> I would really like to see a study that compares learning a second language while living in that country versus learning a second language as an academic exer

> I would really like to see a study that compares learning a second language while living in that country versus learning a second language as an academic exercise. You say that as if learning it at home necessitates an academic approach, or an academic motivation? I hate the academic approach to language learning (as in; the way I've been forced to learn languages in school). I far prefer immersion and systematically memorizing vocabulary to rigidly memorizing vocabulary (word for word, no context, no mnemoc aids) and painstakingly practice grammar. I want to learn languages for communicating, not for reading "Shakespear". This approach is probably doable even if you're not living in a relevant country. Immersion is probably definitely harder, though. I've tried living for 5 months in country where I didn't really know the language (couldn't carry on a conversation for more than 4 sentences). I did just fine, but I didn't really learn that much - surviving on my knowledge was easy enough, just enough to buy stuff and ask directions. In contrast, I bet that people who actually had studied the language beforehand got a lot of immersion and practice; they were over that can't even keep a conversation about the weather going.