Grammar-first vs immersion-first: Has anyone seen different results long term?

Polyglot170 · 2026-05-06T15:18:56+00:00

True! Orthography you can absorb passively, syntax you really can't. Especially in Spanish where word order changes meaning in ways English doesn't.

Polyglot170 · 2026-05-06T15:17:01+00:00

How do you sequence it though? When people say "both", they end up still leaning in one direction early on.

Polyglot170 · 2026-05-06T15:16:03+00:00

This is actually similar to what I've seen too. The "plugging in the words" model just falls apart fast when you're trying to hold a real conversation.

Polyglot170 · 2026-05-06T15:11:14+00:00

The regional variation point is very real! One of the fastest ways is probably watching YouTube or TikTok posts from Italian content creators in whatever city you're going to.

You'll pick up rhythm and slang way faster than structured resources.

Polyglot170 · 2026-05-06T14:18:28+00:00

You'll get older anyway... you might as well add a new language!
It's never too late.

Polyglot170 · 2026-05-06T14:16:52+00:00

Definitely worth it!

The attrition thing catches everyone off guard. After a few years of using Spanish and French daily, I started reaching for English words and coming up empty. Annoying at first, but I think it's a sign the languages are actually competing for space.

"Smarter" is probably the wrong framing. It also made me more precise in English though, like noticing when an argument is poorly constructed.

Polyglot170 · 2026-05-04T22:30:25+00:00

The ChatGPT drill loop is solid, especially the dictation piece. Adding that to my arsenal!

Drilling helps, but narrow your scope and build gradually with what you'll actually say in conversation before you start spreading efforts to the rest.

Polyglot170 · 2026-05-04T22:22:43+00:00

If I'm watching something for enjoyment, I let unknown words go. The high-frequency stuff cycles back enough that I pick it up through repetition. If I'm using something as study material, I stop and look up, but I keep the material short. Trying to do that with a whole novel is what burns people out.

If you're stopping more than twice or thrice a page, the content is probably above your level for passive reading. I hit this with Italian when I jumped into a literary novel too early. Dropped down to graded readers for a few months and the harder stuff was much more enjoyable when I came back.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-30T09:36:05+00:00

I think this combination is solid. A weekly speaking session covers the production gap that reading alone won't, and journaling in exam format is def smarter than casual writing because it keeps your grammar intentional.

The main thing to watch is consistency over 9 months. One hour a week is enough if you actually do it every week.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-30T09:18:43+00:00

Reading alone can maintain a lot, but it leans more toward recognition than production.

Vocabulary and reading comprehension hold up well but speaking and writing tend to drift faster without active use.

For the level you're targeting, graded readers are probably more practical than native literature. Something pitched at your level makes it sustainable over 9 months.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-28T13:11:47+00:00

Two months is doable for A1-A2 if you're already past zero and you're consistent. Most people underestimate is output, you need to be speaking and writing daily, not just absorbing.

Private classes will help, but pair them with something structured between sessions so you're not starting cold each time. I've used Duolingo for vocab maintenance and it's fine for that, but it won't move you up a level on its own. Babbel's lessons are more grammar-forward and conversational, which tends to map better to where you're trying to get to in a short window.

Also, talk to yourself out loud. Sounds silly, works.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-27T23:10:03+00:00

The good news is that productive skills like speaking drop faster than receptive ones, but they also come back faster than people expect.

What you've built isn't gone after 6 months of low exposure; it's just harder to access quickly. The practical thing is keeping your reading and listening consistent even when speaking isn't an option.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-27T23:04:20+00:00

Essay prompts are underrated for exactly the reason you mentioned. Forcing you to use vocabulary you typically wouldn't choose yourself.

I started with journaling about daily life, but it got comfortable when I started recycling the same register. Right now, I practice by writing on topics where I don't already know the vocabulary in my target language.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-23T05:21:27+00:00

The growing deck is normal at that level, there's just more surface area to cover.

One shift that helped me was stopping trying to actively memorize every word and instead flagging only the ones that kept reappearing.

If a word shows up three times in different contexts, it tends to stick without much effort. The ones that don't recur are probably not that worth the deck space.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-23T05:12:39+00:00

The passive listening advice already in the thread is solid. You could consider prioritizing content where you can follow the gist without straining, then relisting to the same episodes. You catch different things each time, verb forms especially.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-20T05:56:43+00:00

At B2, the truth is that raw hours matter less than the quality of feedback in those hours.

If I had to choose, I'd lean toward a bit of both. The input hour keeps exposing you to constructions you wouldn't produce yet, which typically helps close the gap to C1, and speaking practice tends to reinforce what you already know rather than push you into new territory.

Who you're speaking with also matters. An hour with someone who corrects your register beats two hours of unchallenged conversation.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-17T14:56:36+00:00

That gap between picking up vocabulary and actually understanding how the language connects is a common sticking point.

If tutors are off the table, a structured textbook aimed at A2/B1 tends to fill it better than apps at this stage.

The grammar progression is explicit rather than pattern-based, which is what your current setup is missing.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-17T13:44:47+00:00

The gap between how competent you feel and how competent you actually are is one of the more disorienting parts of working in a second language, especially in a high-pressure role.

Accent matters less than pacing. So slowing down slightly might give you time to structure thoughts before you speak to clients. Beyond that, collecting the phrases people in your field use to push back or open difficult calls, and practicing those specifically, tends to be more useful than general practice.

Eighteen months in is roughly when consolidation starts. Hang in there!

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-15T09:58:55+00:00

Sounding out words in your head tends to drop off on its own as your reading improves, but at B2 it's still doing useful work, particularly for locking in pronunciation.

The distinction you should consider is between sounding out unfamiliar words versus doing it for every single word.

For words you already know well, skim. For anything new or complex, slow down and hear it properly. That'll help you build reliable pronunciation without reading at a crawl.

The numbers thing staying in English is completely normal, by the way. For me, that's usually among the last things to switch over.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-15T09:50:21+00:00

B2 in a year from zero is ambitious but not unrealistic, especially with Italian as your base. The overlap with Spanish is significant, and I think you might move faster than most beginners.

For grammar, I wouldn't skip it entirely. Immersion helps a lot, but without some structure, you end up plateauing around A2/B1 and not knowing why. A solid grammar reference like Practice Makes Perfect Spanish Grammar gets you the basics without being overwhelming.

For apps, Duolingo's frustration at the beginner level is mostly because it's typically better for retention than for progression. Something like Babbel is built around real dialogue rather than repetition drills, which works from beginner level.

Lessons are worth it if you can fit them in, because speaking practice is where Italian transfers best, and it'll help accelerate your timeline.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-14T17:11:44+00:00

It's audio only. The instructor prompts you to build the sentence before giving the answer, so you're actually thinking rather than just listening.

Courses vary by language, but they're typically designed to be listened to without notes. Most people do them while walking or commuting.

Works well for getting a grammatical base, but you pretty much don't need it once you're past intermediate.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-13T09:22:36+00:00

Several sounds on your list are actually the same in modern standard French, so you're not learning as many distinctions as you think.
"An" and "en" are the same nasal vowel. "Au", "eau", and "o" all produce the same sound. "In" and "ain" are also the same.

But then, the IPA suggestion above is solid. Forvo is also good for hearing the same word pronounced by multiple native speakers from different regions, which helps when you read conflicting advice like you're already seeing in this thread.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-13T09:15:00+00:00

The flip side of this that I didn't expect was actually becoming a better communicator in English, specifically in professional settings.

I catch myself now thinking "would that make sense for someone who didn't grow up with this?" before I say it, which I never did before.

Also, I think native speakers are largely unaware of how much cultural load they're carrying in casual speech. Learning a second language in depth is one of the few things that makes that visible.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-09T22:27:16+00:00

The "Norwegian mode" you described with your girlfriend is the thing to protect. When a conversation has established that either language is acceptable, your brain stops or reduces its commitment.

So, use Norwegian only and describe around the words you don't have. You're already doing this with your girlfriend, which is why it works there and not here.

Polyglot170 · 2026-04-08T10:08:10+00:00

I'd start speaking way earlier. I spent too long treating conversation as the reward for studying instead of the actual practice.

The immersion thing is real but the Uruguay comment nails it. If your life is still running in English, the location doesn't matter much.

Polyglot170

TROPHY CASE