The most effective way to learn a language is this:
Talk to people.
It's so simple. But people avoid it because it's scary.
It's way easier to learn (play) on an app than say hello to someone.
I was doing this at the gym. I would do flashcards between sets, see someone I could talk to, and instead get back to "studying Japanese."
But I knew, if I really want to learn, I have to go talk to people.
And that's WHY I'm learning! SO I can talk to people.
You can't wait until you're "ready," because this is how you get ready.
Learn by doing.
It's the highest ROI (return on investment) for learning a language.
Hard to measure, but a short conversation with a native is worth more than hours of study.
Go try it and find out!
Talk to people.
To the blog.
To the podcast.
To my contact.
To the main page.
Enjoy!