pure seal
For example, if I enjoyed watching anime before my interest in learning Japanese, why do those hours of watching it not seem to make any difference to my current level?
I don't think I could tell you a single word of Japanese before I actively started purposely learning it.
civic solstice
For example, if I enjoyed watching anime before my interest in learning Japanese...
Your intent and way of consuming content matters. If you’re watching a show with NL subs for entertainment, there’s zero reason for your brain to puzzle out the language. It doesn’t need to, and you haven’t made it a priority. Even if you say “I want to learn Japanese!” but leave NL subs on, your brain will still take the easy route rather than puzzling out the language. Much of the power in immersion derives from your brain being hard at work trying to solve various language “puzzles” (what does X word mean, why are they using Y grammar, etc) across many encounters across many hours. You won’t feel progress until suddenly you notice you understand a lot more after a few months, partially because some things click in groups and partially because, ideally, you’re consistently exposing yourself to the language which makes small progress less noticeable.
Trying to find the meaning and message behind language, without being given the answer before you even try, is how you immerse. What you’ve watched up until now has no real learning value because the puzzle and struggle was removed, much like people who fail school exams because they think looking at answer keys to practice tests before trying the problems themselves will help them learn.
pure seal
that makes a lot of sense, thanks!