Reading is always easier than listening because you can control the rate while reading. With a live conversation partner, you cannot do that yet, until we have

Reading is always easier than listening because you can control the rate while reading. With a live conversation partner, you cannot do that yet, until we have accurate, real-time subtitling, perhaps with AR. The hack is to find video material that has exact or near exact subtitles in your target language. By using a short, repeatable video, you will be able to associate sounds with the words, not the other way around. Since spoken language is sounds, you have to start with the sounds. It can be easy to get frustrated as it is a process of repeated listening. For that reason, choose something you like.