Yes, I agree that this is the actual situation. However, this is not what most people expect when they sign up to learn a language or pay money to do so at a language school. It also took at lest me a while to figure this out, which is why I wrote the article. When it comes to strictness, it definitely depends on the institution and the level you’re studying. In general, though, I agree that much more can be achieved than what is normally required!

The major problem I have with private and college level education programs is that the accountability often isn’t strict enough to adequately facilitate real learning. I could speculate that strict programs have found that it directly correlates to lower enrollment and profits. They can also charge more money for longer or more frequent in-class hours in an attempt to circumvent that lack of learning happening outside of the classroom.

I feel that I have made much more progress with self-learning than with the course I have taken. But perhaps it is thanks to the basis I had learned in class that I was able to make progress on my own.