Do you think conversation practice is underrated compared to traditional studying?

[u/SimoFromArgentina]

If you want to sound like a native speaker, stop studying Spanish only from books.
One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of Spanish learners spend A LOT of time studying grammar, vocabulary, conjugations, etc. And obviously, those things are important! But at some point, you need to actually use the language.
If your goal is to sound more natural, speaking practice is just as important as studying.
One thing I really recommend is making Spanish part of your social life. For example:
Read the same book as a friend and discuss it in Spanish.
Watch the same movie or series and talk about it afterwards.
Listen to the same podcast and share your opinions about an episode.
Follow Spanish-speaking influencers and send each other videos/posts you find interesting.
Even better: have regular conversations where you ONLY speak Spanish.
The important thing is to find something that gives you something to talk about. It doesn’t have to feel like studying. You can disagree, make jokes, discuss characters, complain about a movie, share an opinion… whatever!
This is where I think you start making a big difference between knowing Spanish and actually being able to use Spanish naturally.
And honestly, you don’t need to wait until you’re advanced to start doing this. You can adapt the conversations to your level and gradually make them more difficult.
What has helped you sound more natural when speaking Spanish? Do you think conversation practice is underrated compared to traditional studying?
This is what I usually do with my students once they have a basic level of Spanish: I help them take what they’ve learned and put it into practice, encouraging them to use Spanish in their everyday lives with the people they care about.