Language Learning Thoughts

So I attended a Korean class for 5 weeks and... lots of thoughts. So the main thought is, I don't think the class really helped me learn Korean at all. That thought quickly led to, does any language class really help the student learn? I mean, there are a lot to be said about attending a class: the accountability, the forced practice in class, the vocab you won't learn otherwise, and someone in authority who knows everything to answer all your questions.

That being said, being passive and think that just by attending a class will help you learn is absurd. At the end of the day, language is all about communication. Language is not learned to impress others. There's no reason for doing that. It's so that we can communicate ideas w/ each other, share lives with one another, and so on. And so.... while learning a language, don't forget that THAT is the ultimate reason. And so, learning language in a class where you never talk to anyone who actually is a native speaker makes no sense. You cannot practice in a vacuum forever. And just acing a class without any practical use makes no sense. It's not the completion of the class that shows your capability - it's whether you can actually communicate your ideas across to someone else that is the ultimate test. And so I feel that should be the basis of evaluation of anyone's language ability.

And so, after attending the class for 5 weeks, I realized that it doesn't help me learn at all. To be honest, since I had no access to a class for so long, I depended on self-studying for the longest time... and to get to this class and realize that I'm at the same or better level than other people made me realize, I actually didn't need to attend the class. And really, the class moved at a much slower speed than I had been doing on my own.... of course, all except the accountability part. The teacher is definitely a good accountability partner. But anyways, I digress. What I'm trying to say is, having one-on-one time with my language partners helped me MUCH more than any classes would. That is, if I put in my time to study on my own and figure out WHAT I need to learn. I basically have an one-on-one tutor... but since that person is not a teacher, he doesn't really know how to help me either. So I have to be proactive and ask the right questions so I can get the right help. And so, to learn through this method, the learner has to be very very proactive. But even through a class, the learner has to be proactive in order to progress enough to communicate with native speakers. 

But isn't that the way things are? People who excel in English are ones who actually immerse themselves in the English speaking environment. People who hang out with English speaking people. Because what you're learning is not just the language, but the manner in which they speak, the culture, the ways things are said, and what matters most to that culture. And that is the same for me. Except that I have the advantage of being a teacher first before I am a student, so I am learning through a teacher's perspective. I know what's required to learn (as I am a teacher), and I know HOW to learn. I know what kind of accountability to give myself and what questions to ask in order to make myself get better. And that may be the difference between my self learning versus an average Joe's self learning.

Bleh. So what I'm trying to say is (as I try to sort out my thoughts), I find myself improving A LOT through self-study and with my language partners much more than attending any kind of class. But, I would only recommend it for people who have a very strong drive, a lot of self-discipline, and knows how to study for themselves. 

I probably ought to make a pros and cons for each method huh?