When someone decides to take up a new language, one of the first questions they often ask is, is language immersion necessary? There is a long-standing romanticized image of the language learner: a person who quits their job, packs a single suitcase, and moves to a small village in a foreign country. They spend their days sitting in sun-drenched cafes, chatting with locals, and magically soaking up the language through some sort of linguistic osmosis. While that sounds like a wonderful adventure, for most adults with careers, families, and established lives, it is simply not a realistic path. This leads many to wonder if they can ever truly become proficient without that total, 24-hour-a-day experience.

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