Hello
Would it be okay to only use Dreaming Spanish, read the occasional article in Spanish and watch Spanish series on Netflix? Or do I have to combine it with more in-depth grammar and vocabulary studies?
I am not starting from zero but am not fluent at all.
I’m currently approaching 500 hours on dreaming Spanish (491 today, started in January doing 2 hours a day). I have only just started reading grading readers and am comfortably reading at B2 I intend to to try the harry potter books next. I have done essentially zero grammar or vocabulary study (one or two YouTube videos on common phrases are the exception), I am just beginning to be able to watch regular Spanish content (e.g. YouTube about my interests from Spanish presenters, or netflix over a VPN) and understand what is happening.
I have also avoided speaking as much as possible.
What I’m noticing is far less mental translation these days and far easier to create my own thoughts in Spanish and very recently I’ve started to experience dreams in Spanish (especially since I started reading in Spanish).
I now have absolutely no doubts that the ci only method of learning functions and is the best known way to learn a foreign language.
Do as much as you can, when you can, where you can. However, to be fluent one needs to speak. I know, it sucks, but it is the necessary evil here. You can try a few applications like: Tandem; Conversation Exchange. These places you can find people/groups and chit-chat. It helped me. BUT, my tool was the immersion method, as I live in South America.
-Fluent in Spanish as an English native, living in Chile. Please, feel free to ask me anything!