How much immersion will actually make a difference?
I (30F) have been studying Spanish on and off for about 10 years now. I did a couple of beginner modules in college. My ex is Mexican and his family had very limited English so I was frequently surrounded by Spanish when I would visit them for the 2 years when we were together. I took online classes for 6 months during this time. My reading comprehension is quite strong, my listening is not as good but I can usually catch the gist of conversations. I fall down orally, mostly due to fear or being wrong and lack of confidence. I would say I’m at a B1 level at this stage.
I’m planning on studying abroad, probably in Guatemala or Colombia or both. My goal is to become more confident in speaking and also stop subconsciously translating everything into English in my head.
How much time do you think it would take to actually see a big difference in my abilities if I fully commit to immersion?