u/TheSokka

I've recently started consuming Japanese content again, focusing on listening and shadowing practice. I often hear people say things like, 'It sounded like gibberish at first, but when I revisited the same material later (few hundred hours give or take), it was completely coherent.' To me, it seems like subconscious parsing at work. So I'd love to know, at what point did everything finally 'click' for you?

I’ve been studying Japanese on and off for five years and currently at the N4 level. While my reading skills (especially with materials like Todaii Japanese) are strong, I'm wondering about my learning strategy. Should I prioritize reading and listening skills before focusing on active production? I feel that consistent exposure should naturally lead to better output, but I've heard conflicting advice. Am I overthinking this?