In my experience, I studied grammar and vocab for many years before I spoke and listened to Spanish. Immersion definitely made things move faster, but I feel this foundation was very powerful once I applied the language. For me, ample academic study is key.
I know for many, immersion is key.
What do you find to be the case in your learning style?
Mewe, it says MOVE faster. ;)
I think both things are important: you need to study for practicing the languague. You also need motivation (the mine is can travel and speak with people around the world), if you don't have it, you can't study and you don't learn new words. I prefer to get vocabulary and later, study grammar.
Immersion is more interesting, in my opinion.
I definitley feel immersion is more effective as it focuses on you speaking the language which for me, is the most useful thing. I want to be able to speak the language I'm learning. Whilst reading and writing is important, the practical aspects of learning a language is to speak and to and understand those of another language. (My opinion)
A lot of friends I know mainly from Europe and Asia, have been taught English in their home countries at school for many year but in London struggle a lot as they find a lot of difference in the Language how it is taught and how it is actually spoken.
Often I've met foreign people who use an 'old English' style of speaking eg.("one would find the hithermost point to the left") but here in the UK nobody actually speaks like that ever. Not to mention it can be extremely hard to understand.
I studied Spanish at school but I only truly started understanding it once I literally immersed myself into it. Funnily enough I understood the grammar rules from an Itunes app in a few weeks more than I ever did at school.
I think it depends on how you learn. Once you figure out how you intake and process information effectively, it makes it easier to find a program/routine that works for you.
Studying Spanish has laid the foundation for understanding the language. The rules, grammar and pronunciation are wht I learn from studying.
Immersion is putting your knowledge into practice. Applied knowledge is wisdom :)
I've neglected immersion and I've regretted it. For one thing, you may learn how to say somehting the proper way ( how you were taught in a book, online course, etc), but come to find out they don't use that word in your area. This is where immersion is very helpful.
So I recommend doing both, but I believe immersion will help you to start speaking the language quicker than studying.
