> Immersion is overrated, even if you're trying your best to study vocabulary in your off hours. That is not true AT ALL. Immersion is absolutely essential to

> Immersion is overrated, even if you're trying your best to study vocabulary in your off hours. That is not true AT ALL. Immersion is absolutely essential to learning a language. But you must remember that immersion means both passive listening to the language AND active speaking. If you never speak the language because everyone switches to English, you are not immersed. > No one will put up with your shitty language skills for more than 5 minutes. Of course not. The point of language is communication. People will naturally become frustrated when they cannot understand another party or the communication is flawed. The best way to learn a language is to go somewhere where no one actually speaks your language. In Europe, this might mean spending a lot of time around old people who don't speak English and talking to them.