcards! You can probably learn katakana and hiragana that way in about two weeks. Found it helpful to learn the corresponding hiragana and katakana together since their distinct shape (angular v. curvy) makes them hard to mix up. For kanji, I'd recommend Speedanki.com. Although set up according to the JLPT test level and not necessarily the order you might learn them in a class, the site's interface is great for rapid learning. Happy studying!